It’s been several weeks since the Cleveland Browns made their blockbuster trade for Deshaun Watson and effectively kicked incumbent quarterback Baker Mayfield to the curb. But Mayfield has yet to be traded, which has some people questioning what’s going on.
Appearing on 97.3 The Fan, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said that NFL executives are starting to believe that the owners are still furious with the Browns over the Watson contract. As a result, they owners have agreed not to trade for Mayfield in an effort to force Cleveland to cut him.
Such a joint effort would be hard to hide in this day and age. Someone would have leaked that orders came from on high not to make a trade for the former No. 1 overall pick.
But it does seem strange that there has been no movement with Mayfield whatsoever ahead of the NFL Draft. The trade options for the Browns are going to shrink even further if they don’t trade him before then.
A theory from @JFowlerESPN on @937thefan that NFL team executives have told him that owners are so pissed at the Browns for signing Deshaun Watson to his mega deal that they could instruct their teams to not trade for Mayfield and force the Browns to cut him.
!!!
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) April 20, 2022
Then again, it doesn’t require a conspiracy to want to punish the Browns for how they acted in the Deshaun Watson trade. The contract they gave Watson effectively protects the team from all financial woes punishment should he be suspended in the near future – a strong likelihood.
Whether or not this helps or harms Baker Mayfield’s chances of finding a new team remains to be seen. The already-limited options will be slimmer after the draft.
But Cleveland has to part with him and his $18 million salary sooner or later.
Do you believe in this Baker Mayfield conspiracy theory?
The post There’s A Growing Conspiracy Theory With Baker Mayfield appeared first on The Spun.