The market for Baker Mayfield has really dried up now. Nobody knows where Mayfield ends up, but it would be so much like the Cleveland Browns to end up having to pay most of Mayfield’s salary in 2022 while he helps their biggest rival beat up on them for the rest of his career.
Admittedly I don’t follow Cleveland very closely, but I can’t figure out what Mayfield did that pissed off the Browns so much. After 3 decades of futility, he got them to the playoffs, and they gave the Chiefs a real run for their money.
I don’t follow the Browns that much either, but from what I read it boils down to the Browns deciding that Mayfield was not their long-term solution at quarterback. He may have gotten them into the playoffs, but he was never going to rise to the franchise quarterback level that they expected when the took him number one one overall.
With that said, there have also been reports about how Mayfield had issues with the Browns’ head coach’s play calling last year. Some also note that his problems with Odell Beckham Jr were generally blamed on OBJ, but that once OBJ got to Los Angeles he thrived without any issues, meaning that just maybe Mayfield had more of the blame after all.
And, if you believe some reports, Mayfield still believed that he was a franchise quarterback and acted as such. Case in point: He said that his preferred trade destination was the Colts as if he was so great that teams would be chasing him down and he could choose. Instead, the Colts didn’t even consider him, and the market for him is very cold. That alone should tell Mayfield something.
At the same time, the Browns also botched this. If you believe earlier reports, they wanted a first-round pick for Mayfield, which was not exactly consistent with their own assessment of his potential. They might have been able to move him earlier without that demand. Now, if you believe reports, they may have to actually include a draft pick along with Mayfield to get another team to take his contract off their hands. That is, if they can find a team willing to do that.
Oh well. At least he was better than Manziel.