Baker Mayfield is in a bad career position, not just being in Cleveland. After having a decent few years, he decided to voice his displeasure and request a trade. The Browns did him one better and traded for Deshaun Watson as the clear quarterback of the future. There was speculation that he would be traded to QB needy teams before the draft. Baker’s contract made it hard for the Browns to deal him and his contract to another team. Thus, he is sitting in an unenviable situation of a starting QB with no team.
Watson is a huge gamble for the Browns and they threw all of their chips into the middle assuming he is their future. The problem is that Watson is still looking at 22 civil lawsuits, even though they declined to charge him with criminal charges, which indicates that Watson is going to face some form of suspension. A six-game suspension to start the season seems likely, with a possibility of just four. It is very unlikely Watson somehow avoids a suspension. Well lucky for the Browns right, they have Mayfield that can step in seamlessly. Huge swing and a miss on that Idea.
Mayfield is already unhappy about his situation and how the Browns have treated their starter of the past four years. If Watson is suspended, Baker holds all of the cards and has the Browns at his mercy. All he has to do is refuse to play; it will cost him money in the short run. The Browns do not have a third string quarterback that can win them games in the event of a Watson suspension.
The Browns would be forced to trade Baker to a team such as the Carolina Panthers or the Seattle Seahawks. They currently have a QB need and the current starting QB can come in and start for the Browns in place of Watson. Look for trade for Drew Lock of Seattle, or Sam Darnold of Carolina, for Baker and picks in the event of the likely suspension of Watson. Seattle has the best options to give Mayfield fantasy relevance of being a solid QB2 in 2022.
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