Cleveland Browns News & Rumors

CB Jason McCourty Retires After 13 Seasons

July 15th, 2022 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Devin McCourty signed another contract to continue his career this offseason, his twin brother is walking away from the game. Jason McCourty announced his retirement Friday (via Instagram).

This wraps a 13-year run for Jason McCourty, who began his NFL career a year before Devin did. After playing alongside his twin at Rutgers in the late 2000s, Jason entered the NFL in 2009 as a sixth-round Titans pick. The longtime NFL cornerback went on to play 173 games with four teams, collecting a Super Bowl ring along the way. Jason’s decision comes less than a month from his 35th birthday.

McCourty signed a five-year extension with the Titans just before the 2012 season, and he nearly played out that contract. Being released by the Titans during the 2017 offseason led McCourty to three other teams — the Browns, Patriots and Dolphins — and five more NFL seasons.

Tennessee certainly received considerable value from the 2009 sixth-rounder. McCourty’s 108 games are the most by a Titans cornerback since the franchise’s 1997 relocation. They trail only Cris Dishman and Zeke Moore‘s 109; both played exclusively with the Oilers. The Titans had interest in keeping McCourty in 2016, but at a different price. That led to a separation and McCourty playing the 2017 with the Browns. Although the Patriots showed interest in 2017, McCourty chose Cleveland. That Browns edition went 0-16.

The Browns, who had signed McCourty to a two-year deal worth $6MM in 2017, traded the contract to the Patriots. One of the Pats’ pick-swap deals — a sixth-round pick for McCourty and a seventh — was enough to reunite the twin DBs. This led to the most memorable chapter of the McCourtys’ career, with Jason and Devin playing together for the next three seasons. After being part of a winless team, Jason McCourty made major contributions to a Super Bowl-winning squad a year later. McCourty’s lengthy sprint to break up a likely Jared Goff-to-Brandin Cooks touchdown connection helped the Pats become the second team to keep an opponent out of the end zone in a Super Bowl.

McCourty re-signed with the Pats on a two-year, $10MM deal in 2019 and ended his New England run with 36 starts — including all three Pats playoff games during their 2018 Super Bowl LIII run. Then-Dolphins HC Brian Flores brought in his former charge in 2021, but a foot injury limited him to just seven games last season.

For his career, Jason McCourty finishes with 18 interceptions and nine forced fumbles. He turned two of his five fumble recoveries into touchdowns and returned an INT for a score as well. Devin McCourty signed a one-year, $9MM deal to stay with the Patriots in March.

Texans Settle 30 Lawsuits Related To Alleged Deshaun Watson Sexual Misconduct

July 15th, 2022 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans attempted to end their part in the Deshaun Watson saga Friday, settling 30 lawsuits with women who had made or were planning to make claims against the team related to alleged sexual misconduct by the former Houston quarterback, according to Houston TV station KPRC.

A civil suit against the Texans emerged not long after a lengthy New York Times report detailed the quarterback’s alleged improper behavior during massage therapy sessions. The first woman to file suit against the Texans, one of the four who did not settle with the embattled quarterback, accused the team of turning a blind eye to Watson’s off-field misconduct. The Texans believe the NFL, through recent inquiries, did not uncover wrongdoing on their part, Josina Anderson of USA Today tweets. Though, a thorough investigation of the Texans has not believed to have taken place.

That lawsuit alleged that the Texans, by giving Watson a Houstonian hotel and spa membership and arranging nondisclosure agreements for him, enabled their then-QB’s behavior, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Texans trainer Roland Ramirez confirmed in a deposition the team arranged for the hotel membership. Watson allegedly used the room for massages. The Times reported he received massages from at least 66 women from fall 2019 to spring 2021.

