Why it's Seattle Seahawks or bust for Baker Mayfield after second day of NFL Draft
Baker Mayfield is still a member of the Cleveland Browns organization as of Saturday morning on the third day of the NFL Draft. Mayfield's options have shrunk in the last few days, and he may only have one viable destination left as a landing spot: the Seattle Seahawks.
Before we delve into that, you may be wondering: how did we get here? Just two years ago, Mayfield led the Browns to their first NFL postseason appearance since 2002 and their first win since 1994 (the year before the 2017 Heisman winner was born).
Well, it all started with the Deshaun Watson trade. Cleveland acquired Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick in exchange for first-round picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024 along with a 2023 third-rounder and 2022 and 2024 fourth-round selections. They also followed the deal up with a $230 million contract extension.
This brought these comments out of Mayfield on the Ya Never Know podcast:
“I feel disrespected. 100 percent because I was told one thing and they completely did another. That’s what I’m in the middle of right now. I got my taste of it because I’ve had four different head coaches in four years, a bunch of different coordinators."
Baker Mayfield has likely played his last snap for the Browns in his career, barring something drastic happening to Watson or Cleveland forgiving these comments, but where does he go next?
Why its Seahawks or bust for Baker Mayfield
Several destinations fit for Mayfield have addressed their quarterback needs in the 2022 NFL Draft already. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Pitt product Kenny Pickett, the Atlanta Falcons drafted Desmond Ridder, and the Carolina Panthers picked Matt Corral with the No. 94 choice.
Pittsburgh and Atlanta were never seriously in on Mayfield, but Carolina was. NFL insider Ian Rapoport was convinced a deal would get done after the Panthers passed on Malik Willis and Pickett in the draft's first round.
From NFL Draft Kickoff: The possibility of a Baker Mayfield trade looms over the final two days of the Draft. https://t.co/pt9BCyziM1
Ultimately, Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reported that the Browns and the Panthers couldn't come to terms on how much of Mayfield's contract was to be paid by Cleveland:
“I’m told the Baker Mayfield talks between the Panthers and Browns are halted. The two teams have not been able to come to terms on dividing up Mayfield’s $18.8 million in guaranteed money next season.”
That leaves one suitor standing: the Seahawks. While Seattle landed Drew Lock from Denver in the Russell Wilson trade and later signed Geno Smith to a one-year deal, neither is locked into their contracts beyond this season. It'd be easy to cut the bait and bring Baker Mayfield aboard, where he'd have the best chance at replicating Wilson's success as a dual-threat skillset.
Will there be a deal? There are still four rounds left in the 2022 NFL Draft and four months until the season starts, so there's a chance. But the ball is in Seattle's (and the Browns') court.