The Cleveland Browns gave up on starting Baker Mayfield, but have not given up on the possibility of trading him.
The Browns are not planning to cut the 27-year-old quarterback even if they haven’t found a suitor by training camp, according to a Cleveland.com. Because the Browns would still be on the hook for Mayfield’s $18.86 million salary, Cleveland brass intends to wait to see if another team is in a quarterback pinch once the preseason gets underway later this summer.
In a strange way, Deshaun Watson’s status is giving the Browns a little bit of leverage.
Trading for Watson and giving him a record $230 million contract, fully guaranteed, created this mess with Mayfield. But Watson likely faces a season-opening suspension when the NFL wraps up its investigation into sexual misconduct allegations.
So, the Browns could need a backup quarterback to play for some length of time. Maybe that is Mayfield, after all, and not Jacoby Brissett.
But why haven’t the Browns been able to meet Mayfield’s trade request?
Well, trade talks with the Carolina Panthers broke down during the draft because the Panthers wanted the Browns to pay more than $13 million of Mayfield’s contract, according to The Charlotte Observer. Furthermore, some in the Panthers organization are much higher on Mayfield than others, according to Cleveland.com.
A few months after Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo told The Post that he ranked Mayfield as the sixth-best quarterback in the class. McAdoo is now the Panthers’ offensive coordinator, working with Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker, and rookie Matt Corral at quarterback.
The Seattle Seahawks – another possible landing spot – would sign Mayfield if he was cut by the Browns, Cleveland.com reported. The Seahawks, who have Drew Lock and Geno Smith at quarterback, could then offer a close-to-minimum salary and only that amount would offset what the Browns owe to Mayfield.