Report: Baker Mayfield on notice as Cleveland Browns flirt with Cam Newton

What do the Cam Newton rumors mean for the Cleveland Browns?

On Sunday evening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that free-agent quarterback Cam Newton was signing a one-year deal with the New England Patriots.

Ever since his departure from the Carolina Panthers, free agency had seen much too quiet for Newton, the 2015 MVP. However, the Cleveland Browns did have some dialogue with the 31-year-old.

The New England Patriots were the only team to offer Newton a contract, but the Cleveland Browns showed slight interest in Newton, according to Schefter on The Adam Schefter Podcast.

“The Cleveland Browns did talk to Cam Newton at one point in time, but those talks never really went anywhere,” Schefter said.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1277652354540675072?s=20

Schefter claims that the Browns were the only other team to show interest in reaching out to Newton and said that the conversations were very brief and did not go very far.

This conversation is notable as the Browns signed Case Keenum to a three-year $18 million contract at the beginning of free agency to be the obvious backup quarterback for Baker Mayfield.

Adding Newton would have provided the Browns three starting-caliber options at the quarterback position. However, an addition of the former MVP would have put enormous pressure on Mayfield and new head coach Kevin Stefanski to click right away. The thought of replacing the 2018 No. 1 overall selection would have been asynchronous amongst fans, pundits, and even the organization if Mayfield doesn’t take a step forward this upcoming season.

Certainly, the question still looms. Why did the Browns spend nearly $20 million on a long-term backup quarterback and have a conversation with a Super Bowl veteran if Mayfield was undoubtedly the guy for the upcoming season?

Perhaps new general manager Andrew Berry is just leaving no rock unturned, gathering as much information on a player as he can.

This report should be just another match underneath the seat of Mayfield to play the record-breaking football that he’s proven to be capable of in 2020 and leave these other rumblings in the dust.