Browns GM Berry created Mayfield mess
BEREA, Ohio – Andrew Berry finds himself in the midst of his biggest mistake as Browns general manager. And it didn’t have to be this way.
It is not Berry’s fault the Browns traded for Houston Texas quarterback Deshaun Watson despite the 22 pending civil cases for sexual assault or sexual misconduct during massage appointments that Watson faces. It is not Berry’s fault that the Browns gave Watson a record-setting $230 million guaranteed contract over five years to lure him after he’d already turned them down.
Berry was complicit because he put the deal together. But signing off on the controversial trade, which makes a mockery of the team’s diversity and inclusion efforts, falls at the feet of coowners Jimmy and Dee Haslam. That is their mistake, one that could set the franchise back for a decade if it doesn’t win a Super Bowl.
Where Berry made his biggest blunder was letting the Browns get into the quandary they face with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Berry is saddled with a Mayfield mess that should have been resolved as quickly as possible after the March 18 trade for Watson.
The Browns knew Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, is owed $18.858 million for 2022. They surely came to the conclusion in January or February that Mayfield was not the quarterback of the future. They should have been looking for a trade partner for Mayfield at the NFL Scouting Combine and been ready to move quickly at the start of the league year on March 16. They should have been lining up contingency plans for a starting quarterback — Watson, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo.
But Berry seemingly stood firm on how much, if any, the Browns would pay of Mayfield’s salary and let other teams upgrade at quarterback. The Atlanta Falcons’ Ryan was traded to Indianapolis. The Seattle Seahawks’ Wilson was dealt to Denver. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Falcons, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers either found their heir apparent or 2022 starters in the NFL Draft that concluded Saturday.
On Friday, the Panthers broke off negotiations for Mayfield reportedly over how to split Mayfield’s salary and traded up to select Matt Corral of Ole Miss with the 94th overall pick. That likely ended the Panthers’ interest in Mayfield since they also have Sam Darnold, carrying the same salary burden as Mayfield.
The Browns face a dilemma of Berry’s own making. The options for Mayfield have virtually dried up, with the Seahawks looking like one of the few possibilities.
With the draft over, getting something for him now seems unlikely. Berry must sit tight.
He must wait for an injury in training camp or perhaps even longer, even though that takes the Browns back to their bad old days of dysfunction.
The Browns’ mandatory minicamp is June 14-16 and Mayfield will likely want to attend. Not only will he want to want to avoid fines, but it would send a message to prospective employers that he is a team player, even though his comments on the recent “Ya Neva Know: You Know What I Mean?” podcast indicate otherwise.
The Browns can’t tell Mayfield to stay away, but they can excuse him from attending and waive a fine.
Whether he comes or not, it amplifies a sticky situation. If he’s there, coach Kevin Stefanski and Browns players will be asked if they’ve seen Mayfield. If Mayfield doesn’t attend, Stefanski will have to explain why.
That cycle will be repeated during training camp, at least at the start, until an opposing team is faced with an injury and gets desperate.
Watson went through the same thing with the Texans a year ago, when he attended camp and practices for contractual reasons even as the team was set on not playing him. He’ll have to answer questions on whether he has any advice for Mayfield.
It didn’t have to come to this. Berry should have found a trade for Mayfield by the end of March, even if the Browns had to eat part of Mayfield’s salary.
Since Berry was named GM after the Browns fired John Dorsey after the 2019 season, it has been hard to secondguess many of his moves. His admirable reputation was sullied by the Watson deal, but he’s not the one charged with paying the $230 million.
Now when the subject of Mayfield’s future comes up, Berry’s voice is reduced to a whisper. He has yet to forcefully defend the Browns’ strategy, which is apparently not to cut Mayfield and pay the entire $18.858 million. That may not be his call, either. But Berry’s status should take another hit with the fact that on the night the 2022 NFL Draft ended, Mayfield was still a Brown.