With the Baker Mayfield days feeling few and far between, here are three trade destinations the Cleveland Browns could deal him to.
One thing we have learned over the last few days, there is no doubt that the Cleveland Browns are assessing an upgrade at quarterback. While the rumors were slow to start on the Deshaun Watson front, they have certainly heated up.
While I do believe the Browns are in it for Watson, being further north in geography, and in the AFC are both going to hurt them. Watson is from the south and enjoys warm weather, and the Houston Texans would certainly love to deal him to the NFL where they will see him on rare occasions.
The one question that many have is, can Baker Mayfield recover from all of this? Even if Berry is unable to land Watson, I just don’t see how he can come back and play quarterback for the Browns. His post late Tuesday night just shows, he can’t handle that type of situation where he feels abandoned.
I don’t blame him for this, if my boss was looking for my replacement, I would be bummed as well. However, I’m not guaranteed to make $18 million this year either. The NFL is still a business and a business that pays very well.
My point is, even if Watson isn’t the guy, it feels like the Browns are all in on moving on from Mayfield. They will likely be looking to include him in any deal to acquire a quarterback, but there are also a few other trade scenarios that could occur. Here are the three most likely landing spots for the fifth-year pro.
Potential Baker Mayfield Landing Spot No. 3 – Philadelphia Eagles
A team that started hot and heavy for Deshaun Watson but has cooled off is the Philadelphia Eagles. They have Jalen Hurts who has shown some promise, but I also don’t think they are sold that he can be the long-term guy.
While they haven’t even been mentioned as a team who will meet with Watson, don’t think they aren’t in the market for a new quarterback. They could be in the Jimmy Garoppolo market, but they could also be intrigued by Baker Mayfield.
For one, the cost won’t be substantial. There is a good chance that it would take a second-round pick in 2022, and maybe even a third-rounder in 2023, but it shouldn’t be more than that. For that little capital, the ability to see him for a year before signing long-term is huge.
If they aren’t sold on Hurts, they won’t lose a ton by at least seeing if Mayfield fits in the system. Given their lack of protection up front, I fear that Mayfield would struggle. Hurts was often running for his life and didn’t have a ton of weapons on offense.
This would be a complete hail marry for the Eagles, but with quarterback being the most important position on the field, you will see some teams do silly things to try and find their guy.
Potential Baker MayfieldLanding Spot No. 2 – Indianapolis Colts
Unfortunately for the Indianapolis Colts, they play within the same division as the Texans, so they won’t even get a look at Watson. However, after dealing Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders, there is no doubt they are in the quarterback market.
The other downside of an average 2021 season is they likely won’t have a shot at one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft either.
I think the Colts have their hearts set on Garoppolo, but no one really knows for sure. He is a guy with a long injury history and truly doesn’t have a ton of starting experience. But you can’t hide that the guy knows how to win games.
The 49ers are in a fantastic situation with Garopollo. There are several teams interested, and after Watson is dealt, not a lot of high-end players are available. Because his cost could go so high, you may see a team like the Seahawks get involved with all the assets they acquired for Russell Wilson.
I don’t think Baker Mayfield would be their number one option, but I also think if push came to shove, they would be willing to give him a shot if the price was right. You may only get a second-round pick in 2022, but if the Browns land another quarterback, they won’t have a lot of leverage on where he goes.
The Colts have a good running back, decent offensive line, and a few weapons to throw to. I don’t think the system is as quarterback friendly as Cleveland, but he could have some success here. Some type of incentive deal could make sense between the Colts and Browns.
Potential Baker Mayfield Landing Spot No. 1 – Houston Texans
I mentioned at the beginning that I’m not sold the Cleveland Browns are the number one option for landing Deshaun Watson, but they are certainly spinning the tires on the idea. They may not have the warm weather or a fancy dome like some of the other teams, but they certainly have the cap space and a strong roster to convince him to come.
Should Watson find his way to Cleveland, I see Mayfield being a part of that deal. Not only is it the easiest and cleanest way to get rid of him, it just makes sense. The Texans will likely be looking to draft a quarterback, but Mayfield could be the perfect bridge quarterback.
Again, they get a free look at him in 2022 and then can move on either way they want. If he plays well, he could get a big deal from the Texans.
If he plays fantastic, he could get multiple offers and have his choice of where to go. However, he could also play terribly and be looking at a backup position from 2023 forward.
There is no doubt that the Texans will be moving Watson, the big question now is when and where. But don’t be surprised to see Mayfield on the move, even if the Browns fail to land Watson.