Baker Mayfield Trade Rumors: Browns 'Poking Around and Discussing Potential Upgrades'

The Cleveland Browns publicly committed to Baker Mayfield as their starting quarterback in 2022.

Privately, it's a little more unclear.

Dan Graziano of ESPN reported the Browns have been "poking around and discussing potential upgrades" to their embattled starting quarterback.

Mayfield is coming off a miserable 2021 campaign that saw him deal with a combination of injuries and underperformance. He threw for 3,010 yards and 17 touchdowns against 13 interceptions while spending much of the season wearing a harness on his left shoulder. The shoulder injury required surgery after Mayfield was shut down for the season when the Browns were eliminated from the playoffs.

Through four NFL seasons, Mayfield's career has been a complete mixed bag. He looked like a breakout superstar in the second half of his rookie season before faltering in 2019, recovering with a playoff berth in 2020 and then falling off a cliff last season.

Browns fans watched as Odell Beckham Jr. agitated for a midseason exit from Cleveland, got his wish and then won a Super Bowl with Matthew Stafford feeding him a healthy share of targets. At the center of Beckham's frustrations? Mayfield's inability to consistently get him the ball when open.

The Browns acquired Amari Cooper from the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday to shore up their wideout depth chart, but it's unclear if the roster improvement will actually lead to Mayfield finding himself at the NFL level.

Graziano noted that Cleveland could find itself in the trade sweepstakes for Deshaun Watson, Kirk Cousins or Jimmy Garoppolo. All three players come with their host of question marks. Watson is still facing a civil lawsuit and NFL investigation after 22 women accused him of sexual assault and misconduct. Cousins is a tier above Mayfield but due a long-term contract extension with his deal expiring in 2023. Subbing Mayfield for Garoppolo would be the quarterback equivalent of shuffling deck chairs.

With Russell Wilson in Denver and Aaron Rodgers sticking in Green Bay, the Browns' best bet may be to run it back and hope for the best. If Mayfield falters again, the team could wipe its hands clean without even having to take a cap hit.