The Cleveland Browns offered a treasure chest to Deshaun Watson, signing him to a five-year, $230 million contract.
But while they already have their starter for the next few seasons, they must part ways with Baker Mayfield.
There’s no sense holding onto him with Watson clearly the starter and Mayfield already asking for a trade even before the Watson deal got finalized.
However, it might not be easy to let go of him for two reasons.
First, he carries an $18.56 million cap hit due to his fifth-year option in 2022 and interested teams might not enough cap space for that figure.
Second, the Browns are not getting favorable trade proposals, as NFL reporter Dov Kleiman pointed out.
"The Browns had conversation with team about Baker [Mayfield] and the team asked for a pick from the Browns to take Mayfield’s contract." – @AdamSchefter
Added: "If anyone thinks they're going to get a high premium pick for Baker Mayfield they're mistaken." pic.twitter.com/0orQ4l3zvG
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 21, 2022
Kleiman tweeted, “The Browns had conversation with team about Baker and the team asked for a pick from the Browns to take Mayfield’s contract.”
He added, “If anyone thinks they’re going to get a high premium pick for Baker Mayfield they’re mistaken.”
Yes, Mayfield helped in breaking the team’s playoff drought.
But he doesn’t attract a huge market, especially after Odell Beckham Jr. won a Super Bowl without him.
However, there might be one team that will consider him worth the try.
If that’s the case, the Browns cannot expect an early pick for Mayfield.
What’s A Fair Trade Value For Mayfield?
As always, proper trade packages depend on recent transactions regarding players of the same position.
Luckily, Matt Ryan‘s recent trade to the Indianapolis Colts yielded a third-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons.
If a former league MVP was traded for a third-round pick, then Mayfield should be worth a fourth-round selection.
Will any team step forward to acquire him and see if they can build around him?
NEXT: Browns Player Makes A Concession For Deshaun Watson
