The Browns still “plan” to go forward with Baker…
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The Browns took their shot with Deshaun Watson. It didn’t hit the bull’s-eye. Despite a growing sense that they’re ready to move on from Baker Mayfield, the team has now retreated to the position that Mayfield is the guy.
“The team still views Baker Mayfield as their quarterback going forward,” Mike Garafolo of NFL Media tweeted today. “They told Mayfield’s agents at the Combine they’d only explore top-tier QBs such as Watson.”
I don’t buy it. They’re trying to build leverage, both as to what they can get for Mayfield and as to what they’d have to give up for a new quarterback.
Consider this. On January 9, NFL Media reported during the final Sunday Splash! of the regular season that the Browns plan to keep Mayfield for 2022. There was no “they’d only explore top-tier QBs” caveat. Mayfield was the guy. Until he wasn’t.
Here’s how we explained the team’s strategic manipulation of the media narrative: “There’s a chance they’ve already seen enough . . . and that they intend to explore all options without telling the world that they intend to explore all options. If they’ve decided to move on from Mayfield, they would have no reason to reveal that plan. First, they would hurt their leverage in any trade talks if other teams know they’re done with the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. Second, they may not be able to trade him at all. Third, they may be unable to get a replacement on terms they regard as favorable. . . . For the Browns, that starts with getting the word out, through the media outlet they partially own, that they ‘plan’ to keep Mayfield. Then, if they ultimately can’t devise and implement a better approach, they can claim that they planned all along to keep him.”
With the Watson pursuit over, the Browns must now rebuild the impression that they’re not done with Mayfield. Even if they actually are.
The other side of the coin is that Mayfield could be done with the Browns. If so, that definitely would impact Cleveland’s plans.
