By: Jake Rajala

The Seattle Seahawks have two young, disappointing, and highly motivated quarterbacks fighting for the starting QB gig. Geno Smith and Drew Lock are making their bid to be QB1 and it’s been reported by New York Post that Smith is in the lead for the keys to the starting offense. With that enunciated, there is another QB option that is deemed available for the Seahawks: Baker Mayfield.

As reported by The Athletic, the Seahawks have a strong interest in Mayfield. I do believe that Mayfield may have more upside over Geno Smith and Drew Lock, but I am not convinced that he is the path that the Seahawks should pursue. With that said, here are three reasons why the Seahawks should not acquire Mayfield.

Asking price

The Browns don’t only want a second or third-round pick, but they also want his new squad to eat up a lot of his contract. The Seahawks don’t exactly have the luxury of having only two or three holes to fill on their roster. They could really benefit from using their resources to ink a new pass rusher, LB, and a couple of defensive backs in the 2023 and 2024 off-season. They struggled to build the team around Russell Wilson and it would be quite a challenge to purchase FA talent for Mayfield.

Long term fit

I really don’t believe Baker is the long-term answer for the Hawks. It feels like the Seahawks are trying to fight for scraps in the QB pool this off-season. If/when the Seahawks target a QB like Bryce Young in the 2023 draft, it’s safe to say that Mayfield would be a very expensive backup QB. They should prioritize a future QB beyond 2023 with their resources and “draft ammunition”.

Geno Smith

I actually like the ability that Geno Smith showed with the Seahawks offense last season. He kept the Hawks competitive in the rainy contest against the Saints and brought the Hawks to OT against the Steelers. It should also be noted that Smith was a modest game manager, despite not having an off-season of preparation with the starters. Smith had impressive connections with Metcalf and I trust them to continue to grow. It’s also unclear if Baker would properly utilize the Seahawks potent WR duo, as he wasn’t able to properly utilize OBJ and Jarvis Landry in the same offense.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Cleveland Browns are looking to trade away their former first overall pick in Baker Mayfield. They recently shocked the league and acquired Deshaun Watson for a hefty price (five year – $230 million dollar contract). It appears true that Watson will enter the revolving door, while Mayfield will exit the door.

There have been a few teams rumored to land Mayfield since Watson arrived in Cleveland. The Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have been favorites to bring in Baker. With that said, I believe it would be uncharacteristic for Matt Rhule to reel in Baker. Here are a few reasons why the Panthers should not trade for Mayfield.

• long-term fit

I don’t believe Baker will ascend into being an elite QB or revolt to being an excellent game manager for the Panthers until the Panthers develop a 2022 rookie signal-caller or a 2023 first-year QB. I believe Rhule’s seat is HOT, but I believe they are trying to fix something that will stay broke. I’d prefer them to add more ammunition around Darnold with their cap space, bring in a rookie QB (hope he can start soon for Rhule’s sake), and then try to win more games than last season. I don’t believe the mediocre and unfamiliar Baker will automatically be a “quality bridge QB for CAR in 2022”. If the Panthers overpay and acquire Baker, they could have a similar outcome as the Colts with Carson Wentz in 2021.

• Please draft a QB in 2022

If the Panthers are hell-bent on drafting a QB in the 2022 draft like Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett, I believe it’s a terrible idea to bring in Baker. I really believe Willis or Pickett has a solid chance at beating out Baker in 2022 and likely 2023 at this moment. They should draft Willis in my opinion, let him compete with Darnold, and slowly incorporate him into game action in a “Taysom Hill-like role” in 2022. Willis could be a weapon with CMAC on option play early on, regardless of the pure starting QB.

• Trade for a different QB

I would honestly like to see the Panthers acquire a QB like Jimmy G or Taylor Heinicke on a cheaper deal if they really want to add a modest veteran QB. I believe the potential and game management with Jimmy G in the Panthers offense outweighs Baker’s arm talent in Rhule’s aerial offensive attack. Garoppolo has a “Darren Sproles-like friend” in McCaffrey and he can also be lethal off the play-action game with Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore. If they aren’t in love with the ceiling of the 49ers veteran pocket passer, they should add a veteran QB that can potentially start in the near future on a cheaper contract like Heinicke.

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