NFL Rumors: Seahawks make a call on a potential Baker Mayfield trade
The Baker Mayfield drama continues with no clear end in sight. Before long, NFL contributors may just copy and paste previous articles thanks to the lack of movement regarding the disenfranchised quarterback's situation. But for now, we can, at least, speculate on why the Seattle Seahawks seem to have no interest in acquiring Mayfield.
Dianna Russini is an NFL host, analyst, insider, and reporter who appears regularly on NFL Live and NFL Countdown for ESPN. She recently appeared on The Ryen Russillo Podcast to talk about Mayfield and his NFL future.
"The Cleveland Browns do not want to take on that contract... They don't want to pay for that. I don't know the number they're willing to go to, but the last I checked, which was about a week-and-a-half ago—they want nothing to do with that deal. If you want Baker Mayfield, you're going to pay that money. Cleveland's not going to try to split it up with you."
Russini went on to say,
"The Seahawks have been telling me from Day 1 they have no interest in Baker Mayfield. They're riding [with] Drew Lock, which we can talk about that another time. That's their choice."
The Seahawks may not want any part of paying the money due to Mayfield, and the Cleveland Browns seem unwilling to pick up any of that cost. It appears Seattle is content with letting Drew Lock take the helm and lead the team in a division that includes the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
#MayTheFourth be with you, #Browns fans! https://t.co/4ngmfJynaX
Baker Mayfield will likely play for another team, or not play at all.
Does this mean the Seahawks are in rebuilding mode? Not necessarily. With two elite-level wide receivers in Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, it’s more likely the team wishes to hold out until next year’s draft, which promises to have a better crop of quarterbacks available.
As for Mayfield, the Browns may decide to hold on to him as a back-up to Deshaun Watson. It’s a move Mayfield will, no doubt, be upset about, and the world will hear all about it through social media and talk show interviews, but he’s unlikely to go along. Look for Mayfield to sit out if he's still in Cleveland.
Mayfield may not be the right fit for Seattle, but it’s hard to believe there aren’t, at least, a couple of teams that would see him as an upgrade from their current starter, the Panthers, Saints and Giants among them.