It looks like the Seattle Seahawks might not enter the season with Drew Lock as their quarterback after all.
As the Seahawks continue to be mentioned in possible trade scenarios involving Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox has pitched a reasonable trade. In a piece published March 29, Knox wrote that one trade likely to happen by the April 28 NFL draft is Mayfield to the Seahawks for a third-round draft pick.
One of the biggest roadblocks for a potential Mayfield trade is his near-$19 million cap hit for the 2022 season. Knox wrote that the Browns would have to absorb much of Mayfield’s salary in order to get rid of him.
“Cleveland has two main problems, though. For one, the wild quarterback carousel has left few teams without a viable … starting option,” Knox wrote. “The other issue is Mayfield’s contract. He is scheduled to carry a cap hit of $18.9 million this season, and teams don’t want to pay that.
“Mayfield has been inconsistent, but he’s shown plenty of ability. He set a since-broken rookie record with 27 touchdown passes. If the financial commitment comes down, the Seattle Seahawks are interested, per (Mary Kay) Cabot.”
Cabot, of Cleveland.com, reported the Seahawks’ interest in Mayfield in a story published March 21.
Why Mayfield Makes Sense for Seahawks
Acquiring Mayfield would make sense for the Seahawks in a couple of ways. For one, Seattle doesn’t have a surefire starter at quarterback at the moment. They’re currently expected to enter the season with Lock — 8-13 career record and 79.3 quarterback rating — as the starter and 24-year-old Jacob Eason, who has five passing attempts in his one-year career, as the backup.
Secondly, if the Browns would be willing to eat much of Mayfield’s salary, the Seahawks would essentially pay him nothing while giving up just a mid-round draft pick for a quarterback who won a playoff game as recently as the 2020 season.
Lastly, Mayfield is entering the last year of his deal. If he proved to be nothing more than a short-term rental, the Seahawks could move on from him after the 2022 season. If he proved capable of being a franchise quarterback, then he could be the guy for Seattle moving forward.
Knox further detailed why Mayfield would make sense for the Seahawks.
“Seattle traded longtime starter Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos and acquired Drew Lock as part of the deal,” Knox wrote. “Bringing in Mayfield to compete with Lock would make a ton of sense at the right price.
“Cleveland could potentially get a second-round pick if it eats a large portion of Mayfield’s cap hit,” Knox wrote. “However, the Seahawks don’t appear to have any real competition on the trade market, so a third-round pick probably gets this one done.”
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Why Seahawks Could Avoid Mayfield
Starting Lock in 2022 could signal that the Seahawks would tank the season, giving them a legitimate chance at clinching the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, which will feature potential standout quarterbacks such as Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud.
So, one argument against acquiring Mayfield is that, as a proven winner, he would jeopardize a tank effort and eliminate any chance of the Seahawks finishing with the worst record in the league.
Whether or not they would trade for Mayfield all hinges on what direction the Seahawks want to head into entering the 2022 season.
‘Likely’ Trade Scenario Sees Seahawks Acquire Veteran QB, Says Analyst