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Baker Mayfield Addresses Browns Relationship

June 28th, 2022 at 12:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

In trade rumors for three-plus months now, Baker Mayfield remains with the Browns. This relationship is heading toward the finish line, with the Panthers engaged in off-and-on talks with the Browns and the Seahawks monitoring this situation as well.

The former No. 1 overall pick left the door slightly ajar to a potential emergency-circumstance return to Cleveland — as Deshaun Watson braces for a potential season-long suspension — but this situation still looks unsalvageable.

“I think for that to happen, there would have to be some reaching out, but we’re ready to move on, I think, on both sides,” Mayfield said of a return to the Browns for his contract year, via Sooner Scoop’s Casey Murdock (video link).

[RELATED: How Should Panthers Proceed At QB?]

Watson participated in the Browns’ minicamp, while the team excused Mayfield from the mandatory workouts. Mayfield requested a trade just before the Browns were out, then back in, on the controversial quarterback. The Browns are not looking to void Watson’s NFL-record guarantee sum ($230MM), and Mayfield has been expecting an exit for several weeks.

Mayfield’s fully guaranteed $18.9MM salary has led to this process dragging well beyond minicamp. While the Browns have moved toward paying half of that amount or slightly more, the Panthers have not given in yet. The longer the Browns and Panthers haggle over how that amount will be split up, Mayfield’s time to develop in Carolina’s offense condenses. The Panthers praised Sam Darnold‘s offseason work, and while a competition between 2018 top-three draftees may well commence in training camp, Mayfield’s limbo stay persists.

“I think I got frustrated with it not happening before minicamp and all those things,” Mayfield said. “But that’s the stuff that’s out of my control, and let those things happen and fall into place.”

Cleveland’s rearranging of its QB depth chart continued with a Case Keenum-for-Jacoby Brissett swap of sorts, with the former being traded to Buffalo on the day of the latter’s Browns free agency agreement. Brissett is being positioned to start in the likely event of a lengthy Watson ban.

“I think it’s pretty obvious the mutual decision on both sides is to move on,” Mayfield said. “I’m thankful for my four years in Cleveland. There’s a lot of ups and downs, and a ton of learning experiences that I’ll forever keep with me. … There’s no resentment toward the city of Cleveland by any means.”

NFL Push For Year-Long Deshaun Watson Ban Ended Settlement Talks

June 27th, 2022 at 6:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Disciplinary officer Sue Robinson will hear arguments from the NFL, NFLPA and Deshaun Watson‘s camp Tuesday. That will precede an initial decision on the punishment, if any, the veteran quarterback will receive ahead of his first Browns season.

But the NFL or NFLPA can appeal Robinson’s verdict. That appeal would be decided by the league, which is believed to be pushing for a significant suspension. The league and the union entered settlement talks about a Watson punishment earlier this month, but those negotiations broke down. The NFL’s push for a year-long Watson ban is believed to have led to the parties shutting down the settlement talks, Albert Breer of SI.com reports.

The NFL has met with several of the women who have accused Watson of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault, and the league will focus on five of those cases when it makes its case to Robinson, Breer hears. The five accusers with the most evidence to include in a presentation — from texts to social media messages to payment records, etc. — will be prioritized, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com notes.

The league has been connected to pushing for an indefinite suspension of Watson — one the Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Beaton notes would be for at least a year. This would help give the NFL an avenue to keep Watson suspended into 2023 based on new civil lawsuits. This would stop the league from having to suspend Watson twice, a prospect that was loosely floated earlier this offseason. The league has also spoken with women who did not sue the quarterback, Breer adds.

A civil suit against the Texans surfaced Monday. It came from one of the four women who has not settled her own suit against the former Houston quarterback. The lawsuit against Watson’s former team reopens the door to additional suits against him.

“It is now known that in many of Watson’s multiple massage interactions, more than massage therapy occurred — indeed, with at least thirty different women, the ‘more’ that occurred included unwanted sexual advances and outright sexual assault by Watson,” the suit states, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. “Each of those thirty-plus women, most of which are complete strangers to one another, experienced strikingly similar conduct from Watson.”

