Baker Mayfield surely won’t play for the Cleveland Browns in 2022 but these three teams could still use his services in the 2022 season
As we continue to move closer to the start of the 2022 NFL season, one of the biggest storylines of the year continues to drag on. Baker Mayfield remains a member of the Cleveland Browns roster, but no one expects him to actually remain with the team this year.
Instead, it’s widely expected that he will be released before Week 1 if there are no trade partners before then. Some teams could be interested in picking him up if released, but there’s still a case that could be made for trading for the former No. 1 pick.
The team that lands Mayfield would likely have to give up a late-round pick, but perhaps they can get the Browns to take on a bunch of the salary if they sweeten the pot. Then, they can land the quarterback without getting into any bidding war in free agency.
With that being said, here are the three teams that still make the most sense in a trade.
Baker Mayfield trade destination No. 3: Seattle Seahawks
Even Baker Mayfield came out and said this one makes sense.
The Seattle Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos this offseason and landed Drew Lock as part of the package.
Lock could still turn into a good starter in the NFL — and Seattle seems like they want him to have a chance to do so with them — but there are no guarantees he will be able to turn the corner.
As of now, the only other option for Seattle is Geno Smith — who also has never proven to be a long-term starter in the NFL.
Some say Seattle is in a rebuilding phase but that’s not 100 percent accurate. Pete Carroll is going to be 71 when the season starts and the idea that he’s trying to win five years from now makes little sense.
He wants to win now, which is why it would make sense to bring in Mayfield who has proven to be more capable than both Lock and Smith.
Baker Mayfield trade destination No. 2: Carolina Panthers
This one seemed like a huge possibility before the draft, but then it appeared it was dead.
The Carolina Panthers were in the market for Deshaun Watson as they clearly wanted an upgrade over Sam Darnold. Once Watson decided on the Browns, the focus then turned to Baker Mayfield as an option in Carolina.
However, the Panthers elected to draft Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral which made it seem less likely than ever that Mayfield was headed to Charlotte. But now, there are rumors that the trade might “not be dead.”
If the Panthers are serious about going after Mayfield, it would be a good idea. Sure, Corral might turn out to be a solid starter down the road, but few would say he can be the guy as a rookie. And with him being a mid-round pick, chances are much more likely that he would be a backup at best.
As for Sam Darnold, he’s proven to not only be wildly inconsistent, but he cannot stay healthy. Mayfield did have injury issues in 2021 but he pushed through them for the most part — even to his own detriment.
Carolina head coach Matt Rhule is entering a critical season after two disastrous campaigns in 2020 and 2021. He needs to win in order to keep his job and while Mayfield has questions, he would be a much better option than both Darnold and Corral. For that reason, the Panthers should pull the trigger on a trade.
Baker Mayfield trade destination No. 1: Houston Texans
The final team that would make sense in a Baker Mayfield trade is the same one who Cleveland got their new quarterback from.
With the Houston Texans sitting Deshaun Watson out the entire 2021 season, they turned to Davis Mills as the starter. Mills wasn’t terrible — he completed 66.8 percent of his throws for 2,664 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 picks — but Houston was just 2-9 with him starting.
Like some of the aforementioned quarterbacks, there’s still a chance he could develop into a legit starter in the NFL, and the Texans are adamant they want him to have a chance this season to prove himself.
Having said that, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring in a veteran who could challenge him and Baker Mayfield could be that guy. Even with his flaws, there’s no way anyone can say that Mayfield wouldn’t be an upgrade over Mills.
On top of that, Mayfield would be able to return to the state where he became a star. While that might seem like a trivial thing, we all know Mayfield is an emotional player and this could be a major spark for him.
Houston is in the midst of a rebuild and that might be the only reason for this trade to be avoided. Perhaps their hearts are set on C.J. Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft but if not, they could look at bringing Mayfield back to Texas and seeing if he can rediscover the fire that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2018.