3 reasons why the Browns will be forced to release Baker Mayfield
The Cleveland Browns and Baker Mayfield remain at a standstill. Mayfield wants a new opportunity elsewhere, and the team wants to make that happen via trade. Yet the NFL Draft came and went, and no trade was made.
This was a surprise to plenty of fans, but it does make sense when considering all the factors in play here. That leaves an outright release as the most likely option for several reasons. The alternative is keeping him on the roster, which is terrible for both sides in this situation.
Three reasons the Browns will have to release Baker Mayfield
#1 - Mayfield's salary
The quarterback is set to play 2022 on his fifth-year option, which the Browns now regret picking up. That fully guarantees him nearly $19 million during the upcoming season.
This total is not a drastic amount, given the state of the quarterback market. However, it is a lot to take on at a time when teams have already filled out their salary tables and rosters. $19 million is also starter money, and most teams have their situation under center figured out.
A likely hold-up to the trade is that the Browns don't want to take on his salary. If that is the case, money remains a considerable problem. Teams aren't exactly looking to help out the Browns for no good reason.
#2 - The Browns have no leverage in trade talks
The Browns lost all their leverage the moment they added Deshaun Watson. They proceeded to sign both Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs as backups. Thus, Mayfield has no role on this team and needs to go.
“Baker Mayfield is the most undervalued asset on the open market in the history of the NFL.”
@RealSkipBayless on whether the trade market for the Browns QB has dried up: https://t.co/Req5lJYjqk
So why would teams do the Browns a favor if Cleveland isn't willing to take on salary? Teams can now wait out the Browns, hope for a release, and sign Mayfield on the open market. At some point, the team will have to cut him to avoid a roster nightmare, given that no team will get swindled in a trade.
#3 - The distraction will grow
The front office may be willing to keep the quarterback up until the trade deadline. But in that scenario, he would be on the 53-man roster. The distraction would be a daily issue, and Mayfield could even decide to show up to practice. That would be an even more significant distraction.
On the @PatMcAfeeShow, RapSheet said he gets the sense that a Baker Mayfield trade won’t happen until June at the earliest #Browns.
Every day with him on the roster means constant talk and speculation about his status. The Browns, given the trade market stays quiet, will have to cut him to move on and start fresh. Otherwise, they will have to make a cut just to retain a player who is on his way out.