The Baker Mayfield saga in Cleveland is still ongoing – even though the Browns traded for star quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Cleveland hasn’t been able to find a trade partner for the former No. 1 overall pick. It’s clear they no longer want him on the team, and according to a report from ESPN’s Jake Trotter, it’s fair to wonder if they let him fail on purpose.
That’s what those close to Baker wondered late in the 2021 season. The Browns left rookie tackle James Hudson on Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt in the final game of the season. In that game, Mayfield was sacked nine times.
Following the game, he openly questioned Kevin Stefanski’s game plan. Those close to Baker wondered if the team was trying to make him look bad.
From ESPN:
According to multiple sources, those close to Mayfield — who to that point had missed one game because of his shoulder injury — wondered at the time if the Browns were trying to make Mayfield look as hapless as possible in prime time, to potentially pave the way for the franchise to more easily explain why it might be moving on from him in the offseason.
It’s fair to wonder if the Browns wanted to move on from Mayfield before the 2021 season even came to an end.
However, if they wanted a better trade chip, it would have been smart to make him look good instead.