REPORT: Baker Deal Nearly Done

[Rosco]

Fake Baker Mayfield Jersey Posted on Seahawks Pro Shop amid Browns Trade Rumors

Amid rumors that the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns have been discussing a trade involving Baker Mayfield, a fake May

syndication.bleacherreport.com

Per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, someone changed the information on the webpage for ordering Quandre Diggs jersey, who currently wears the No. 6 for Seattle.

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports HQ reported last week that the Seahawks have a "high-level" of interest in acquiring Mayfield and would be open to the idea of giving him a contract extension.

There has been no indication at this point that a trade is imminent. Mayfield has frequently been linked to the Seahawks and Carolina Panthers throughout the offseason.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

If Baker was a legitimate starter a team would’ve made the trade for him. $19M is very cheap for a legitimate starting QB in the NFL.
Bridgewater got the job due to Fangio wanting a vet was the safe pick over development of a QB.

Teams have their comfort level with trading for a legitimate NFL starter, and obviously the handful of teams including the Hawks who were and still are interested in Baker weren't/aren't comfortable with what the Browns are asking.

So why would Pete and John give up draft picks and assume his 19M salary when they know the Browns will have to cut Baker in a couple weeks or force the Browns to pay for half of Baker's salary if they want a 6th round pick or whatever the lowball offer is because we know they backed themselves into a corner signing Watson.

Doesn't diminish Baker's talent and potential to still be a very good NFL QB.......and certainly doesn't diminish the fact that he's an upgrade over your current QB's.

 

[keasley45]

I call it "delusional myopic Hawk fan syndrome."

A large segment of fans think as soon as players are drafted, traded for or signed by the Hawks, that makes them automatically amazing.

Baker Mayfield is a legitimate starting caliber NFL QB, who IMO hasn't even reached his potential from being in the dumpster fire organization that is the Cleveland Browns with constant revolving doors of coordinators and coaches.

Drew Lock got benched for Teddy Bridgewater (let that sink in), and Geno Smith has been a career backup since he got his jaw broken by his own teammate in 2015.

So if Hawk fans don't think Mayfield is an upgrade over the worst QB room in the entire NFL, then I wouldn't waste my breath debating with them.

You're discrediting the Browns franchise as if over the last few years they haven't become one of the most talented teams in the league. And yet with the weapons Baker had at his disposal, in his best season, he still was maybe top 10? Maybe. And that's with a solid supporting cast. Lock has never had that.

And last year, Baker, even before he got hurt wasn't exactly lighting it up.

And add to that, the dude has the maturity of a 16 year old. In an imterview, he lamented being in the impossible position in Cleveland of having to motivate teammates who are making millions of dollars... insinuating their motivation is money, and theirs nothing he can do to overcome that. That's like an umbrella complaining it can't keep the ground under it dry because the rain is so wet. WTF. Seriously???

But yeah. MONEY! Go get him in here to lead our franchise to the promised land.

You can fault Lock and Geno all you want. They may not be the answer. But to pretend that Baker Mayfield is...

 

[FattyKnuckle]

I'm pretty sure Wilson led the free world in 3 and outs. That Packer game was hard to watch. As for my grammar and sentence structure....who cares as long as there's logic

It's just a joke from Game of Thrones. I'm amused that I learned a grammar lesson from it. No offense meant.

 

[pittpnthrs]

So, you would rather they suck with Geno or Lock? That's more important than actually winning?

This year, yes. Get a good draft spot and grab a QB for the future. They arent going to win with Mayfield either. A few more wins, sure, but that does nothing in the big picture.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

You're discrediting the Browns franchise as if over the last few years they haven't become one of the most talented teams in the league. And yet with the weapons Baker had at his disposal, in his best season, he still was maybe top 10? Maybe. And that's with a solid supporting cast. Lock has never had that.

And last year, Baker, even before he got hurt wasn't exactly lighting it up.

And add to that, the dude has the maturity of a 16 year old. In an imterview, he lamented being in the impossible position in Cleveland of having to motivate teammates who are making millions of dollars... insinuating their motivation is money, and theirs nothing he can do to overcome that. That's like an umbrella complaining it can't keep the ground under it dry because the rain is so wet. WTF. Seriously???

