Although the Panthers may circle back to Baker Mayfield, the disgruntled quarterback’s path out of Cleveland in a trade narrowed last week when the Browns and Panthers could not agree on terms. Carolina traded into Round 3 for Matt Corral, diminishing its interest in taking on part of Mayfield’s fifth-year option salary.
As previously noted, the terms of Mayfield’s $18.9MM 2022 option led to the Browns-Panthers trade talks fizzling. Carolina wanted Cleveland to pick up most of that fully guaranteed salary, according to ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter, who adds the trade talks that concluded Friday did not come especially close to producing a deal.
The Browns remain unwilling to cut Mayfield, though with the Seahawks curiously not showing much interest, they may have no choice. The Texans have also surfaced as a potential suitor. Both teams and others likely would take a hard look at the four-year starter as a free agent, but for now, the Browns are not prepared to cut Mayfield loose.
Mayfield attempting to play through a torn shoulder labrum undoubtedly hurt his standing, though Trotter adds the Browns were reluctant to engage in extension talks before the start of the 2021 campaign. Prior to Mayfield’s injury, reports emerged indicating he was fine with playing out his fourth season absent an extension. But Mayfield’s value cratered in 2021, with the former Heisman winner’s completion percentage plummeting from an NFL-best 82% before his September shoulder injury to 58% in the games following the setback. The latter portion comprised most of the season, leading the Browns to an 8-9 record and pushing this situation to its present state.
Mayfield underwent surgery in January but contacted Amari Cooper about a potential throwing session in March, per Trotter. However, the Browns’ entrance into the Deshaun Watson mix — and the “adult in the room” comment — proved to be enough for Mayfield to request a trade. The 27-year-old passer requested to be dealt nearly two months ago, but the standoff persists.
While Pete Carroll is saying all the right things about Drew Lock, Mayfield is a major upgrade. He’s doing the Seahawks a disservice sticking with that guy.
Pete’s likely gonna run the ball 75% of the time. Geno and Drew should suffice.
Seattle’s best path to a competitive team is drafting a QB high next year. They didn’t trade Wilson and cut Wagner to take their best shot this year.
I Agree with both of you, but they could still draft a QB next year having Mayfield this year. Run the ball a ton and play action is Mayfields bread and butter.
Why give up anything for a year of not truly competing.
This is a throwaway season for Seattle. They rebuilt in 2 years when PC & JS got here looking to do the same this year. Will play the rookies and get them time on the field get a QB next draft and put him behind an arguably better like than Wilson had if the new tackles pan out. PC & JS don’t have a great history of drafting OL. Hopefully these guys workout.
I thought he didn’t want to go to the Texans, otherwise he would’ve been included in that trade. It’s kind of surprising he wasn’t interested since his father played for the University of Houston and since he grew up about 2-3 hours away in the Austin area.
I doubt that’d why he wasn’t in the trade.
He has never said he wouldn’t play for any team. He just got done playing for the sad sack browns and had zero qualms about going there when they sucked. He had a “preference” of Indianapolis before they decided on Ryan but has been open to playing for anyone.
He wasn’t in the trade because of that salary. Houston isn’t competing anytime soon and can tank with Mills for a better QB if they want. So why trade/pay for a decent one?
mills is probably a better option than Baker
I think they’re at the point where they have to give up at least a 4th round pick for someone to take Baker
at this point it’s either cut him free or eat salary until a qb goes down on a contender..
also we don’t know if Deshaun will be allowed to play week 1 .. would be hilarious if Baker starts the first few weeks for the browns
Mills is a cheaper option….he’s def not a “better” option….unless tanking is the goal
I think Mills has more upside that baker.
Mills out-preformed Zach Wilson and Trevor Lawrence in his rookie season
…in a similarly poor situation
with absolutely no run game to lean on (worst YPC in nfl 2021)
Do you think it would make any sense at all for the Jets or Jaguars to bring in Baker?
so why would it make sense for Texans to?
Mills has upside, but I don’t know if I said that he has more than Mayfield. I believe in him, but I have to admit that upon reviewing Mills, most of the positive feeling is due to surprise. People bring up Brady of course when it comes to lower picks taking hold of a starting job, but I don’t think that coaches or organizations have the same type of patience now that they used to when it comes to expecting results. Unless they gave up a bounty to acquire someone, they will dump him for someone more immediately attractive for a more timely upgrade-or what they think is a timely upgrade.
