After months of speculation and negotiation, the Cleveland Browns finally traded quarterback Baker Mayfield on Wednesday.
He ended up going to the Carolina Panthers, the one team that was perhaps rumored more than any other to have any real interest in the former top overall draft pick.
Unfortunately, the Browns are getting very little back, as they will receive a mere fifth-round draft pick that could turn into a fourth-round pick.
The full Baker Mayfield trade:
– #Browns receive: 2024 5th-round pick that converts to a 4th-round pick if Mayfield plays 70% of the team’s offensive snaps in 2022.
– #Panthers receive: Baker Mayfield.
The $3.5M Mayfield gave back can be earned back via incentives.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 6, 2022
One sticking point for the Browns was their reluctance to cover any of Mayfield’s contract, which will pay him over $18 million this season, but they finally relented to make the deal happen.
Baker Mayfield is taking a $3.5M paycut to make the trade to Carolina possible. The Browns will pay $10.5M, per @MikeGarafolo, while Carolina takes on $5M. Baker gets his wish to find a new team.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 6, 2022
Finally, after animosity between Mayfield and the team, it has gotten rid of him and can finally move on.
The bad news is that meager return Cleveland got.
It is indicative of not only how desperate the team was to unload him, but also of how much his reputation and value have dipped in a short amount of time.
Fallen Prospect
Not too long ago, people across Northeast Ohio had high hopes for Mayfield, who was the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
He was a big star for the University of Oklahoma Sooners, and he won the 2017 Heisman Trophy while leading his team to a Sugar Bowl victory over Auburn University that year.
As an NFL rookie, he gave long-suffering Browns fans a glimmer of hope, as he threw for 27 touchdowns, setting a new league rookie record.
In the 2020 season, his third in the pros, he posted a solid passer rating of 95.9 while leading the Browns to an 11-5 record and a wild card playoff spot.
In the wild card round at the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, Mayfield had a very strong performance, totaling 263 passing yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions as Cleveland beat up on its AFC North rival, 48-37.
However, that has been it, at least so far, when it comes to Mayfield highlights.
His overall play and efficiency have been up and down over time, and last season he only managed 3,010 passing yards and 17 touchdowns while his QB rating fell to an anemic 83.1.
One of Mayfield’s biggest problems has been his propensity towards turnovers – he has thrown at least 13 interceptions in three of his four seasons, and his career interception rate of 2.9 percent is on the high side compared to high-quality signal-callers.
His attitude has also been a problem, as he has been plagued by multiple incidents, including making obscene gestures during games, something which goes back to his college days.
There was some hope for a while that Cleveland may be able to acquire a legitimate backup QB for Mayfield, but that possibility evaporated like a puddle on a hot, dry day.
Jacoby Brissett, Come On Down
If Deshaun Watson gets suspended, as he almost certainly will, it will have to fall upon Jacoby Brissett to save the day and give Cleveland a shot at the playoffs.
Although he came up as a rookie with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots’ dynastic culture, he has shown little over the years to indicate he can keep the Browns afloat without Watson.
For better or worse, it’s a brave new world for the Browns.
NEXT: Browns Nation News And Notes (7/7/22)