But yeah. MONEY! Go get him in here to lead our franchise to the promised land.

You can fault Lock and Geno all you want. They may not be the answer. But to pretend that Baker Mayfield is...

I'm not pretending Baker is anything other then an upgrade over Lock and Geno.

Does that probably say more about how mediocre Lock and Geno are? Probably. But here we are.

To not do whatever you can to upgrade the most important position on the team if you can is some weird fan general managing by some of you.

 

[TwistedHusky]

This feels counterproductive.

Anything that makes us better short term, probably makes us worse long term.

Baker couldn't win with the Browns. Sure he could squeak into the playoffs, and beat a depleted Steelers team...but otherwise no. And that team had a great defense (iffy secondary but tremendous DL) and one of the best if not the best rushing attacks in the league. It also had some tremendous receivers and a strong OL.

I suppose it keeps us from circling the drain, but sustained mediocrity in a division where everyone else will be clearly better isn't a great situation to be in.

 

[Lagartixa]

You're discrediting the Browns franchise as if over the last few years they haven't become one of the most talented teams in the league. And yet with the weapons Baker had at his disposal, in his best season, he still was maybe top 10? Maybe. And that's with a solid supporting cast. Lock has never had that.

In 2021, Mayfield was 23rd in efficiency (as measured by DVOA). In what is widely stated to have been his best season, 2020, he was 17th. In 2019, he was 25th. In 2018, he was 14th in efficiency, but only started 13 games.

So even with a strong team around him, Mayfield has been below-average in efficiency for most of his career (all except his incomplete rookie season). We're talking about a QB with a 61.6% completion percentage over his career so far, good for 24th among active QBs.

The fact that Mayfield will cost less than 40% of top-QB money in 2022 and still has no team is telling. If he were even a slightly above-average QB, teams would be falling over each other trying to be first to grab him.

 

[Lagartixa]

Good sign: the Seahawks are not even mentioned, but the Panthers are, in this article on ESPN:

Mayfield on Browns: Both sides have moved on

Baker Mayfield said Tuesday from his youth football camp that the Browns would have to start the process if they wanted him to play this season, but he believes both sides have moved on.

www.espn.com

 

[keasley45]

In 2021, Mayfield was 23rd in efficiency (as measured by DVOA). In what is widely stated to have been his best season, 2020, he was 17th. In 2019, he was 25th. In 2018, he was 14th in efficiency, but only started 13 games.

So even with a strong team around him, Mayfield has been below-average in efficiency for most of his career (all except his incomplete rookie season). We're talking about a QB with a 61.6% completion percentage over his career so far, good for 24th among active QBs.

The fact that Mayfield will cost less than 40% of top-QB money in 2022 and still has no team is telling. If he were even a slightly above-average QB, teams would be falling over each other trying to be first to grab him.

My feelings exactly. He may be 'better' than Lock or Geno HAVE been, but Baker's cookie is 'baked', whereas Lock is still in the process of figuring out how good he can be, and Geno hasn't had enough of an opportunity to prove he's no better than the guy he's always been.

If the situation were flipped and it was Lock having been on a team with the supporting cast Baker has had, I'd be saying the same thing. But that's not the case. We can see Baker's ceiling. Lock's might be higher... might not be. We won't know until he gets a shot ON OUR TEAM, with our coordinator and our offense. If it works, great. If it doesn't, that's what the draft and FA are for.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

For the 735th time, a top 10 pick DOES NOT guarantee that it will be a great QB for the future.

 

[m0ng0]

I'm in

For the 735th time, a top 10 pick DOES NOT guarantee that it will be a great QB for the future.

Yep I was just
thinking about that from the Chris Warren thread, Mirer was a can't miss pick and McGuire was the prototypical big QB. It's a crapshoot and talk of tanking could get us further down the rabbit hole if we miss.

 

[keasley45]

This year, yes. Get a good draft spot and grab a QB for the future. They arent going to win with Mayfield either. A few more wins, sure, but that does nothing in the big picture.

Why on earth would you waste money, time, and potentially, draft capital to bring in a guy who isn't going to be the answer anymore than the guys you already have.

It's like getting divorced for the girl down the street, who you're dubious about marrying, who you are only slightly more attracted to, (but she looks 'better' on your arm) and can cook a great steak...and ignoring the fact that nobody else wants her, in part, because she's batshit crazy.

