Even though he claimed the Seattle Seahawks were his most likely destination, Pete Caroll all but shut the door on Baker Mayfield.
Now, the former first-overall pick is likely heading to the upcoming NFL season as an inactive backup, as his tenure with the Cleveland Browns is already over after the Deshaun Watson trade.
Even so, there's still a light at the end of the tunnel. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Carolina Panthers could still be interested in trading for him or Jimmy Garoppolo, as they're not sold on Sam Darnold:
“They would like somebody else; that’s why the Baker Mayfield situation, Jimmy Garoppolo might not be completely dead at this point," reported Fowler. "And so it certainly seems [Sam Darnold] is the favorite to start. They know Matt Corral is a bit of a project, a little like Malik Willis, because of the offense he came from in Ole Miss. He’s going to need some time to learn the nuances of the NFL game, but they love the talent. So, he could at least make this interesting for sure.”
Deshaun Watson is taking the offense to the Bahamas to practice and bond. However, Key Cabot of Cleveland.com revealed that Mayfield has no intention of showing up:
"Although Mayfield is still on the Browns roster, it’s unlikely he’ll l make the trip to the Bahamas, a source said. The Browns are still actively trying to trade him, and he’s still also rehabbing his surgically repaired left shoulder," reported Cabot.
That may not be the smartest move by Mayfield, as showing up would make things more uncomfortable and the Browns could be forced to try and get a deal done, says Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated:
“I’ll say it again—if I’m Baker Mayfield, I’m showing up for everything. If you’re not there, out of sight, out of mind, no urgency to move you. If you show up … things are kind of awkward, and it could motivate a trade. Plus, showing up sends the right message to other teams," Breer said.
The Mayfield drama isn't the only important situation going on in Cleveland right now. According to the latest reports, the NFL could share its ruling about Watson's situation pretty soon.
The league is likely to suspend the former Houston Texan after he faced nearly two dozen civil lawsuits for alleged sexual misconduct. And with Mayfield all but out, Jacoby Brissett will be the likeliest candidate to lead the offense early in the season.
