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NFL decision makers descend on West Palm Beach, Florida. Brown would definitely like to leave town with a valid midfield deal Baker Mayfield.
The status of the first comprehensive selection in the 2018 draft, which was superseded by the recent trade of Deshaun Watson, remains uncertain and unresolved. As recently noted by Mary Kay Capote from Ordinary Cleveland dealerbrown Prefer not to squat over Mayfield Rights Until the injury of the other quarterback creates a more robust market for Mayfield’s $18.8 million fully secured contract. Instead, they want to trade it in sooner rather than later.
As Cabot noted, Brown would like to cut a deal for Mayfield at league meetings.
The problem is the lack of interest in Mayfield. Many consider Seahawks to be the best fit. They didn’t show any interest. Perhaps they are doing this on purpose. Unless multiple teams claim Mayfield, the Browns are stuck.
We recently ate In different ways this can unfold. Brown may have to pay a portion of $18.8 million in order to strike a deal. They may have to accept peanuts for Mayfield if the new team is to pay full salary. They may have to pack a Mayfield option year with a draft pick.
Or they might just have to cut it and, eating the difference between the $18.8 million and the $1.035 million one-year deal, potentially signing Mayfield with another team, possibly the Steelers.
Mayfield has more control over the outcome than anyone realizes. If he announced he didn’t want to play for the Seahawks, for example, why would they make that deal? He could take that position with anyone considering a deal, eventually forcing Brown to keep him or cut him off.
Either way, he’s earning $18.8 million this year and becoming a free agent in 2023. To the extent that Brown wants to start the Deshaun Watson era the right way, the best way to do that may be to cut Mayfield and move on.
