Now that Baker Mayfield’s choice of teams, the Indianapolis Colts, have gone in another direction and traded for Matt Ryan, what happens with the soon-to-be-former Cleveland Browns quarterback? I’m told there are no imminent trades on the horizon for Mayfield and the Browns.
NFL News and Rumors: Could Baker Mayfield be on his way to Seattle?
On this week’s episode of PFN Draft Insiders (which can be found every Tuesday at 8 PM ET on the PFN YouTube Channel), PFN Chief NFL Analyst Trey Wingo asked me about the latest I was hearing around Mayfield and the Browns.
One thing I can say is that the Seattle Seahawks have bounced around the idea of trading for Mayfield, but they feel no urgency to do anything at the present time. As reported by Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers have a mutual disinterest in one another. It could be a while before there’s any movement — sources tell me Mayfield may not be traded until immediately before the 2022 NFL Draft.
What’s next for Mayfield and the Browns?
With so much quarterback movement in the league the past three weeks, why are the Browns and Mayfield on the outside looking in?
People believe Cleveland has painted themselves into a corner with Mayfield. The franchise has no leverage in any trade dealings. The Browns must get rid of Mayfield before the season, and there’s no reason for teams to overpay for his services.
It’s not only about the compensation required for acquiring Mayfield but also how much of his guaranteed contract the Browns will be willing to eat as part of any trade. When the Browns picked up Mayfield’s fifth-year option, it came with a guaranteed payment of slightly under $19 million for the upcoming season.
I’m told any team that trades for Mayfield will want the Browns to absorb a portion of that amount. And while the Cleveland front office is working with Mayfield’s team to ship him to a place he desires, it is the franchise that is willing to accept the largest portion of his contract that could ultimately wind up with the former No. 1 pick.
Mayfield, for his part, is keeping busy. He’s in Texas right now working with Patrick Mahomes’ quarterback coach Jeff Christensen to improve his throwing mechanics and accuracy.