Baker Mayfield, a steal in the 2022 NFL Draft?
Yes, he can be a steal for an NFL team that needs a backup quarterback.
However, that steal only comes if the Cleveland Browns will do a couple of things.
So what are these things Cleveland needs to do to make Mayfield a steal for NFL teams in the 2022 draft?
Browns Need To Eat A Chunk Of Mayfield’s Salary
One thing that would make Mayfield a steal is if the Browns ate a chunk of his 2022 salary.
He will earn over $18 million in 2022, something keeping teams away from trading for him.
So Freddie I heard Baker Mayfield is wanted by 3 or 4 Teams …But not at 18 Million dollars next season… These 4 Teams are waiting on Cleveland to release Baker Mayfield…So they're off the Hook for the 18 Million…. Wow Baker 4 NFL Teams are not willing to pay … pic.twitter.com/odnqjAkJMn
— eugene s jackson (@eeejjj9) March 23, 2022
However, if that price was lower, it would make for a steal if the deal was made during the 2022 NFL Draft.
With Mayfield, NFL teams know what he brings to the table under center.
However, an unproven college quarterback in the later rounds of the NFL Draft could be questionable for an NFL team.
Mayfield gives a team a quarterback with playoff experience, something that looks good on his resume.
These things appeal to NFL teams, and can be used by Cleveland to show that Mayfield is a steal.
However, the Browns can sweeten the trade deal for Mayfield if they do one other thing during the 2022 NFL Draft.
Browns Can Increase Trade Offers By Lowering Asking Price
Some people seemed to think Mayfield was worth a second-round pick.
If the #Browns get a 2nd for Baker Mayfield they will have:
Pick 13
2 second round picks
2 3rd round picksAnd they should sign Mariota/Winston for a year
Am I crazy to think they’ll improve tremendously? That’s a crazy amount of ammo to trade up/draft tons of studs.
— Billy Moss ➐ (@billy_moss7) March 18, 2022
However, as time goes on, it’s looking less likely he’s worth anything over a fourth-round pick.
When you look deeper into his statistics, and compare him to other players, you see he’s not an elite player.
With a good team of running backs and receivers, Mayfield’s stats are only slightly better than Sam Darnold‘s stats.
Both quarterbacks were drafted in the same year.
However, Darnold has played in fewer games than Mayfield.
But when doing a per game comparison, you see he’s not much better.
That means if the Browns want anything out of a Mayfield trade, they need to lower their asking price.
Mayfield shows sub-par quarterback skills compared to others.
However, he could find a new drive with another team.
With that drive, he could prove to be a steal for that team for a low-round draft pick.
Is A New Team All That Mayfield Needs To Jumpstart His Career?
While in Cleveland, Mayfield only had one winning season.
The other three years with the team, he only won 18 games.
With him only winning six games each season, he seems to be a bust.
However, he could find a new life with a new team.
But that requires him to put in work to earn a starting job and to win games.
In Cleveland, he had talent all around him.
From offensive players to defensive players, the surrounding roster was solid.
However, he squandered away time with some of the best with him in Cleveland.
With a new team and better coaching that’s stable, he could make a change.
Until Cleveland makes some changes with Mayfield, we might not see that ever happening to him.
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