One writer has the Browns giving up on Baker Mayfield and trading for Kirk Cousins

Could the Cleveland Browns move on from Baker Mayfield for Kirk Cousins?

Complex writer Ian Wharton really thinks the Cleveland Browns are going to trade for Kirk Cousins. A bold take, sure, but a take that he actually believes. So what makes Wharton think the Browns would give up on Baker Mayfield for Cousins?

Well, it all comes back to that overused idea of “familiarity”. It’s almost like sportswriters can’t break outside the box. Once a player and coach are tied together if only for a season, they’re forever tied together going forward.

That’s right, Wharton thinks the Browns should acquire Cousins and his $35 million contract because Stefanski was his offensive coordinator for one season.

From Wharton:

"Cousins’ familiarity and extreme success with Stefanski makes this an easy fit to see. Cousins isn’t nearly as impactful as his crazy stat lines suggest, but he raises the baseline of an offense to a solid level. Cleveland would be a considerable Super Bowl contender with a borderline top-10 quarterback like Cousins, and he takes the guesswork out of the position that Mayfield brings."

Don’t forget that the Browns need to upgrade their quarterback, despite Mayfield himself being a Top 10 or borderline Top-10 quarterback in 2020. So if Mayfield isn’t good enough when healthy, then wouldn’t acquiring Cousins be a lateral move?

Moreover, his contract is for $35 million and the Vikings or Browns would need to have him agree to restructure his deal. Cousins deal is completely guaranteed. He has no incentive to restructure anything. Why agree to less money when the Vikings would have to pay you $35 million regardless of what happens? If they release him he gets his entire contract.

So not only is this a lateral move, but the Browns would in fact kill their flexibility in doing this trade because it makes little sense for Cousins to restructure his deal. The lone exception is that he wants out of Minnesota, and wants to go to a specific team that couldn’t afford him in free agency. Otherwise, why take a pay cut?

Where does The Cleveland Browns send Baker Mayfield in this deal?

For Mayfield, things just get worse. According to Wharton, the Cleveland Browns would deal Mayfield to Washington. Which would be a career-ender for Mayfield as Washington has had 20 years of inept offense, save or two seasons. The Browns, with all of their flaws, have had more standout offenses over the last two decades than the Washington Football Team.

With all of the names on this list, and there are a lot (Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, etc), none of them are heading towards the Saints, who are in desperate need of a quarterback. Wilson is “predicted” to go to the Broncos, Rodgers to stay put in Green Bay, Deshaun Watson to Carolina (and not prison), Matt Ryan to the Giants of all places, and Jimmy Garoppolo to the Steelers.

It makes me concerned that they think the Giants, who are in a rebuild, would acquire a declining, nearly 40-year-old quarterback. I have zero faith in any of these predictions.