Reports conflict sharply on whether the Seahawks want Baker Mayfield

The truth about Seattle’s interest in quarterback Brown Baker Mayfield Still confused, and that may be exactly what the Seahawks and/or the Browns want.

On Tuesday afternoon, the NFL’s Ian Rapoport said the Seahawks He didn’t have a strong interest In Baker Mayfield (ed.). On Tuesday evening, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, who recently reported that the Seahawks still have High level of interest in Mayfieldopposed Rapoport’s characterization, calling it “inaccurate. “

If the Seahawks are interested, they do a great job of preventing it from becoming as obvious as the Panthers’ interest in Mayfield. Carolina and Cleveland held trade talks during the draft. Negotiations collapsed over the relevant portions of Mayfield’s $18.8 million salary to be paid by the Browns and the Panthers. Recent reports indicated that the interest was not dead, even after the Panthers pulled the plug during the draft and picked up Matt Coral.

Seattle, which has done its best to mislead everyone for months about whether Russell Wilson They will be traded, probably doing the same here, working to create the impression that they are not interested despite their interest in being promoted from Jeno Smith and the New favorite punching bag at the US OpenAnd the Drew Lock. It makes sense to stay calm, for a variety of reasons. They want to get Mayfield at the cheapest possible price, whether in draft pick or compensation. With no one else willing to pull the trigger, and with chances of Brown and Mayfield coexisting somewhere south of the skinny and nothing, Brown needs two surviving suitors to get the best possible deal possible.

Over the weekend, we tried to determine A whole world of difference He could or should be interested in Mayfield, as a better choice for their current top pick at the top of the depth chart. Including Brown, who definitely want to keep Mayfield if they lose Deshaun Watson For the full season, at least 11 teams should think about it.

It is a combination of chess, checkers and chicken. Someone will eventually make the move. The Seahawks may simply be waiting for the right time to do so, maintaining plausible deniability in case it doesn’t. In their first season after Ross, they can’t make the impression that they don’t believe in Smith or Locke, if they can’t get Mayfield. But they still didn’t want Mayfield badly enough to get it done and move on.

As the clock approaches the start of boot camp, something must happen. Mayfield doesn’t seem inclined to an excused absence from camp while Brown waits for the quarterback to be injured and for someone to cough in the first round and more, like the Vikings did with Sam Bradford in 2016, when Teddy Bridgewater Suddenly lost the season in late August. Mayfield wants to do that, so he can start the process of learning a new offense, a new team, a new coaching staff, and everything new, in order to get the kind of season that would qualify him for a new contract.

Will it be Seattle? Would another team take a slow time studying the game’s movie and OTA tape and wonder if Mayfield gives them a better chance of winning as many games as possible in 2022?

It can happen at any time. That has to happen soon, or the awkward situation between Brown and Mayfield could turn out to be downright cruel.

This may be what the Seahawks rely on. That brown would chop and run in order to avoid another off-season distraction featuring more than a few of them.

Regardless, if someone else really believes in Mayfield, and if Mayfield is doing everything with this team, they should go ahead and do it. If it works, the extra stuff they have to deliver through trade compensation or salary won’t matter. If they wait too long, it becomes harder to make it work — and they may not get it at all.

Yes, Detroit Lions, I’m talking to you directly.