Makes PERFECT sense.

 

[keasley45]

For the 735th time, a top 10 pick DOES NOT guarantee that it will be a great QB for the future.

And signing up a dude who has shown he's a moron and an average qb even with great weapons ASSURES you don't have that guy.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Agree to disagree. He would make the team better. Seems like that should be a priority. Because with Lock and Geno? Get ready for a LOT of losing. I'm not ok with Losing all the time.

 

[Sun Tzu]

For the 735th time, a top 10 pick DOES NOT guarantee that it will be a great QB for the future.

Today on .net, a beginner's guide to creating an intellectually dishonest post: First, you start with a falsification (you have not said this 735 times). Second, you create a straw man. Third, you imply that those who disagree with your position adhere to your straw man. Fourth, you refute your created straw man.

Literally (and I mean that in the dictionary way, not the valley girl way) no one here is saying that a top 10 pick guarantees a great QB.

 

[Lagartixa]

For the 735th time, a top 10 pick DOES NOT guarantee that it will be a great QB for the future.

This is true.

Similarly, being a former #1 pick who has underperformed in the NFL (topping out at average-ish one season, with three below-average seasons, and not good enough after four seasons for any teams to want him at less than 40% of top-QB money, nor evidently even at 20% of top-QB money) DOES NOT guarantee he will be even a serviceably good QB in the future.

I don't think Lock and Smith are going to turn into good QBs either, but they have the advantages of being much cheaper and already being on the Seahawks roster. I don't see Mayfield being sufficiently more appealing, even just in terms of on-field performance (i.e., ignoring his supposed off-field negatives, which are basically just rumors and speculation anyway), to justify wasting cap space on him in 2022. I'd rather see any surplus rolled over into the 2023 cap.

 

[GemCity]

I call it "delusional myopic Hawk fan syndrome."

A large segment of fans think as soon as players are drafted, traded for or signed by the Hawks, that makes them automatically amazing.

Baker Mayfield is a legitimate starting caliber NFL QB, who IMO hasn't even reached his potential from being in the dumpster fire organization that is the Cleveland Browns with constant revolving doors of coordinators and coaches.

Drew Lock got benched for Teddy Bridgewater (let that sink in), and Geno Smith has been a career backup since he got his jaw broken by his own teammate in 2015.

So if Hawk fans don't think Mayfield is an upgrade over the worst QB room in the entire NFL, then I wouldn't waste my breath debating with them.

For the 735th time, a top 10 pick DOES NOT guarantee that it will be a great QB for the future.

So…you’re saying there’s a chance?

Bakers an upgrade. Yes.

Upgrade to? Maybe a few more wins for a team that’s projected to be bad?

Giving up picks?

If this were Josh Allen we were talking about, ok..,get after it. But, a poor man’s Russel Wilson with a bad attitude? Hawks fans couldn’t handle Russell Carrington Be Like Jesus Wilson but they’re going to tolerate Baker?

We need to exercise some patience and trust that PC and JS have a plan for next years draft.

Nothing about Baker Mayfield excites me. I can envision DK beating his ass by game 5.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

I didn't say that anyone claimed it automatically means a top 10 QB is a sure thing. I'm just pointing out that it's still a crap shoot. It just seems like SOME are ok with losing a ton of games in 2022, just so that they can get a high draft pick, is acceptable. It just isn't to ME. Fan how you want.
Geezus man, clearly I need to take a break from the site for a bit.

 

[keasley45]

The 'the draft doesn't guarantee you'll find a franchise QB' guys are ignoring the fact that guys like Allen, Mahomes, Burrow, Herbert, Jones, Murray, Jackson... and add fringe guys like Hurts, Tua, Mills... I'm sure there are more I'm missing - they've come along in the last 5 years and have transformed their franchises overnight.

This isn't the 90's. The college game has changed and the offenses the top NCAA qbs run are much closer in concept to what they see in the NFL.

Is it a risk? Sure. But let's not pretend that we're in store for another decade like the 90s.

Not sitting pat because of some gloom and doom prediction that if we don't roll with Baker, we'll zap back to the Dennis Erickson days.... the data just doesn't support it. Particularly in a Seahawks offense.