“We were shocked and deeply saddened when we first learned of the allegations against our then franchise quarterback in March 2021,” Cal, Hannah and Janice McNair, the family the owns the Texans, said in a statement. “Although our organization did not have any knowledge of Deshaun Watson’s alleged misconduct, we have intentionally chosen to resolve this matter amicably. This is not an admission of any wrongdoing, but instead a clear stand against any form of sexual assault and misconduct.”

Rumors of other accusers coming forward against Watson have surfaced this offseason, and while Friday’s count would seem to confirm those, no other lawsuits have been filed against the sixth-year QB. Watson attorney Rusty Hardin said Friday the Texans’ settlements have “no significance” to Watson’s cases, Wilson adds (via Twitter). Watson’s civil cases will run into 2023, with both Hardin and the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Tony Buzbee, agreeing on a moratorium which will last until March 1, 2023.

Watson and the Browns are awaiting disciplinary officer Sue Robinson’s ruling, which may not occur until after next week. The NFL has pushed for a full-season suspension, something the league could ensure upon appeal — unless Robinson rules Watson did not violate the league’s personal conduct policy. That scenario, one in which Watson is eligible to play Week 1, has long been considered unlikely.

Browns Unlikely To Pursue Jimmy Garoppolo?

July 14th, 2022 at 10:02am CST by Sam Robinson

Deshaun Watson‘s initial suspension length is unlikely to surface until at least next week, and even that announcement might not happen until the Browns break for training camp. But the likely appeal process should be expected to drag into August, complicating matters for the team that surrendered three first-round picks and change for the former Texans Pro Bowler.

The prospect of Jimmy Garoppolo serving as an emergency option for Cleveland, in the event the NFL does suspend Watson for a full season or close to it, has come up in recent weeks. But the team is comfortable with Jacoby Brissett guiding the offense in Watson’s absence, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who said during an appearance on KNBR’s Tolbert & Copes (h/t 49erswebzone.com) he is not sure the Browns will emerge in the Garoppolo mix.

Not long after acquiring Watson, the Browns traded Case Keenum — their backup of two years — and signed Brissett to a one-year, $4.65MM deal. Cleveland also gave up one of the top trade packages in NFL history for Watson. In addition to the first-rounders being dealt, the Browns gave the Texans a third-rounder (in 2023) and two fourths (in 2022 and ’24). The team’s draft capital may be an issue regarding a Garoppolo pursuit, Fowler adds. Baker Mayfield went for only a 2024 fifth-rounder, and the 49ers are in a somewhat similar salary spot with Garoppolo — attached to a $24.2MM base salary that becomes guaranteed in Week 1 — so draft capital being a hang-up is interesting here.

Brissett, 29, has 37 career starts under his belt; five of those came with the Dolphins last season. The former third-round pick averaged just 5.7 yards per attempt in Miami, though he fared better during the second of his years as the Colts’ primary starter. Garoppolo would certainly be a more inspiring option than Brissett, but the Browns may stand down.

Garoppolo, 30, has resumed throwing. The 49ers could stash him on the active/PUP list to start camp, if they want to both give the veteran QB more recovery time and/or sideline him as they negotiate a trade, but Kyle Shanahan said in June the 49ers would likely have their trade chip at practice instead of stashed on the PUP list. The 49ers excused Garoppolo from minicamp, but he was not ready to throw at that point.

The Seahawks loom as a Garoppolo option but are more likely to wait out a potential release. The Texans have been loosely linked to Garoppolo this offseason, with Nick Caserio having been in New England throughout the ex-Tom Brady backup’s stay there. But Fowler adds it would be a bit of a surprise if Garoppolo ended up in Houston, given the team’s interest in developing Davis Mills.

After the Mayfield trade, Cleveland gained more than $8MM in cap space. The team’s $48.5MM is $25MM north of any other team’s cap room, providing options in the event Watson is shut down for the season. (The 49ers’ $4.9MM in space ranks 30th on that list.) Watson being shelved for all of 2022 would cause his five-year contract to toll, making it a 2023-27 pact. The Browns structured the $230MM guaranteed deal to minimize Watson’s penalties in a suspension — one the team did not expect to be a full-season ban when it made the trade. Watson’s $1MM base salary would move to 2023, pushing the run of $50MM-plus cap figures to 2024 and beyond.

