Cleveland Browns: 3 dark clouds left to address this offseason
By Greg Newland
Cleveland Browns Dark Cloud to Address No. 2 – Who is willing to take Baker Mayfield?
I struggled not making this the number one “cloud” over the Cleveland Browns organization, but I think you’ll understand why when you read number one. But, the almost $19 million of guaranteed money owed to Baker Mayfield is a huge concern right now.
He’s coming off shoulder surgery, struggled tremendously in 2021, and teams know the Browns must get rid of him. Those three things have coupled into a disastrous situation for this front office.
At this point, it appears that Berry is willing to wait it out. Perhaps an injury at camp could entice a team to take on the salary, but if they want to move quickly, the Browns are going to have to pay a portion of the salary or just release him.
Remember the Brock Osweiler trade where the Browns received a second-round pick from the Houston Texans just to take on his cap number for the year? You could see something as wild as that, especially if all team is worried about is winning now.
Some folks believe you may even see Mayfield on this roster for opening day. If he doesn’t show up, you find him and earn some of your money back. I’m not against it with questions looming about Watson’s availability next year, but it would certainly cause some drama in the organization.
The NFL is a business, but Mayfield wears his emotions on his sleeves and of course, has handled the difficult situation very poorly thus far. Some could handle remaining on the roster, but I don’t think he is one of those folks.
Until the Browns figure out what to do with Mayfield, it’s going to be a struggle to stay active in free agency.