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The Seattle Seahawks’ chances of landing Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield appears to be dwindling. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported that the Panthers and Browns are continuing their trade talks regarding Mayfield with “urgency on Carolina’s side to execute the deal soon.”
“As minicamps begin today for the Browns and Panthers, trade talks between the teams continue surrounding QB Baker Mayfield, per sources,” Jones said in a series of June 14 tweets. “The main issue remains Mayfield’s salary and how much (or how little) teams pay. There’s urgency on Carolina’s side to execute the deal soon so Mayfield can get some time in minicamp with the Panthers. For the Browns, it’s the best offer they have. Talks ongoing.”
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The Seahawks Are Viewed as the Favorite to Land Mayfield If QB Is Released
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the Seahawks “don’t seem interested in trading” for Mayfield, but NFL executives view Seattle as the favorite to land the quarterback if he is released. If the Panthers are able to strike a deal with the Browns, this ends any chance the Seahawks have to sign Mayfield outright meaning they would have to top Carolina’s trade offer.
“The majority of the people to whom I spoke for this story believe both players [Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo] will likely end up being released,” Graziano wrote on June 10. “A couple of people thought Garoppolo might still draw trade interest, provided an acquiring team could work out something to knock down the salary or spread it out over a couple of years.
“The most popular destination for Garoppolo among those to whom I spoke was the Panthers. The most popular landing spot for Mayfield in our straw poll was the Seahawks. They don’t seem interested in trading for him, but could, if he gets released, sign him to a low-cost deal and add him to a quarterback room that includes Geno Smith and Drew Lock in the wake of the Russell Wilson trade.”
Carroll: ‘I Don’t See Us Making a Trade’
Graziano also reported that the expectation among league executives is that both Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo will ultimately be released. Carolina appears poised to put an end to this chatter by pulling off a trade. According to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, the Panthers and Browns held talks about a Mayfield trade during the draft, but the deal was unable to be completed due to a disconnect over the quarterback’s $18.8 million salary.
Carolina is pushing Cleveland to eat a good portion of Mayfield’s money which has prevented a deal from already being completed. Throughout the offseason, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated the team has no plans to make another trade for a quarterback but appeared to leave the door open for adding a veteran via free agency if a former starter becomes available.
“We’re always competing, I’m not saying anything you didn’t think I was going to say,” Carroll remarked during a May 5 interview on KJR Seattle’s “The Ian Furness Show.” “Fortunately, that’s always been the way we’ve operated, and it fits again. So, we’re looking, I don’t see us making a trade for anybody at all. I don’t see that happening, but we’re certainly going to continue to be open to the chances to help our club. Meanwhile, we’re just going to be battling and competing our tales off. There’s always a possibility, so we keep open to that.”
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