Cleveland Browns draft rumors: Baker Mayfield trade after 1st round
As the Cleveland Browns enter the 2022 NFL Draft without a first-round pick, a lot of attention is being turned to whether the team will find a trade partner for quarterback Baker Mayfield.
PFN’s Tony Pauline wrote “The feeling around the league is that Baker Mayfield will be traded on the second or third day of the draft.”
Pauline added that Carolina and the Seahawks remain the frontrunners to add Mayfield, so while the Browns don’t have a selection on Thursday night, a worthwhile side-bar storyline will be watching what the Seattle and Carolina do with their first-round picks.
If Carolina takes a quarterback at No. 6, forget it. Pauline mentioned that if Seattle trades back up into the bottom of the first round, that would signal that they’d also be out.
The longtime football scribe also continued to confirm what’s been written about for weeks–the Browns are going to have to pick up some of Mayfield’s salary. While it may not be optimal, doing so may provide the Browns with a chance to take back a draft pick for picking up Mayfield’s salary. The more they pick up, the better the selection.
More Cleveland Browns notes
1. Following some big-time signings, the Browns will no longer be winning the annual “Most room on the salary cap” award to company all of their in-season losses.
That’s the way it goes though, when you’re ready to win. Whether you’re buying into Deshaun Watson or not, he’s their franchise quarterback and the organization has paid him as such. Once you have your signal caller, you adjust your roster accordingly.
If the Browns win the Super Bowl but don’t have $40 million cap space come March, well, we’ll all just have to figure out how to get by.
2. In case you missed it, the Browns sent a key member of the organization to hang with LSU kicker Cade York. 3
Next. Newest Athletic mock draft has hits and misses. dark
3. For those holding out hope that Jarvis Landry will return–I just don’t see it. Andrew Berry basically gave him another “Thanks and goodbye” during last week’s press conference. I know, never say never, but it just seems like Cleveland is ready to move on.