Twenty of the QB’s 24 accusers have settled. More women coming forward with accusations would put the proceedings in a murky place, if Robinson’s decision and/or an appeal lead to Watson not receiving an indefinite suspension.

Browns Not Seeking OL, DL Additions?

June 26th, 2022 at 3:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

At this point in the offseason, teams use the remaining free agent market to address depth needs on their rosters. As a result, some view offensive and defensive line as two positions the Browns could use to make additions between now and training camp. However, May Kay Cabot of cleveland.com observes that the team is confident in its current options in both position groups. 

The Browns cut veteran center J.C. Tretter in March, saving the team significant cap space but creating a hole in the middle of the 0-line. They have signed former Seahawk Ethan Pocic, but the top candidate for Tretter’s vacated role is Nick Harris, who has made one start in each of his first two NFL seasons. If healthy, the team will also be able to return one of the league’s top tandems at both tackle (Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin) and guard (Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller).

In terms of depth, 2021 fourth-rounder James Hudson is in line to remain the team’s top swingman. He played over 300 snaps as a rookie, making four starts along the way. While he struggled during his initial season, earning a PFF grade of 57.3, Cabot notes how confident the Browns are that he will take a step forward after gaining experience at the NFL level.

The situation is similar on the other side of the ball. The Browns are high on the potential shown in spring practices by Jordan Elliott. The 2020 third-rounder has only made four starts so far in his career, but he took on a significantly larger workload last season, setting himself up to do the same this year. He could be joined as a starter by former first-rounder Taven Bryan, who signed a one-year deal in free agency. Cabot also names rookie Perrion Winfrey as a candidate for at least a significant depth role.

Given their cap situation, the Browns could easily afford another signing along either the offensive or defensive fronts. Aside from any difficulty which could arise from convincing remaining free agents to come on a short-term deal (given the lengthy suspension expected to be handed down to Deshaun Watson, which could very well take the team out of 2022 contention), Cleveland already appears content with their in-house depth.

Deshaun Watson’s Disciplinary Hearing Scheduled

June 26th, 2022 at 8:11am CST by Rory Parks

The disciplinary hearing for Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is set to begin on Tuesday, June 28, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. The matter will be heard by Sue L. Robinson, who served as a judge in the Unites States District Court for the District of Delaware for over 25 years. Robinson was jointly appointed by the league and the NFLPA, although commissioner Roger Goodell would handle any appeal of the discipline that Robinson imposes.

As we have learned, the league will be pushing for a lengthy suspension, and Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network hears that an indefinite ban may be the NFL’s goal. One potential problem there is that the league was unable to speak with a significant number of the 26 women who have levied accusations against Watson, so its case will be based upon the testimony of only a fraction of those women. It’s important to note, however, that Goodell would also hear the league’s appeal if it feels Robinson’s punishment is too light.

The NFL and NFLPA, along with Watson’s advisors, attempted to negotiate a suspension before the hearing, although the parties were unable to agree to suspension length. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, it is unlikely that those negotiations will be revived (Florio adds in a separate piece that the NFL was insisting upon a one-year ban in its talks with the union).

Another key piece of the Watson saga, of course, is his contract. When additional lawsuits were filed against the quarterback after he became a member of the Browns, it seemed possible that Cleveland could attempt to void Watson’s fully-guaranteed deal, though a report at the time suggested that the club had no such intentions. Andrew Brandt of SI.com, citing a league source, says that the money to be paid over first two years of the pact — 2022 and 2023 — are not subject to forfeiture anyway.

Per Brandt, the Browns could attempt to void the final three years of the contract for “new misbehavior” that triggers league discipline. And while it might seem that the lawsuits filed after Cleveland authorized the Watson deal in March would qualify as “new misbehavior,” Brandt is not so sure. The former Packers exec points out that the allegations contained in the most recent suits are consistent with those in the suits that the Browns already knew about, so if they were to try and back out of the deal, they would be facing a grievance that might prove difficult to win.

