According to a report, Baker Mayfield was not happy with the offense and if things are not resolved he could ask for a trade.
Confidence has never been an area that Baker Mayfield has lacked in. In fact, it is a trait that makes him such a polarizing individual and why so many believe in him to be the answer at quarterback. Well, sometimes that can lead to overconfidence and that is what we have here. In a report from Mary Kay Cabot, Baker Mayfield was not necessarily thrilled the high volume of heavy sets and lack of rollouts in the offense of Kevin Stefanski. Additionally, if things are not changed to his liking he could considering asking for a trade.
Let’s tackle the second part first, Baker Mayfield asking for a trade. Threatening a trade request is a bold move to begin with, even more bold when that individual is Baker Mayfield. This comes off like George Costanza trying to get out of marrying Susan Ross with his prenup request, with Susan laughing in his face and agreeing to sign it. In this case Baker is George while the Browns are clearly Susan.
The reality is that Mayfield does not have a leg to stand on when it comes to requesting a trade. In his four years in Cleveland he has been maddeningly inconsistent, showing some impressive highs mixed with disastrous lows. Considering the fact that he is coming off an incredibly disappointing campaign, requesting a trade at this juncture would not be a wise move.
As far as the offensive scheme is concerned this is simple. The Browns utilize their heavy sets for two reasons, lack of receiver depth and it puts Mayfield in the best position to succeed (even though has not much this season). The lack of rollouts can explained fairly easily. Opposing defenses across the NFL have made an effort to limit the effectiveness of these type of plays as they have become commonplace around the league. Defenses are very aware that Mayfield is less effective when in the pocket compared to on the run. Containing Mayfield in the pocket where he cannot see over the defenders or his own lineman is the best way to neutralize him. If Stenfanski could call these type of plays he could, they just are not available to be deployed at the frequency of last season.
If the ultimatum route is really the way Baker Mayfield wants to go, let him. Kevin Stefanski literally maximized the production of Mayfield in 2020 and the harsh reality with that is there is nowhere to go but down. All this does is make Cleveland’s job easier when trying to determine how they are going to approach the quarterback position. No use in trying to placate a replacement level quarterback who is threatening a possible trade demand. Baker thinking he can just throw out potential trade requests is clearly the Dunning-Kruger effect working in real time.
