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Baker Mayfield entered the NFL with a lot of question marks attached to his name. The question was not about his play on the field, but rather his attitude and personality. Ohio State fans will never forget when he took down the Buckeyes and planted an Oklahoma flag in the midfield, in Columbus.
That was just one of the many examples of a brash personality. Yet in 2018, the Cleveland Browns selected him at No. 1 overall to lead the franchise into a new era.
The problem is that the man who drafted him, John Dorsey, was fired as GM following the 2019 season. So while he loved the way his quarterback acted, the same may not have been true for the new regime, led by Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski.
The quarterback is now waiting to be traded or released by the Browns. Demand seems to be low, unless the Browns decide to take on some of his $18.8 million guaranteed salary in 2022.
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It's clear that teams aren't jumping at the chance to land the former No. 1 overall pick. That may be because of the way the Browns discussed the fact that he was not the "adult" they wanted. This reality makes it clear that his next destination must accept him for who he is as a person and as a player.
Baker Mayfield must be embraced at his next stop
The Browns clearly got fed up with Baker Mayfield after his lackluster play in 2021. However, he was dealing with a torn labrum all year, which is a whole other layer to the situation in Cleveland.
So can he find a new team to welcome him in for who he is? That is the tricky part, as the Seattle Seahawks remain the only logical landing spot for him at the moment. The Detroit Lions also stand out as a wild card in the discussion, as former Browns GM John Dorsey is working in Detroit.
Both of those teams had disappointing 2021 seasons and are looking for a new leader under center. Perhaps this is where Baker Mayfield and his personality come into play. He could show up to either team and immediately declare that a new leader is in town.
Of course, his play on the field has to back this up. But he would be going to a new team on a one-year, prove-it situation. Any team acquiring him would be doing so in order to jumpstart a rebuild and unlock the potential Mayfield showed in 2020, and before as well.
As long as he's winning, his new fans can rally behind his attitude the same way Browns fans did for several years.
The quarterback ended up losing the locker room in Cleveland. A new team that acquires him must do so understanding he must be a key voice in the organization. And if his play falters, he will be a free agent after the season anyway.
