Browns: Management does not need to rush to sign Baker Mayfield

The Browns and Baker Mayfield don’t have to rush to sign a new contract.

Despite the “massive scandal” Baker Mayfield found himself in after a wedding (notice the sarcasm), it looks like the Browns aren’t giving up on him. Mayfield had himself two great years out of three, and his down year wasn’t all on him. He’s shown to have the talent, and the head needed to succeed in the NFL so why is everyone but the Browns and Mayfield trying to force a contract extension now?

Everywhere you look, it’s all bout how the Browns and Mayfield need to get a contract done sooner, rather than later. Mayfield though isn’t worried about it. Unlike other players in recent memory, who use the season starting as a way to force teams to kowtow to their demands, Mayfield isn’t.

Mayfield is under the impression that talks will extend into the season.

Waiting for the season to begin is a prudent move for both Baker Mayfield and The Browns.

Despite the need for 24-hour sports news channels to push the constant conversation of who should sign their contract extensions first, there’s no rush for any of the three men to do so. It’d make sense for Lamar Jackson to sign his sooner rather than later, after his down year in 2020, the last thing you want, if you’re Jackson, is to have another down year in 2021 and maybe get a lesser offer.

The same goes for both Josh Allen and Mayfield. While none of the three are expected to take steps back, getting deals done before a season has its merits, but that doesn’t mean you can’t and shouldn’t negotiate into the year. For Mayfield especially, if he starts off 2021 hot, who should he use that as leverage in his new deal?

The same goes for the Browns, if they aren’t needing Mayfield to win, or winning in spite of him, the team may opt to offer him less.

It makes sense for both sides to wait until the season. That is of course if the Browns believe Mayfield will succeed and want to lock him down to a cheaper down now. GM Andrew Berry may be frugal with his contracts at times, but it’s hard to imagine him playing hardball with Mayfield when he sees the going rate for a good quarterback in today’s NFL.