What this means for Mills is that he’s played beyond expectations and looks to be progressing well, but the Texans will move on to a shinier prospect when they feel that the team is ready. Unless Mills lights up the NFL in a dominant fashion, Houston will likely find their next hand-picked option that makes them feel like they’re on track-which is the same thing that they’ve tried to do with their coach (and GM, for that matter). They’d likely treat Mayfield the same way. A good job will get a Pat on the back, but Houston seems to me personally to have its own plan and timeline and will follow it unless something incredibly dramatic throws them off.
what makes you think Mills isn’t their hand picked option?
he was their 1st pick in the draft so obviously they liked him a lot,
and didn’t put anything viable (Tyrod) infront of him
Maybe it’s a hunch, but I don’t think that they would have thrown him behind that line and that they would have signed Taylor to begin with if Mills was the plan all along. I think that they would have devoted more resources to compete now, instead of waffling between gathering picks and gathering players. I think that, with the way the NFL is today with competitive windows getting shorter and shorter, the Texans would have tried to hold the experienced pieces of that defense together that could have been valuable in a playoff run (Cunningham, Mckinney, even Mercilus). I don’t think that they would have hired an unproven coach in Culley. I don’t think that they would have fired him after a single year when he managed to exceed expectations.
Every action that Houston has taken has, to me, indicated that they are rebuilding for the long term and that Mills is, minus a dominant run roughshod over the competition, a placeholder for their whomever their handpicked successor could be. Do I think that it’s right? No, actually, I think not. But I do think that the best that Mills can do is to impress the brass enough to earn another shot, year after year.
Unless he sticks around long enough to see them pick their next guy, and convincingly beats him out, Mills’ position seems to be as a placeholder for a franchise who would like to think that they have a solid plan. Who knows, they actually might, and I may be wrong. But I don’t think that Caserio right now is planning on Mills being the starter in 2025. Maybe he should, but I don’t think that he is.
Any deal would have been a good deal.
even giving up a 2nd round pick to unload his contract ?
So instead of get nothing their just going to release him for nothing because they’re not going to keep him with Watson
I wonder if the reason why they haven’t traded him is because Watson hasn’t played in a yr and may still be suspended
The second statement is what I was thinking. It makes sense.
Except there’s no way in hell he sticks around to help the team that just replaced him. If he’s not traded or released he’ll hold out
What motive does he have to play for them? They traded for his replacement. Now they’re going to want him to put forth his best effort, because the guy they traded for may not play because of suspension. Also, they’re asking him to put his body on the line to possibly get injured in his walk year, for a team that has all but moved on from him? If that’s the case, he’ll probably say he can’t go because of his recent injury to get around the rules of holding out so he can be a FA next year.
This could’ve all been avoided if they would’ve traded Baker, THEN traded for Watson. Once Watson was onboard they lost pretty much all leverage. They could’ve talked to the Texans and kept all the rumors under wraps while trying to trade Baker. It benefits HOU (because CLE obviously had the best trade offer since that’s the one they accepted) and it helps CLE get a decent return.
Mayfield’s motivation would be to prove that he is worth a commitment, and/or that he’s recovered from his surgery. I do agree with everyone you said, but that is the only reason at all that he would even marginally consider playing. Of course, I do not expect him to abandon his position, and honestly have no real issue with that personally.
Any team that would want him to be their starter would want him in their offseason program. He might have to settle for a backup job this year, but someone will give him another chance to start next year. I’m surprised no one has been more interested, though…if the Panthers were willing to trade a second for Sam Darnold last year, Mayfield should be worth at least that, since he’s dramatically better. Still lots of crappy starting QBs, so he’ll be back soon enough.
If the Browns can save even one penny of his salary and get offered even a replica jersey of a cut special teams player from the team willing to take Mayfield, they should be jumping on that.
Cuz that’s the most they are gonna get.
Daniel jones for mayfield makes sense. Giants get an upgrade this year and already declined jones 5th year option. Browns save roughly 9 million in cap space.
Browns have 22 million in cap space
You don’t want to save an extra 10 million ? Have that flexibility later.
Still waiting on the release that says McDonald’s, Chipotle, and Subway aren’t interested in him joining their teams, while Dominos may have interest in him as a backup to the ‘Noid.
What about Miami?