NFL Rumors: Insider teases wild trade featuring Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo

In case you haven't heard, Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns are still in the middle of a very public divorce. Meanwhile, in Santa Clara, the San Francisco 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo have spent two years going through more of a conscious uncoupling

Both franchises have new partners, but their exes are unfortunately still living at home, and it's all getting rather uncomfortable. So it should come as little surprise that one of the biggest talking points this off-season has been the potential resolution to these rather delicate situations.

This has led many NFL insiders to put forward their own suggestions, and the latest is Jake Trotter, the Browns' beat writer for ESPN. He is proposing a quarterback swap with Mayfield being shipped to the 49ers, and Garoppolo acting as cover for Deshaun Watson in Cleveland.

Here's what he said:

"But while Cleveland could ride the bulk of the season with Brissett as its starter in the event of a Watson suspension, the Browns could also look for another quarterback trade -- Baker Mayfield for Jimmy Garoppolo, anyone? -- to help the team tread water while Watson is out."

While not the worst idea in the world, this would certainly be a trade that would benefit the Browns more then the 49ers. Garoppolo would be a more than capable deputy to Watson, working within a system that is not dissimilar to Shanahan’s scheme in San Francisco.

The Niners and Mayfield are likely to be less positive towards a potential trade, as the 49ers have made it adundantly clear that they are all-in on Trey Lance. The former Heismann winner won't entertain the idea of playing back-up to the young gunslinger, and the Niners don't need the publicity that Baker brings. So the only real winners here are the Cleveland Browns, however, the idea has gained some traction with the local Santa Clara press.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Cleveland Browns

Baker Mayfield vs Jimmy Garoppolo - How do they compare?

Despite being drafted four years apart, the duo have accumilated a similar number of starts, 63 to 60 in favour of Garoppolo. Garoppolo has proved to be a far more accurate quarterback, with a pass completion percentage of 67.7% and interception rate of 2.7%. In comparison, Mayfield has a pass completion rate of 61.6% with 2.9% of his throws intercepted.

Both players for the most part have performed behind solid offensive lines, but despite this, the Browns quarterback has been sacked 30 times more than Garoppolo. Garoppolo has one of the quickest releases in the league, whereas Mayfield rates in the bottom half of quarterback release time, which may account for some of that disparity.

Mayfield averages more yards and touchdowns per game, but with that comes the greater risk and loss of accuracy. He is far less risk averse than Jimmy Garoppolo, who is considered a solid but unspectacular option, which may be exactly what the Browns are looking for at this stage.

It seems that at this stage it is mainly conjecture, but things can move very fast in the NFL and cannot be written off.

If it were up to you, which quarterback would you choose?