Browns Interested In DT Ndamukong Suh?

July 13th, 2022 at 2:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

2:10pm: Some cold water is falling on a potential Browns-Suh partnership. The Browns are not pursuing the 12-year veteran standout, with Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com noting (via Twitter) the team has not shown interest throughout the offseason. Suh will likely land somewhere, but despite questions at D-tackle, Cleveland may well pass.

10:10am: Both the Browns’ primary defensive tackle starters from last season — Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell — are no longer with the team. Although Jadeveon Clowney filled one D-line need by committing to return to Cleveland, the Browns have far less certainty at the spots between Clowney and Myles Garrett.

The team appears interested in seeing if Ndamukong Suh will fill one of those holes. Suh is on the Browns’ radar, according to USA Today’s Tyler Dragon (on Twitter). The All-Decade defensive lineman should be expected to land with a team, thus committing to a 13th NFL season, ahead of training camp.

The Raiders and Vikings have expressed interest as well, with the former perhaps not as interested in a partnership as Suh is. But the Browns have long loomed as a likely Suh suitor. With $48.5MM in cap space, Cleveland holds $25MM more than the team with the second-most cap room. The Browns would make a clear upgrade with Suh at D-tackle.

Cleveland added ex-Jacksonville first-rounder Taven Bryan in free agency and drafted Perrion Winfrey in the fourth round. The team also rosters former third-rounder Jordan Elliott, who started three games last season. These potential Garrett-Clowney supporting-casters obviously boast profiles several tiers below Suh’s.

With the Buccaneers moving on, after drafting Logan Hall in Round 2 and subsequently signing Akiem Hicks, Suh is likely to join a fifth NFL team. Although the former No. 2 overall pick has declined, as he enters his age-35 season, Suh remains effective and has been one of the most durable players in NFL history. Suh has never missed a game due to injury, having started in 191 games (plus 12 more playoff contests) since his 2010 rookie season.

Cleveland has both money and a clear need, but Suh’s decision also may come down to Deshaun Watson‘s fate. The longer the recently acquired quarterback is suspended, the less likely the Browns are to be a contending team. When the Browns traded for Watson in March, they looked like one of the AFC’s better squads. A full-season Watson ban, a scenario that has gained steam in recent weeks, would greatly diminish the 2022 Browns’ capabilities and likely reduce their appeal for veteran free agents.

Suh’s run of Pro Bowls stopped in 2016, and the Dolphins bailed on their big-ticket contract after the ’17 season. But Suh became a key piece for Rams and Bucs Super Bowl-bound teams in the years that followed. Last season, he registered six regular-season sacks and added four hits on Matthew Stafford in Tampa Bay’s narrow divisional-round loss.

Latest On Panthers, Baker Mayfield

July 12th, 2022 at 5:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Now that Baker Mayfield is officially a Carolina Panther, his second NFL team has exclusive negotiating rights with him until the 2023 legal tampering period begins. That window, which closes in mid-March, could be critical not long down the road. For now, the Panthers are not looking at this acquisition through a post-2022 lens.

The Panthers have not discussed an extension with Mayfield, GM Scott Fitterer said Tuesday. Considering Mayfield is being pitted against Sam Darnold in a competition and has barely two weeks to learn OC Ben McAdoo‘s system ahead of training camp, extension talk is premature. The Panthers also helped sell the idea of a $3.5MM pay cut to Mayfield by pointing out how he can up his free agency stock after a year in Charlotte.

“We’ll let it play out throughout the season and we’ll make decisions later in the season whether it’s November or December, once there’s a track record behind [Mayfield] in this offense and this organization,” Fitterer said, via David Newton of ESPN.com. “… I just want to take it short term for now.”

