Getty Seahawks general manager John Schneider (left) and head coach Pete Carroll appear to have won the Russell Wilson trade.
The Seattle Seahawks may be in the “quarterback business,” but so far they have yet to make a trade for Cleveland Browns disgruntled signal caller Baker Mayfield. With DK Metcalf’s long-term future remaining uncertain, ESPN put together a list of possible trade proposals the Seahawks could consider. One of the proposals has the Seahawks landing Mayfield and a second-round pick for Metcalf.
“The Browns need to unload Mayfield anyway, and packaging him with a second-rounder might entice Seattle,” ESPN’s Jake Trotter detailed on April 7, 2022. “Cleveland, which traded away its first-round pick in the 2022 draft to acquire Deshaun Watson, likely would only deal next year’s pick so that it could keep its top pick (No. 44) this year. The Seahawks could get a one-year look at Mayfield and add the pick to their trove for a potential rebuild.
“Seattle could be a decent landing spot for Mayfield, who would seemingly mesh with coach Pete Carroll and the type of offense he wants to run. The Seahawks might provide Mayfield with his best chance to start in 2022.”
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What Is the Seahawks’ Asking Price for Metcalf?
This deal is likely to get a firm no from the Seahawks given Mayfield’s low trade value and the lack of first-round picks in the proposed trade. The Atheltic’s Ben Standig previously reported that the Browns may need to attach a draft pick with Mayfield in order to find a trade partner. If the Seahawks have an interest in Mayfield, the team is likely waiting for the Browns to eat some of his $18.8 million salary.
As for Metcalf, the Seahawks have maintained their desire to re-sign the star receiver to a long-term deal. With the top NFL receivers’ annual salaries hitting the $30 million mark, it is reasonable to speculate that the Seahawks have a financial breaking point when it comes to retaining Metcalf.
What would the Seahawks need to receive in order for the front office to even consider trading Metcalf? In evaluating the potential Metcalf offers, ESPN’s Brady Henderson noted that the Seahawks’ asking price likely starts with two first-round selections.
“My starting point was two first-round picks or something of equivalent value, because if I’m Schneider and Carroll, how could I even consider anything less than that after giving up more in the Jamal Adams trade?” Henderson explained.
The Seahawks ‘Make the Most Sense’ for Mayfield, Says Insider
If the Seahawks are targeting Mayfield, it appears the team does not have very much competition from opposing franchises. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Seahawks “make the most sense” for Mayfield with the Panthers and Lions likely uninterested in the Browns quarterback. It is widely expected that the Browns will have to eat some of Mayfield’s salary for the Seahawks or any other team to be willing to acquire the quarterback.
“More and more, it looks like the Browns are going to have to pay a very significant percentage of Baker Mayfield’s $18.858 million option for this year to get anything back for him,” Breer detailed on April 4. “You can call it buying a draft pick if you want. I think it’s more of a tax for what they did to get Deshaun Watson.
“If Cleveland’s willing to do that, I still think Seattle makes the most sense. I’ve been told neither Carolina nor Detroit has much interest in Mayfield, so the potential landing spots are dwindling.”
The clock is ticking for the Browns to find a landing spot for Mayfield or risk having an unhappy backup quarterback with a nearly $19 million price tag. The same can be said for the Seahawks with Metcalf as the playmaker heads into the final year of his rookie contract.