As for the more immediate disciplinary matter, Robinson’s decision is expected to be made no later than the beginning of training camp, although Schefter says it could be handed down within a week of the end of the hearing. As Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets, if Robinson feels there was no violation of the league’s Personal Conduct Policy, then there will not only be no suspension, but the NFL could not take an appeal; Watson would simply be free to play. In light of everything we have heard to this point, such a finding seems unlikely.

AFC North Rumors: Trubisky, Apple, Pratt, Johnson

June 24th, 2022 at 8:34pm CST by Ely Allen

With Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Deshaun Watson (tentatively) being cemented behind center in Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, respectively, Pittsburgh is working to name their starting quarterback to open the 2022 NFL season. According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the current situation points towards free agent acquisition Mitchell Trubisky being named the starter for the Steelers’ season opener in Cincinnati.

On 105.7 The Fan, Dulac was quoted saying, “I think the plan is, and I don’t think there is any question about this, unless something would dictate otherwise including injury, I think Mitch Trubisky will go into the regular season as the starter.” He continued, “NFL teams don’t draft quarterbacks No. 1 to have them be the third quarterback and a gameday scratch. I expect Kenny Pickett to be the guy who dresses on gameday (as the primary backup).”

When asked where that leaves five-year veteran Mason Rudolph, Dulac thinks the Steelers will have “a little bit more respect than to keep him around as the third quarterback and a gameday scratch.” Dulac believes Pittsburgh would rather have the two parties mutually move on and try to find him a trade to a desirable location.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC North, starting with a couple rumors from the division (and conference) champions from last year:

  • When detailing some training camp position battles in Cincinnati this summer, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic asserted that six-year veteran cornerback Eli Apple will be favored to keep his starting job over rookie second-round pick Cam Taylor-Britt. After the rollercoaster start of his career, Apple played well last year for the Bengals. Despite the team spending heavy draft-capital on his position by drafting Taylor-Britt early, Apple has reportedly responded very well to the pressure and kept his eye on the ball. Taylor-Britt may eventually unseat the incumbent, but, for now, expect to see Apple across from Diontae Johnson or Chase Claypool to open the season this September.
  • Expanding further on the Bengals’ offseason to-do list, Dehner Jr. reported on some possible extension candidates in Cincinnati, claiming that, for now, the Bengals don’t view linebacker Germaine Pratt as an extension candidate. Since Cincinnati selected him in the third-round of 2019, Pratt has been a formidable defender, racking up 76 tackles as a rookie as well as 89 and 91 tackles in the two seasons since. Despite his defensive tenacity, it doesn’t appear that Pratt does quite enough to force an early decision from the Bengals on his future. Instead, Pratt will want to put together a contract year that will either convince Cincinnati to keep him around or convince another franchise to spend big to bring him in. The Bengals will allow him to play out the last year of his rookie deal and assess his value before free agency.
  • Despite the recent one-year deal running back D’Ernest Johnson signed earlier this month to remain in Cleveland, ESPN’s Jake Trotter believes that Johnson could still potentially find himself as the odd man out of a loaded running back room for the Browns. With Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt cemented as 1-2 at running back, Johnson is competing with 2021 draft pick Demetric Felton and 2022 Draft pick Jerome Ford for playing time behind them. Since both Felton and Ford offer versatility to rush and receive out of the backfield, along with cheap rookie deals, it’s not out of the question to imagine Johnson on the outside looking in. In this case, the Browns may want to find a trade-partner to take Johnson and make sure they don’t completely waste the deal they awarded him weeks ago.

Mutual Interest Between Baker Mayfield, Seahawks?

June 24th, 2022 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

For a while, the Panthers appeared to have the Baker Mayfield market to themselves. Regarding a trade, that still may be the case. But the Seahawks continue to represent an interested party.

Mayfield is also interested in a Seattle destination, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com, describing the Seahawks as more likely to acquire Mayfield than the Panthers — unless Carolina and Cleveland can move closer on trade terms. Those teams have been haggling over Mayfield’s contract for several weeks, though it is unknown what kind of compensation the Panthers are offering.