Mayfield was connected to an extension worth more than $30MM per year in 2021, but he and the Browns tabled those talks. A disastrous 2021 campaign led to Mayfield’s value plummeting and the Browns moving to replace him. The former No. 1 overall pick will make more than $15MM this season, but the Panthers are responsible for only $4.86MM. That said, incentives could bump that number up by a few million.

Mayfield, 27, is expected to be the Panthers’ next starting quarterback. His beating out Darnold would put the latter in limbo. The Panthers cut Cam Newton and traded Teddy Bridgewater, eating some of the latter’s contract to move him. Carolina has seen considerable turnover at the game’s most important position.

Darnold, 25, is due $18.9MM fully guaranteed — a figure north of Mayfield’s, now that the former Heisman winner has taken a pay cut — and that number would be a non-starter for teams eyeing Darnold in a trade. The Panthers are not planning to move Darnold, Fitterer said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person, on Twitter). No trade calls have come. The Panthers now have Mayfield, Darnold, P.J. Walker and Matt Corral under contract.

Among Browns coaches and front office staffers, Mayfield support had waned, according to the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin. The fallout from the Odell Beckham Jr. trade and the “adult in the room” comment that surfaced just before the Browns’ controversial Mayfield-to-Deshaun Watson switch indicated the four-year starter was wearing out his welcome in Cleveland. When asked about the “adult in the room” comment, Fitterer said Tuesday “a lot of people” among the Panthers went to bat for Mayfield, via ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter (on Twitter).

The Panthers and Browns haggled over Mayfield’s salary split for several weeks, despite Fitterer and Matt Rhule wanting the QB to be a Panther by the team’s minicamp. During the draft, the Browns were believed to be willing to pay just more than $3MM of Mayfield’s salary. They ended at $10.5MM. Those April negotiations also appear to have featured a better draft pick coming Cleveland’s way, per Fitterer, whose team backed out of those mid-draft talks and traded up for Corral. The sides ended up agreeing on compensation that will either be a 2024 fourth- or fifth-round pick.

“The draft pick compensation came first in order for us to talk to Baker and kind of take that next step,” Fitterer said Tuesday (h/t Yardbarker). “We had to work with Cleveland to figure out what the right number was. Obviously, we talked to Cleveland during the draft — those things have gotten out — the compensation was higher at that point.

“Now that it changed with Matt Corral being added to the group, us going through the spring and Sam playing really well throughout the spring, we just didn’t have that urgency to necessarily go out there and add someone right away. So we worked through that compensation, we reached that [fifth-round pick] going into a [fourth-rounder] in two years, and we thought that was fair.”

Deshaun Watson Ruling May Still Be Weeks Away

July 12th, 2022 at 3:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Post-hearing briefs from both sides in the Deshaun Watson case are due Tuesday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Following the submissions of these summaries, disciplinary officer Sue Robinson will come to a decision on the Browns quarterback’s punishment in connection with his alleged sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct.

Robinson’s ruling is not expected to emerge this week. The retired judge plans to deliberate for at least a week, according to Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson (on Twitter), and Josina Anderson of USA Today notes this process may still be “a few weeks” away (Twitter link) from an initial ruling. A detailed report will accompany Robinson’s ruling, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, who also offers the weeks-long timetable before the initial suspension length surfaces (video link).

The length of Watson’s ban has long been expected before Browns training camp, which begins July 27, but the longer Sue Robinson’s ruling takes, the longer it will be before the Browns know how to proceed at quarterback.

Following Robinson’s ruling, the appeal process is likely to begin. Unless Robinson rules Watson did not violate the NFL’s personal conduct policy, both sides can appeal. The final result will almost certainly not be known until the Browns begin camp, and it could come well into the team’s preseason workouts. With Baker Mayfield now officially out of the picture, Jacoby Brissett is positioned to be Cleveland’s starter if/once Watson is banned.

