Three moves Seahawks should make Monday to make 2022 better
By Lee Vowell
![Jan 3, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports Jan 3, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2F12thmanrising-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2017-2F07-2F17464952-1-850x560-cbd02b4ada925c012c88e5314267744c1a97d189b69e293ff2d5e86b72f8fdf4.jpg)
Trade for Baker Mayfield
I can sense the groans from some 12s by mentioning Seattle should add Baker Mayfield. But why? There is very little negative to doing so. Are the Seahawks going to win a Super Bowl with Mayfield in 2022? Most likely, no. But was Seattle going to win a Super Bowl had they kept Russell Wilson? Again, no.
Is Mayfield better than Drew Lock? Of course, he is. Adding Mayfield gives Seattle a better chance to win games in 2022 than does having Lock at quarterback. Mayfield is also in the final year of his rookie contract after the Browns picked up his fifth-year option last offseason. This means that if Mayfield doesn’t work out then he’s gone in 2023.
Mayfield shouldn’t come at a high price in terms of draft capital either. Nobody is going to offer Cleveland high draft picks for Mayfield when every NFL team knows Mayfield is no longer needed by the Browns after Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson. Mayfield is a quarterback without a home.
Mayfield also doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract. He’s still on his rookie deal. Maybe he prefers to go to the Colts? That’s the rumor anyway. But what quarterback wouldn’t want to throw to Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf?
Worst case, Mayfield is a one-year bridge to Seattle’s quarterback of the future. Best case, Mayfield gets out of Cleveland, which is a terrible organization, and gets closer to the quarterback he was expected to be when he was the first overall pick in 2018.