Seahawks also not interested in Browns QB Baker Mayfield?
And just like that, Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield may already be out of interested teams less than a week after his current employer acquired star signal-caller Deshaun Watson via a controversial trade with the Houston Texans.
It was reported earlier in the day that the Carolina Panthers will not be trading for Mayfield despite previous claims suggesting that they were a potential landing spot for the 2018 first-overall draft pick. The Athletic's Ben Standig has since explained that the Seattle Seahawks, who have Drew Lock and Jacob Eason as their active quarterbacks, may also pass on Mayfield even if the Browns were to include a draft pick along with the 26-year-old in a deal:
As Gregg Rosenthal explained for the NFL's website, the Texans managed to save $16 million in cash and $10 million in salary-cap space in March 2017 when they traded quarterback Brock Osweiler, a 2018 second-round pick, and a 2017 sixth-round selection to the Browns in exchange for Cleveland's 2017 compensatory fourth-round pick because the Browns could absorb Osweiler's salary and cap hit at that time.
Mayfield is owed $18.858 million in fully guaranteed money for the 2022 campaign and is on the last year of his rookie contract. It's thought clubs such as the Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers could wait and essentially force the Browns to cut Mayfield since it's public knowledge he no longer has a football home with the team that drafted him.
Meanwhile, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll raised eyebrows on Tuesday when he repeated he wants to re-sign veteran and 2021 backup Geno Smith. Smith made four appearances and three starts last fall when former Seattle starter Russell Wilson was injured and is familiar with Carroll's offense.
More must-reads: