I would agree he is better then Osweiler by a good bit. Yet his situation is looking similar as no team has shown much interest in trading for him. Watson is the QB for the Browns going forward and 18 million for a third string clip board holder is not appealing. I say 3rd string because if Watson is not able to play then Brisset starts, that's the path the Browns are going down. Doubt they trust Mayfield and I doubt Mayfield would risk a injury by playing. Better for him to collect his checks and become a free agent next off season.
For the record. I didn't go down that road.
It's an example of debt management. Mayfield is going to cost the Browns $18.86M. He's worth at least $9M on the open market, and maybe $12M to someone. However he's probably only worth $5.5M to the Browns as they already have their alternative #1 and #2 QBs in place. A high 6th round pick is worth about $1M, maybe less. If they could offload Mayfield's contract in full and only give up a 6th round pick in return it would be a positive outcome over keeping him. How far under the cap they are wouldn't come into it. They could always put the cash resources saved into helping the team at another position. The Browns look like they'll have to eat $8-10M of Mayfield's salary at this point just for him to be worth a 6th round pick.
The cap space argument is a complete red herring. Mayfield could sign a new 5 year deal with him having a 2023 void if it got him out of Cleveland. Even if a new team took on the entire $18.86M contract it could reduce his 2022 cap hit to under $4.5M, and you've agreed that the Browns are eating part of that salary anyway.
Makes some sense. I could see a team negotiating with Baker on a 3 year deal splitting his 2022 into 2 season and adding a voidable 3rd year.
It's more a case of Mayfield's contract being altered to a 5 year deal that would automatically void after the Super Bowl in February 2023, rather than anything longer. That way it would still really be a 1 year $18.86M contract with the Browns eating whatever part they would have to eat in 2022. The new team would pay Mayfield the remainder of the $18.86M contract with Mayfield officially having a salary of $1.035M and the rest becoming be a signing bonus. Only 20% of the signing bonus would count against the cap in 2022 with the other 80% being accounted for in 2023, (after Mayfield becomes a FA). The Browns would probably want Mayfield's contract to be altered because he could otherwise generate a compensatory pick for the new team in 2024.
I don't think the Browns want to eat money on a trade.
Or cut
Not when a player gets hurt in pre-season or early in the season.
Nope. For the simple fact the Steelers would swoop in and sign him.
Nah, Brissett could start, the first half of their schedule isn't that bad and he would be playing with more talent than he has ever had on offense.
No chance he ever plays for them again, I'd bet on it.
