Editor’s note – This was originally published on May 5, but has been updated following the Browns’ news Wednesday. have traded Baker Mayfield The Carolina Panthers
BEREA, Ohio — The NFL Draft came and went. Baker Mayfield Was still a member Cleveland Browns.
The Browns were unable to make a trade offer with the Carolina Panthers According to multiple sources, the talks never reached a close at that time. Sources indicated that Carolina wanted Cleveland paying a significant amount of Mayfield’s $19million guaranteed salary next year as negotiations intensified. Carolina traded up to the third round in order to draft Ole Miss quarterback. Matt Corral.
In the offseason, the trade talks were reopened. Mayfield was traded to the Panthers A source told ESPN that a conditional draft pick was exchanged Wednesday for Mayfield’s salary. The Panthers will pay $4.85million of Mayfield’s salary, while the Browns will receive $10.5 million. The deal is subject to physical.
Mayfield was born in Cleveland, which has been seeking a franchise quarterback for decades. He arrived there with great fanfare. After leading the Browns to their first playoff win in 26 years, Mayfield’s standing in the locker room and front office declined. The game was marred by struggles on the field and a messy split between receivers Odell Beckham Jr. This divided the team. Deshaun WatsonMayfield’s willingness to give up his no-trade clause in order to sign with Cleveland and the perceived insult from the Browns’ top office contributed to Mayfield’s departure from Cleveland. Both sides were forced to look for a new start.
The Browns traded Watson for Watson in March. 25 lawsuits were filed against Watson since March 16, 2021 alleging that Watson engaged in sexual assault and other inappropriate behaviors during massage sessions. One of those 25 lawsuits was dropped by Watson after the judge ordered that her petition be amended with her name. Attorney Tony Buzbee stated that twenty of the civil suits have been settled. Four of those civil suits remain, and they will be tried following the 2022 season. Although Watson was not indicted by Texas grand juries, the NFL has been pushing for at least one year suspension. Watson’s hearing before both the NFL and the NFL Players Association’s jointly-appointed disciplinary officer, Sue L. Robinson ended after three days. Robinson’s decision is not expected to be made in the foreseeable future. Watson stated that he has never assaulted, harassed or disrespected any woman and that he planned to fight the lawsuits even before they were settled.
Last season’s opening match against the Kansas City ChiefsMayfield looked like the passer who finished the 2020 season ranked No. QBR is ranked 10 After scoring touchdowns on three of their first possessions, the Browns lost out on Mayfield’s game-ending intercept.
However, Mayfield sustained a torn labrum in the left side of his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2.
He was forever changed after that.
Mayfield completed 82% (the highest completion rate in the NFL) in his first two games. Mayfield’s completion percentage dropped to 57.7% over the remainder of the season, even though he was wearing a harness that held his left shoulder in line. This is the second-worst league record.
His QBR tumbled to 27th, the largest QBR drop-off (-30.4) of any passer from the 2020 season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Mayfield, through his agent marketing, declined to talk to ESPN about the 2021 season and his departure from Cleveland. He said that his shoulder injury was mentally and physically affecting him during the “YNK”, podcast, April 13.
“When it began hindering my play, and going downhill. That’s when, I was like, Oh s —,” Mayfield said in the podcast. “That’s when my self-confidence started dropping and I began to lose my sense of myself. The past year was difficult.
After a 15-10 loss to The Pittsburgh Steelers Mayfield’s season would become even more difficult on October 31. Behind the scenes, Mayfield’s future in Cleveland would slowly become uncertain as the Browns began to explore a possible replacement.
Beckham’s father, Odell Beckham Sr., posted an Instagram video hours before the Nov. 2-trade deadline. The video highlighted all the times Beckham did not get in Mayfield’s face last season and also how Beckham missed him when he was open. Odell Beckham Sr. also criticized Mayfield in the comments.
OBJ didn’t deny his father’s comments publicly and he didn’t text or call Mayfield privately, according multiple sources. Despite the fact that they had played video together and had visited Big Sky, Montana with colleagues on Labor Day weekend, multiple sources claim.
Beckham was released Nov. 5 by the Browns, allowing him to sign with them Los Angeles RamsHe’d win a Super Bowl together with this woman.
Beckham was a former star of the New York Giants Had been a popular player in the Browns locker room before he joined Cleveland in a huge trade in 2019.
Beckham took Damon Sheehy Guiseppi, an undrafted rookie receiver under his wing during the first training camp. Beckham gifted Sheehy Guiseppi his cleats after he misplaced them before Cleveland’s 2019 preseason opener. Sheehy -Guiseppi returned a punt 86 yard for a touchdown while wearing the Beckham cleats. Sheehy Guiseppi was later removed before the start of the season. he posted a heartfelt message Beckham’s social media profiles.
Beckham brought a New York tradition from New York to the same training camp. He sat with different groups of players at every meal in the cafeteria.
Beckham spoke out about the tradition, saying that “you’ve got to get acquainted with who you are fighting with.” “When the whistle blows it’s us out there. These guys are men you will always remember and treasure.”
In the following two seasons, teammates were limited in their interaction at the practice facility due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Beckham continued to invite his teammates over to his house so they could take whatever shoes or clothes from his huge closet.