The Browns have taken an avalanche of criticism for acquiring Watson and giving him $230MM fully guaranteed — a figure that induced the former Texans standout to pass on NFC South destinations and head to Cleveland. The Browns expected the Pro Bowl passer to be suspended; they just did not anticipate a full-season ban being on the table. The team will need to determine how to prepare Brissett for the season, with Watson currently eligible to participate in training camp and preseason games.

A full-season Watson suspension — the NFL’s preference, which is certainly relevant considering Roger Goodell could ensure it via a league appeal — could induce the Browns to go after another QB to play in front of Brissett. A Jimmy Garoppolo trade has been floated, but nothing much has emerged regarding such a deal. Barring an injury, however, the 49ers do not appear to have many options regarding their four-plus-year starter. The Browns, who lead the NFL in cap space by a wide margin, could become one. But until they receive certainty on Watson’s timeline, it is unlikely they will pursue a non-Brissett replacement option.

Latest On NFL’s Case Against Deshaun Watson

July 10th, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The ongoing Deshaun Watson situation recently reached an important milestone, with the hearing during which the NFL and NFLPA presented their arguments for and against suspension taking place. A report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio sheds light on some of the allegations Watson faced, and their absence from the NFL’s case made against the Browns QB.

“It was recently reported that none of the five cases presented by the NFL involved violence, coercion or force,” plaintiff’s attorney Tony Buzbee detailed in a letter. That was to be expected, however, since, as he further writes, the two women who made that particular accusation have settled their cases with Watson, as have 18 others. More to the point, neither member of the pair spoke with the NFL during its independent investigation into Watson.

“The majority of the civil cases we filed instead alleged indecent exposure and assault; that is, touching without consent,” the letter clarifies. The scale of Watson’s actions during his time with the Texans have been well-documented this offseason, to the point where the first suit related to his alleged sexual misconduct has been filed against the franchise. Buzbee’s communication confirms that his legal team is “preparing to file” further litigation against the Texans, as expected.

With respect to the details of the NFL’s argument made during the three-day hearing, Buzbee writes that his team is not currently “privy to what was presented… but we expect we will know soon enough.” While the specifics of the league’s case will be critical to Watson’s on-the-field future, the report recalls the important fact that it is separate from the remaining civil litigation Watson faces. The court cases determining the outcome of the outstanding civil suits are scheduled to take place after the season.

While it will be a matter of months before Watson learns his fate on that front, the ruling on his behavior relative to the league’s Personal Conduct Policy should be handed down much sooner, marking another chapter in the top NFL story of the offseason.

NFL, NFLPA Not Circling Back To Deshaun Watson Settlement

July 8th, 2022 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 8: Indicating how far apart the NFL and NFLPA were at the Robinson-overseen hearing, Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes the league is pushing for an indefinite suspension that shelves Watson for at least a full season (Twitter link). Watson would need to apply for reinstatement to return. Conversely, the union pushed for no suspension at all during the hearing. Settlement talks are not completely dead, per Maske (on Twitter), but the odds of one appear slim at best.

JULY 7: Post-hearing briefs from the NFL and NFLPA are due in the Deshaun Watson case by next week, delaying the initial ruling a bit. During the hearing, the sides attempted to revisit the settlement talks that stalled in the weeks leading up to it. A settlement would shorten this endless process, eliminating an appeal. But it does not appear that will be how this ends.

After the league and the union discussed a settlement during the three-day hearing, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports the parties left Delaware at odds on this subject. The NFL still wants a full-season suspension, but Graziano noted the league was willing to discuss a slightly lesser punishment — 12 games was mentioned but not confirmed as an NFL offer here — with the caveat of the suspension being indefinite.

