NFL Trade Rumors: Ravens looked to lure Baker Mayfield to replace Lamar Jackson in free agency
As Lamar Jackson's trade request looms over the Baltimore Ravens, it has transpired that they unsuccessfully tried to lure former rival Baker Mayfield.
JoeBucsFan.com reported on Tuesday that the Ravens had reached out to then-free agent Baker Mayfield. At the time of the offer, Mayfield was looking for a starting opportunity. Had he accepted, he would have reunited with new Baltimore offensive coordinator Jeff Monken, who was his OC in Cleveland in 2019.
However, Mayfield ultimately elected to replace Tom Brady at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for $4 million dollars.
INTERESTING: New #Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield got an offer in free agency from the Baltimore #Ravens but declined, per @JoeBucsFan:
Mayfield’s focus at the time of the #Ravens offer was on a starting opportunity. When he passed on the #Ravens job, it appeared MVP QB Lamar… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/VXbdCPRSGt
Mayfield was not the only Browns QB the Ravens targeted. Jacoby Brissett, who started for Cleveland during Desaun Watson's suspension, was also sought by the Baltimore front office, but he chose to join the Washington Commanders.
This leaves the Ravens with just one quarterback under contract: Anthony Brown, whom they signed as an undrafted free agent last year. Tyler Huntley, meanwhile, is a restricted free agent, but so far has received no offers from competing teams. Neither of them appears to be starter material, so Baltimore will have an uphill battle if it is to find a commodity at that position.
What happened to Baker Mayfield in 2022, and what will he do in 2023?
2022 marked a turning point in Baker Mayfield's career. After he regressed in 2021, the Cleveland Browns attempted to future-proof their quarterback situation by trading for erstwhile Houston Texan Deshaun Watson, then giving him the richest contract in league history - $230 million for five years, all of it guaranteed.
The trade was not only controversial but also damaged relations between Mayfield and the Cleveland front office to the point where he requested a trade out of the team that had drafted him first overall in 2018. Watson at the time was battling civil suits related to his alleged sexual misconduct towards women, most of them masseuses he hired at various locations in Houston.
Mayfield got that trade for 2022, heading to the Carolina Panthers. However, he struggled, posting new career lows in almost every statistic before being waived after seven games.
Mayfield was eventually claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams, who were looking for a quality stand-in for the injured Matthew Stafford. And although he impressed in his debut with the then-defending Super Bowl champions, it was ultimately not enough to prevent a playoff absence. However, here is hoping he regains his peak form in Southwest Florida.