After Beckham’s father criticized Mayfield publically, and speculation grew that Beckham was on his way out of the country, many players lobbied Cleveland for OBJ to remain on the team.
Safety John Johnson III That was it. “Flat out.”
According to one source, Beckham’s exit from Cleveland “poisoned Mayfield with some colleagues”.
Soon after Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Beckham would not be returning, another starter was asked whether he had seen Beckham Sr.’s video of Mayfield misfiring with throws. “Why would I want to watch the video?” According to a source, the player was asking rhetorically. “I see it every other day in practice.”
Cleveland was already looking at Watson, who was on the Texans active roster, but wasn’t playing in 2021, at the time Beckham was released. Watson’s introductory press conference on March 25th featured the same statement by Andrew Berry, general manager.
Berry stated that the team had conducted a five-month investigation into Watson.
Mayfield struggled as Mayfield was not able to perform well when Watson was considered by the Browns.
After rejoining the Browns on the reserve/COVID-19 roster, Mayfield threw four interceptions in a loss to Green Bay that weakened Cleveland’s playoff hopes. Johnson, who was on the reserve/COVID-19 roster, returned to Cleveland following Mayfield’s second intercept. immediately tweeted“RUN THE DAMN BOWL!”
The Browns had the chance to win the fourth quarter despite the turnovers. The loss was sealed when Mayfield was again picked off. Cleveland was mathematically eliminated from postseason play before they could play another game.
Mayfield stated that “I have hurt this team.” “It was just missed throws. There is no excuse.
Multiple sources claim that Mayfield began losing confidence in his own abilities, and Stefanski too, even though they had been successful the year before in Cleveland’s unexpected playoff run.
The feeling grew the following week when Mayfield was sacked nine times during a Monday Night Football match in Pittsburgh. Mayfield was sacked nine more times in what was likely to be his last start for the Browns. He then criticized Stefanski’s game plan.
“When you’ve got [NFL defensive player of the year] T.J. Watt We’re not going to give our rookie tackle a chance. [James Hudson] Mayfield said that Mayfield had at one time thrown 10 consecutive incompletions during the 26-14 loss.
Mayfield struggled through an interminable performance. The Browns kept him in for the final offensive play, an interception.
Multiple sources claim that Mayfield’s friends and family wondered if the Browns wanted to make Mayfield appear as miserable as possible in prime-time, in order to possibly allow the franchise to explain more clearly why it might be moving forward with him in the offseason.
Through a spokesperson, the Browns declined to comment on these suspicions.
Mayfield said to reporters after the Pittsburgh loss that he would be talking with his agent and family about whether he would play against Cincinnati in the season finale.
He said, “I’m an extremely compliant guy.” “Now is the time to evaluate what’s best for me and my well-being.”
Multiple sources claim that Mayfield was growing frustrated with the situation in Cleveland throughout his career. In league history, Mayfield was fourth to have played for four different coaches during his three first seasons. According to multiple sources, Mayfield was not involved in extension talks with the Browns after they took Mayfield’s fifth-year option. Mayfield was not happy with the decision. Berry repeatedly refused to comment on Mayfield’s contract status since last offseason.
The Browns came into this offseason with Mayfield in mind and were ready to move on.
Berry stated that Baker was our starter, and that we expect him to bounce back.
Mayfield remained committed to the Browns despite the turmoil of 2021.
Sources said that his interview with Stefanski was productive. Mayfield’s recovery from the Jan. 19 surgery to fix the labrum was on schedule. Cleveland traded for a wide receiver Amari Cooper Mayfield reached him on March 12th to discuss the possibility of a throwing event.
Berry told Mayfield’s agent at the combine in February that the Browns might pursue an All-Pro-caliber quarterback. Russell Wilson Oder Aaron RodgersAccording to a source familiar, it was. Mayfield’s camp also knew that Watson could be on the short list for Cleveland. The Browns went all out to capture Watson after a Texas grand jury from Harris County declined to bring criminal charges against him.
Multiple sources claim that Mayfield was even more upset when he learned via social media that on March 15, Stefanski, Berry, and Browns owners Jimmy & Dee Haslam were flying from Cleveland to meet with Watson. Mayfield was there when the Browns officials landed back in Cleveland. posted a letter on social media We are grateful to Cleveland and all its fans for being “wholeheartedly who I am.”
On the “YNK Podcast”, he later stated that he felt “disrespected” and “disrespected by” the Browns.
“I was told one fact, and they completely did another,” he stated.
Multiple sources say that Mayfield finally lost his grip on Cleveland. Chris Mortensen, an ESPN NFL insider, said that Mayfield believed Mayfield had left Cleveland. He also claimed that Mayfield was told that the Browns wanted a “adult” quarterback.
The next day, Mayfield requested a trade. Watson was signed to a five-year contract by the Browns, with a guaranteed $230 million.
After Watson’s initial news conference, Jimmy Haslam stated that Baker was a person we believe in and respect.[I know] Baker believed that [“adult” comment] Although it is commonly believed that ownership was the source of all things, this is not true. Baker gave it all he had during his time here.
“No one can question his effort in the past year and nobody can question the four-years he gave to Cleveland.”
It has been an unpredictable journey. It has finally come to an end.