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Baker Mayfield was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018. That draft slot alone meant the team expected to have him around for a decade, at a minimum.
Cut to the present day, and he is on the trade block as the Browns enter a new, controversial era with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. The promise Mayfield once showed was given up on following a rough 2021 season.
Yet there were other factors in place that seemed to signal a looming downfall for the former top pick. A few in particular stand out from his four years in Cleveland.
3 Cleveland Browns moves that set up Baker Mayfield for failure
#3 - Firing GM John Dorsey
John Dorsey took over as GM following a brutal 1-31 stretch from 2016-2017. All that losing got the Browns a No. 1 pick, and he decided to use that pick on Mayfield. That selection tied the men's fates together.
Unfortunately for Mayfield, Dorsey only lasted two seasons. His hiring of head coach Freddie Kitchens seemed to be the final straw from ownership, even if it was a premature move in nature.
Mayfield was Dorsey's guy. When a new front office was put in place in the quarterback's third year, this move instantly created a situation where they may have been seeking their own signal-caller from the start.
#2 - Pairing him with Odell Beckham Jr.
This was a move made by Dorsey before he was let go as the GM. In theory, he had landed Mayfield his new number one receiver. Yet one could not ignore the fact Odell Beckham Jr. had signed a long-term deal with the New York Giants, and a trade to Cleveland almost seemed to be a punishment.
What fans saw was a situation where it seemed like the quarterback was forcing the receiver the ball. Beckham did have over 1,000 yards in 2019, but only four touchdowns. He then suffered a torn ACL in 2020, and the chemistry never had a chance to rebound in 2021. Beckham was mercifully released after posting zero touchdowns in six games.
Adding Beckham was not something done to sabotage the young quarterback. However, the chemistry was never there, and it seemed to get Mayfield out of the rhythm he developed as a rookie.
#1 - Having him play injured for all of 2021
This was easily one of the most shocking storylines of the entire 2021 NFL season. He suffered a torn labrum early in the season against the Houston Texans and aggravated the injury a few weeks later against the Arizona Cardinals.
The quarterback himself said he was healthy enough to play, yet one is left to wonder why he was not benched if he was so injured. His value tanked in the process, and the team was off the hook for a lucrative contract extension.
This situation was complex, but it was also a slow burn that led to his current spot on the trade market.