Although the NFL seemingly opened the door to a scenario involving an indefinite ban that could allow Watson to play at some point in 2022, the Browns quarterback wanted no part of the indefinite condition. No settlement talks have occurred since the hearing, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds, noting that a source mentioned that, based on evidence and arguments in Delaware, an offer of an indefinite suspension with the possibility of Watson returning after 12 games would be unrealistic.

Watson’s camp is still pushing for the QB not being suspended at all for his alleged widespread sexual misconduct and sexual assault, Florio notes, with Graziano adding this process is “far past” the point of settlement. That means disciplinary officer Sue Robinson will make her ruling, expected before training camp, with the prospect of an appeal in play.

In the unlikely event Robinson rules Watson did not violate the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the league cannot appeal. Watson would then be eligible for Week 1. If Robinson suspends Watson for part of this season, it will test the NFL’s resolve. If the league seeks a full-season ban, Roger Goodell could ensure it on appeal. Though, that would mean overturning the verdict of a jointly approved arbitrator in the first go-round of this newly implemented policy. That would certainly not go over well with the NFLPA, which griped for years about the commissioner’s disciplinary overreach. Then again, the league being perceived as lenient with Watson could bring significant backlash. Robinson calling for a medium-length suspension would put the NFL to an interesting decision.

Panthers HC, GM Wanted Baker Mayfield At Team’s Minicamp

July 8th, 2022 at 1:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns and Panthers engaged in trade talks for Baker Mayfield for nearly three months, and although the expected result finally emerged this week, Matt Rhule and Carolina GM Scott Fitterer wanted it to happen sooner.

Prior to Mayfield accepting a $3.5MM pay cut, with the possibility of recouping that money through incentives, the Panthers wanted the fifth-year quarterback to reduce his fully guaranteed salary by $7MM, Joe Person and Zac Jackson of The Athletic report (subscription required). Although this component of the trade caused a delay, both Rhule and Fitterer wanted this trade to be completed before the Panthers reported for minicamp.

Mayfield arriving ahead of Carolina’s minicamp would have given him more time to begin learning new OC Ben McAdoo‘s playbook, and the four-year Browns starter being at Panther minicamp obviously would have begun his competition with Sam Darnold earlier. Panthers owner David Tepper, however, was determined not to overpay for a “depressed asset,” with Person and Jackson adding the fifth-year Panthers owner being “dug in” led to Mayfield remaining with the Browns during minicamp time.

Mayfield recently expressed frustration the Browns did not trade him ahead of minicamp, but it is now known he was aware of the situation involving the Panthers when making those comments. The Browns are covering $10.5MM of his salary; the former Heisman winner is on the Panthers’ payroll at $4.86MM. While it should be expected Mayfield prevails in his upcoming competition with Darnold, the latter has a several-month head start in McAdoo’s offense — including on-field work at OTAs and minicamp. Mayfield has shown far more than Darnold on the field, and while that might win out, the timing of this trade did not do the newcomer any favors.

Carolina’s hopes at a $7MM pay cut became a non-starter for Mayfield, but Person and Jackson note the quarterback’s agent and Panthers VP of football administration Samir Suleiman worked out the $3.5MM incentive package. That made the 27-year-old passer more amenable to reducing the fully guaranteed $18.9MM salary.

The Browns initially sought a Day 2 pick for Mayfield — an asking price similar to the 49ers’ early Jimmy Garoppolo goal — and did hold talks with other teams about the quarterback, but the Panthers were the only serious suitor. The Colts, whom Mayfield eyed after the Browns entered the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, quickly landed Matt Ryan. The Seahawks did not make a “real trade inquiry,” per The Athletic.

Baker Mayfield Fallout: Panthers, Browns, Garoppolo, Darnold, Draft, Salary, Seahawks

July 6th, 2022 at 11:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Wednesday’s Baker Mayfield trade came after months of negotiating. It appears the mid-June ramp-up in Browns-Panthers talks led to an agreement fairly soon after, but the ball fell into the quarterback’s court. Mayfield agreeing to trim $3.5MM from his salary satisfied the Panthers.

