"A new team has reportedly entered the Mayfield sweepstakes" - NFL analyst reveals another team has joined Seahawks in the race to land Browns star
The NFL's eyes are pinned to the Cleveland Browns due to the team's unfortunate circumstances heading into next season. While Deshaun Watson's future, both in the upcoming season and well beyond, is in question, the Browns have several interesting decisions to make.
The first and perhaps most important decision is what to do with Baker Mayfield. The star wants out and there are plenty of teams in need of a quarterback. The Seahawks, since trading Russell Wilson to Denver, are in desperate need of a starting QB.
According to ESPN reporter Michael Balko, the Seahawks and Browns remain in discussions over a trade, but a third party has also entered the fray.
The #Seahawks and the #Browns are still in discussions regarding QB Baker Mayfield. A deal was close to done, but a new team has reportedly entered the Mayfield sweepstakes as well. Stay tuned. https://t.co/STUH5Ccrfy
Balko stopped short of saying who the new team is, which has NFL fans speculating. With Watson's suspension becoming increasingly unlikely to last a full season, the Browns are even more motivated to move on from their former starter.
@MichaelBalkoJr What are the odds it’s Tampa thinking this is Tom’s last year with the Bucs?
This has been a long and drawn-out process that has seen Mayfield become incredibly disgruntled and extremely driven to start fresh elsewhere.
There are plenty of teams that could be looking for a new quarterback, so which one could Balko be referring to?
Which other NFL team could be in the race for Baker Mayfield?
According to Balko, the Seahawks have been the closest to getting a deal for Mayfield done. However, with a new team involved, it may take even longer to get something done and Seattle might not end up with Mayfield.
Mayfield has shown his capability to succeed in the NFL, making it understandable that a new team has entered the race for him.
The Carolina Panthers are rumored to be in on every single available quarterback since the release of Cam Newton. They were heavily involved in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes and could certainly be looking to add Baker Mayfield. Darnold hasn't panned out and second-year head coach Matt Rhule can probably feel his seat warming, pushing him to pursue a quality QB..
The Pittsburgh Steelers could possibly be another interested team. They drafted Kenny Pickett and signed Mitch Trubisky, but Baker Mayfield would likely outperform both of them if given the chance to compete for the starting job.
The New Orleans Saints could also look to add Mayfield if they're not certain Winston will fully recover from his ACL injury.
The Atlanta Falcons are ready to roll with Marcus Mariota after also missing out on Deshaun Watson, but Mayfield has been a starter more recently than Mariota.
There are plenty of teams that should be interested in Mayfield. As for who the mystery NFL team might be, that's anybody's guess at the moment.