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From being drafted first to dumped in 4 years, Baker Mayfield’s wild four-year experience in Cleveland is over.
The No 1 general decide in 2018, Mayfield was traded Wednesday by the Browns, who moved on from the divisive quarterback months in the past and at last despatched him to the Carolina Panthers for a future draft decide.
Mayfield, who was pushed out of his beginning job amid the Browns’ pursuit of Deshaun Watson, goes to Carolina for a conditional draft decide in 2024 or 2025.
The Browns are paying $10.5m of Mayfield’s $18.8m contract for subsequent season, two individuals accustomed to the negotiations informed the Related Press. The Panthers pays $4.8m and Mayfield will take a $3.5m pay reduce, stated the individuals, who spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity as a result of the commerce can’t be finalized till Mayfield passes a bodily.
Nonetheless, the commerce was introduced by the Panthers, who will host the Browns within the coming season’s opener – with Mayfield’s addition spicing up the matchup.
Mayfield’s time with the Browns effectively ended in March when the staff traded three first-round choices and 6 general to the Houston Texans for Watson, who’s going through a potential suspension for violating the league’s private conduct coverage.
Watson has been accused of sexual misconduct by two dozen therapeutic massage therapists in Texas.
Mayfield, who performed most of final season with a left shoulder harm, felt betrayed by Cleveland’s transfer for Watson, demanded a commerce after which needed to wait till the Browns discovered a staff each fascinated by him and keen to tackle his wage.
Browns house owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam thanked Mayfield for his contributions.
“From the second he was drafted, he gave his all for this group and this metropolis,” they stated. “Together with his fierce aggressive spirit, he excited the fanbase and achieved issues that no participant at his place had achieved in Cleveland for a really very long time. He additionally made a distinction locally, whether or not it was internet hosting occasions on the Boys and Ladies Membership, honoring our troops, supporting the Particular Olympics in addition to numerous different charitable endeavors.”
The 27-year-old will compete for Carolina’s beginning QB job with Sam Darnold, who was taken two picks after Mayfield in 2018.
The Panthers, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2017, have been looking for stability on the quarterback place ever since head coach Matt Rhule was employed in 2020. In addition they took a run at Watson earlier than he selected Cleveland.
Mayfield’s 4 years with the Browns included fewer memorable moments than distracting ones as he couldn’t finish the staff’s lengthy seek for a franchise QB.
The stint was filled with highs and lows, teaching modifications, an excessive amount of drama and never almost sufficient wins.
Former Browns basic supervisor John Dorsey was enamored with Mayfield’s expertise and swayed by his swagger, selecting the Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma first regardless of different choices, together with Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
Mayfield started his rookie season as Tyrod Taylor’s backup earlier than coming off the bench in Week 3 and rallying the Browns to their first win in 635 days, a 21-17 victory over the New York Jets on nationwide TV.
Mayfield wound up passing for 3,725 yards and throwing 27 landing passes as a rookie, breaking the NFL report for a first-year quarterback. For the primary time in years, there was real hope for a floundering franchise that has had 32 beginning QBs since 1999.
Nonetheless, Mayfield’s second season was a significant setback. He threw almost as many interceptions (21) as touchdowns (22) and appeared to be on a special web page of the playbook than star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Cleveland went 6-10 and fired coach Freddie Kitchens.
Mayfield additionally recurrently squared off with commentators criticizing his play and sparred with native reporters. His immaturity confirmed notably on social media, the place he usually posted rebukes to detractors.
The 2020 season signaled a turnaround as Mayfield led the Browns again to relevance with their first postseason look since 2003. He thrived in first-year coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense, throwing 20 TD passes and simply three interceptions in his final 12 video games.
Mayfield directed a playoff win – the Browns’ first since 1994 – over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on 10 January 2021, and got here inside minutes of getting Cleveland to the AFC championship sport every week later earlier than shedding at Kansas Metropolis.
The resurgence triggered Tremendous Bowl predictions for the Browns within the 2021-22 season and hypothesis they’d signal Mayfield to a long-term contract.
Neither got here near occurring.
After dropping the hyped season opener to the Chiefs, the sport’s consequence determined when Mayfield threw a late interception, he suffered a torn left shoulder labrum the next week whereas making an attempt to make a sort out.
The harm worsened when he was sacked by Arizona’s JJ Watt just a few weeks later, and Mayfield by no means discovered his rhythm the remainder of the season. Beckham pressured his approach off the roster and the Browns stumbled to a 8-9 end and missed the playoffs.
Mayfield additionally raised eyebrows by publicly questioning Stefanski’s play-calling.
Mayfield sat out the finale and had surgical procedure quickly after. Browns basic supervisor Andrew Berry stated he anticipated Mayfield to bounce again because the staff’s starter in 2022, however every thing modified with the pursuit of Watson.
In current weeks, as Watson’s authorized entanglement dragged on, there had been hypothesis the Browns might flip to Mayfield. However the quarterback just lately stated he didn’t suppose a reconciliation was potential.
They had been achieved with him way back.
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