Not long after the Browns’ Deshaun Watson acquisition, Mayfield floated Seattle as his most likely landing spot. But the disgruntled QB was not exactly confident at that point, and the subsequent delay has only moved him further into NFL limbo. The Seahawks and Panthers worked with their in-house QBs throughout the two-month offseason program, but with Mayfield’s resume (as inconsistent as it is) presenting him as an upgrade for both teams, it is understandable he continues to be connected to each.

Carolina, however, has been the only team seriously mentioned as a Mayfield trade suitor. The Seahawks are not believed to have entered substantial negotiations with the Browns about splitting up Mayfield’s contract, with the NFC West team mentioned as only being interested in the QB as a free agent. That represents an interesting variable. The Seahawks have held a Geno Smith–Drew Lock competition, and Pete Carroll has said a trade for a third QB is unlikely. Of course, the 13th-year Seattle HC has offered some QB misdirection in the not-so-distant past.

Mayfield being interested in succeeding Russell Wilson in Seattle could provide some urgency for Carolina to finalize a trade. On the other end, the Panthers’ frequent talks — which are believed to have led to the Browns agreeing to pay around $10MM of Mayfield’s fully guaranteed $18.9MM salary — would stand to serve as a warning to the Seahawks they might miss out by not trying to acquire the fifth-year passer via trade. Thus far, the Seahawks have been willing to risk Mayfield going to the Panthers by not entering known trade talks.

Then again, the Seahawks just completed a major QB transaction after little surfaced regarding trade talks. The Broncos had been mentioned as a team Wilson would waive his no-trade clause for, but GMs John Schneider and George Paton‘s negotiations — between the Combine and early March, when the future Hall of Famer was dealt for a monster trade package — largely proceeded off the grid. If the Seahawks are potentially conducting trade talks with the Browns, that could prompt the Panthers to make a better offer.

If this process does reach the point the Browns cut Mayfield — which the AFC North team has continually resisted — the passer’s Seahawks interest would be relevant if it comes down to a Carolina-or-Seattle free agency decision. More than a month away from training camp, that scenario remains far off. But it would certainly be better for one of these teams to make a move earlier, in an effort to have Mayfield up to relative speed on his new team’s scheme by camp.

NFL, NFLPA Attempted To Negotiate Deshaun Watson Punishment?

June 23rd, 2022 at 12:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

A lengthy Deshaun Watson suspension is believed to be coming soon, but the Browns continue to wait for that news to emerge. A full-season ban has become a real possibility for the quarterback who was accused by 24 women of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault.

An independent officer, Sue Robinson, will decide on Watson’s discipline. That ruling is expected to happen before the Browns begin training camp. But Roger Goodell would handle an appeal. However, the NFL, NFLPA and Watson advisors entered talks about a negotiated punishment, Josina Anderson of USA Today tweets.

If a negotiated ban came to pass, Watson would waive his appeal right. These talks, however, broke down because the parties were not on the same page regarding suspension length, Anderson adds. This will keep the process moving toward Robinson’s decision.

If Robinson’s decision does not meet with NFLPA approval, the union plans to use recent punishments for teams and owners (or lack thereof) in its appeal. The NFLPA would cite NFL treatment of Dan Snyder, Robert Kraft and Jerry Jones in its Watson appeal, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.

The NFL is believed to have changed its plans regarding what information was made public in its investigation into Snyder and the Commanders, which wrapped in 2021. That probe did not produce a written report of the league’s findings, leading to Congress becoming involved. The NFL fined the franchise $10MM, and Snyder gave up day-to-day operations. However, his involvement with the team since has been in question. Kraft pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution in connection with a January 2018 incident at a spa. The Patriots owner’s case was later dismissed, and no NFL punishment came down. The Cowboys paid a confidential $2.4MM settlement after four cheerleaders accused the team’s former senior vice president for public relations and communications, Rich Dalrymple, of voyeurism in the team’s locker room during a 2015 event at AT&T Stadium. The NFL did not investigate the Cowboys.

These arguments would bring other teams into the Browns’ controversy. The union believes its strategy would be more effective since the 2020 CBA moved Goodell further away from disciplinary matters, Florio adds. But with the NFL overseeing an appeal, it is unclear how much traction they will have considering both the volume of accusations levied against Watson and the league’s apparent hope for a year-long suspension.

