While this trade is simply between two teams, it will have a ripple effect that will stretch far beyond Cleveland and Carolina. Below, we’ll cover all the winners and losers that have come out of the latest trade in the NFL.
Winner: Baker Mayfield
The ultimate winner in all of this is Baker Mayfield. He previously requested a trade from Cleveland as the team acquired Deshaun Watson earlier this offseason, and now he’s getting his wish. For a minute, it looked like there was a chance (however slim) that the Browns wouldn’t trade Mayfield and hope to mend the fence in case Watson gets hit with a huge punishment for his off-field issues. However, this agreement now eliminates the possibility of an awkward/forced reconciliation.
Not only does Mayfield leave Cleveland, but he also lands with a Panthers team that has some interesting weapons, including running back Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore, to go along with a solid offensive line that includes a 2022 first-rounder, Ikem Ekwonu at left tackle.
Financially, Mayfield agreed to take a $3.5 million cut from his base salary to facilitate this trade, but he can earn that money back in incentives, according to NFL Network. That leaves Mayfield out of Cleveland and in a situation where he’ll be the Week 1 starter without having to take on much financial risk. It’s a win all around for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Loser: Cleveland Browns
There is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Browns’ situation at center. The NFL was pushing for Watson to face an indefinite suspension of at least one season. If the Disciplinary Officer Sue. L. Robinson rules like this, Cleveland’s ceiling at the quarterback position will drop drastically. With Mayfield out, Jacoby Brissett would be the clear choice to start if Watson is sidelined. While it may have been an uphill battle to try and mesh with Mayfield, he has experience in Kevin Stefanski’s offense and would be the better option of the two for the Browns to be competitive in Watson’s absence. Meanwhile, a fifth-round pick that could be turned into a quarterback is hardly an earth-shattering return. The Browns are also reportedly paying the 2022 portion of Mayfield’s contract. According to NFL Network, Cleveland is paying $10.5 million of Mayfield’s deal, while the Panthers will pay him $5 million. Despite clearing some cap space and getting rid of a trade-requested player, Cleveland is currently very exposed if the hammer falls on Watson in the coming days/weeks.
Winner: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers improved at quarterback, and it didn’t cost much to do so. As we noted above, the Browns are paying the bulk of Mayfield’s contract, and Carolina only needed to send a conditional fifth-round pick for the former No. 1 overall pick. While Mayfield has had some ups and downs throughout his four-year career, he is arguably the best quarterback the Panthers have brought in since Cam Newton’s first tenure with the team ended after the 2019 postseason. Both Mayfield and Sam Darnold – — the club’s starter through 2021 — entered the league in 2018, but Mayfield had more success. For their careers, Mayfield’s 87.8 passer rating is much better than Darnold’s 76.9 passer rating. With this increase in talent, Mayfield’s presence will improve the overall ceiling for Carolina’s offense. Again, improving at the most important position in the sport and doing so at such a low cost makes this a no-brainer move for the Panthers. The underrated part of this deal is the impact it will have on the NFL and specifically the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks were one of the teams identified as a possible landing spot for Mayfield after they traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos earlier this season. Currently, Drew Lock and Geno Smith are slated for the starting job in camp, but Mayfield would be a much better option than either of those two heading into 2022. As Seattle may need to enter the season with either Lock or Smith, another loser in all of this is Jimmy Garoppolo. He and Mayfield were the two remaining quarterbacks left to move, and Carolina seemed like the most logical landing spot for Garoppolo simply because the only other destination for the 49ers quarterback to start with was Seattle. Would San Francisco be willing to trade Garoppolo down the stretch just to compete against him twice a year? Even if the Niners were willing to make the conversation, the asking price for Garoppolo would likely increase because it would be an intra-division trade. So Mayfield landing in Carolina is really the worst possible outcome for these two sides. Garoppolo loses what would be the clearest avenue to start 2022, and Seattle loses an opportunity to improve at quarterback on a relatively cheap cost.
Winner: Jacoby Brissett
With Mayfield headed to Carolina, Jacoby Brissett is in line to start for the Browns if/when Watson is suspended. This gives Brissett another chance to showcase his skills for a full season. The 29-year-old signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Browns this offseason, and if he plays well in 2022 as long as he’s the starter, it could lead to a stronger buy next year and get paid as a. one of the best backups in the league. Brissett has 37 starts over his six-year NFL career and has a career completion percentage of 60.2 and a passer rating of 83.
Loser: Sam Darnold
Unless the Panthers go back and trade Darnold to the Seahawks and he wins the job, this move almost certainly ensures that Darnold won’t be the starting quarterback in 2022. At the very least, he appears to be done as the starter in Carolina after going 4- 7 in his 11 starts for the Panthers in 2021. After flaming out in New York, Darnold was traded to the Panthers last offseason, and there was hope that the former first-round pick could rebuild his position in the league with that change of scenery. However, after a campaign where he threw more interceptions than touchdowns and completed just 59.8% of his passes, it never really came to fruition. Now the question is whether Darnold will ever be considered a first quarter again.