The teams had this deal in place for nearly a month, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones and former Browns GM Michael Lombardi (Twitter links). In pitching the slight pay cut to Mayfield, the Panthers pointed to the potential for the former No. 1 overall pick making up the difference by boosting his value for the 2023 free agent market, Jones adds. Mayfield, who was attached to an $18.9MM salary, can also earn back the money through 2022 incentives. Mayfield follows Odell Beckham Jr. in sacrificing some money to facilitate a Browns exit.

The interest in this interconference trade notwithstanding, David Newton of ESPN.com adds the deal will still precede a Mayfield-Darnold competition. Mayfield will be favored to win a training camp contest against incumbent Sam Darnold, who was chosen two picks after him in the 2018 draft. As for the conditional draft choice the Browns will receive, Mayfield’s former team will need to root for him to beat out Darnold. The pick will upgrade to a 2024 fourth-rounder if Mayfield plays at least 70% of the Panthers’ snaps, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets. Otherwise, it will become a fifth.

This battle’s winner will take the reins of a Panthers team that could feature a much better offensive line — one that added left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, center Bradley Bozeman and guard Austin Corbett, whom the Browns chose one round after Mayfield in 2018 — compared to its 2021 version and a receiving corps of D.J. Moore, Robbie Anderson and 2021 second-round pick Terrace Marshall Jr. The prospect of a healthy Christian McCaffrey has taunted the Panthers and their fanbase for two years now, but the former All-Pro running back is returning to his spot as well. Mayfield appears to be planning to gather Panthers skill players for a pre-camp workout, Newton tweets.

At the draft, the Browns were not prepared to pay much more than $3MM of Mayfield’s salary. They ended up moving to $10.5MM. The Panthers did not want to cough up more than $5MM for Mayfield, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets, leading to the pay-cut request. But the Panthers managed to add a former No. 1 pick, resisting the temptation to reach for one of this year’s QB prospects with the No. 6 choice — which became Ekwonu.

While Mayfield’s pay cut and the Panthers agreeing to cover part of the cost saves the Browns upwards of $8MM in cap space, this still could mark a massive descent for Cleveland’s quarterback position — for 2022 at least. The Browns have gone from a 2022 reality of deploying a healthier Mayfield to trotting out Deshaun Watson — after a short suspension — to facing the prospect of Jacoby Brissett being needed for a full season of QB1 work. The Browns did not foresee a season-long Watson suspension — which has become the NFL’s preferred ban — when they traded for him, and neither they nor Mayfield appeared to make inroads toward repairing the relationship.

As previously noted, a Jimmy Garoppolo trade was not in play for the Panthers. They had expressed reservations about the 49ers QB’s injuries and, based on the extensive haggling over Mayfield’s contract, were not taking on Garoppolo’s $24.2MM salary. Carolina viewed Mayfield as a higher-floor option than Garoppolo, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com (on Twitter). Wednesday’s transaction cost Garoppolo, who has dealt with more injuries than Mayfield over the past four seasons, a prime landing spot. The 49ers may now need to wait on a training camp injury to unload Garoppolo in a trade. Certain NFL evaluators have expected San Francisco to simply release Garoppolo, whose base salary becomes guaranteed in Week 1.

Seattle would make sense as a Garoppolo destination, but chatter out of the Pacific Northwest continues to center around the ongoing Drew Lock–Geno Smith competition. The Seahawks had “lukewarm interest” in acquiring Mayfield, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. Although the Browns going from Mayfield to Brissett represents a downgrade, the Seahawks moving from Russell Wilson to either Lock or Smith would surpass that. The Broncos giving up their 2023 first- and second-round picks gives the Seahawks options next year — what is expected to be a better quarterback draft — but the team appears on the doorstep of giving Wilson’s old job to a highly scrutinized passer.

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