Watson, who was not charged in connection with these accusations and has denied all wrongdoing, settled 20 of the 24 civil lawsuits against him this week. The NFL said that will not impact his potential punishment. The settlements will prevent Watson from going through most of his suits next year, which would take the prospect of the commissioner’s exempt list — something Goodell has already said would not apply here — completely off the table. If Watson were to miss 2022 games, it would only happen because of a suspension.

Latest On Seahawks’ Interest In QB Baker Mayfield

June 22nd, 2022 at 6:18pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have been the recent favorite to acquire quarterback Baker Mayfield, but it sounds like another suitor is still considering a trade for the Browns quarterback. According to Josina Anderson (on Twitter), the Seahawks continue to have a “high level of interest” in acquiring Mayfield.

[RELATED: Browns Willing To Pay Half Of Baker Mayfield’s Salary To Facilitate Trade?]

Seattle isn’t only interested in a trade for Mayfield; they’re also interested in giving the former first-overall pick a contract extension. Anderson cautions that the Seahawks front office is still “collecting information and insights,” so a trade doesn’t sound like it’s imminent.

However, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets some conflicting information, noting that nothing has really changed on the Seahawks front and they’re still interested in Mayfield if he gets released by the Browns. This would obviously require some kind of new deal, so both reporters seem to be on the same page about Seattle’s willingness to sign Mayfield to a long-term deal. However, Condotta makes it clear that the Seahawks have “zero interest” in acquiring Mayfield on his current contract.

Recent reports indicated that the Panthers were also wary of inheriting Mayfield’s $18.9MM salary. While the Browns were initially unwilling to pay much (if any) of the QB’s salary, it sounds like the team is now willing to pick up about $8MM or $9MM on the tab. The Panthers, meanwhile, were hoping Cleveland would pick up about $13MM of Mayfield’s salary. It’s uncertain if Seattle would have similar interest in such an arrangement, but it’s pretty clear that the Browns will have to eat some of the Mayfield’s salary if they hope to pull off a trade.

Mayfield is currently set to play 2022 on his fifth-year option. Thanks to some offset language in that deal, the Browns could end up owing up to $17MM if they simply cut the QB.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/21/22

June 21st, 2022 at 10:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Cleveland Browns

New Orleans Saints

Allen was a seventh-round pick by the Rams in 2019. He eventually made his way to the Raiders and Jaguars, where he appeared in five combined games as a rookie. Between 2020 and 2021, the linebacker saw time in 27 games for Jacksonville, compiling 27 tackles and one forced fumble while primarily playing on special teams.

Dillon signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and he ended up spending the better part of three seasons with the organization. He appeared in five total games for the Vikings, including one this past season. He has one career catch.

Browns To Pursue Tight Ends?

June 21st, 2022 at 8:59pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns may have committed to David Njoku this offseason, but that won’t stop the organization from seeking additional depth at the position. ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter writes that the Browns are “a good bet” to pursue another tight end.

Despite Njoku’s wavering commitment to the organization, the Browns inked the tight end to a four-year, $56.75MM extension. In recent seasons, the former first-round pick has struggled to put together a year that’s come close to his 2018 campaign (639 receiving yards…he’s collected 729 receiving yards since). Still, he’ll sit atop Cleveland’s depth chart for the foreseeable future.

The Browns also sound like they’re committed to 2020 fourth-round pick Harrison Bryant. In two seasons with the team, the tight end has hauled in 45 receptions for 471 yards and six touchdowns in 31 games (12 starts). Bryant earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors in 2020.

After those two, the Browns lack experienced depth. The team moved on from both Austin Hooper and Stephen Carlson this offseason, leaving practice squad TE Miller Forristall as the third tight end. The team added Nakia Griffin-Stewart as a free agent, and they signed a pair of UDFAs in Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Marcus Santos.

Jared Cook, Eric Ebron, and Kyle Rudolph are among the notable TEs still available in free agency. However, Trotter implies that the organization could ultimately make their addition following preseason cuts.

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