The Pros, Cons of Colts Trading for Baker Mayfield

The Colts need a quarterback, and the Browns' Baker Mayfield reportedly wants to be traded to Indianapolis. What are the pros and cons of such a move?

Until something finally happens for the Indianapolis Colts at quarterback, all we can do is discuss their options and analyze what the latest flavor of the week is reported to be.

Over the last couple of days, Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has been the most-discussed option after he requested a trade. The Colts need a starting quarterback after trading Carson Wentz, and Mayfield reportedly wants to join the Colts.

But do the Colts feel the same way?

You can follow my thought process here as I sort out the pros and cons of the Colts potentially trading for Mayfield.

PROS

Anything is An Upgrade: Right now, the Colts only have Sam Ehlinger and James Morgan at quarterback, who have a combined zero passes in the NFL between them. Mayfield, on the other hand, has started 59 regular-season and two postseason games.

Frank Reich Gets the Most Out of His Quarterbacks: Reich, who is known for the work he's done with his quarterbacks, has had Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, and Carson Wentz while being the head coach of the Colts. Luck (98.7) and Brissett (88.0) both had single-season career highs in passer rating in their lone starting seasons with Reich, and both Rivers (8.5-point bump in rating) and Wentz (21.8-point bump) revived their careers after being considered toast before arriving in Indianapolis. Whatever Mayfield's best play looks like, Reich can probably get to it.

He Reportedly Wants to Be in Indianapolis: Mayfield requested a trade last week while the Browns courted Deshaun Watson. Multiple reports say that Mayfield's preferred destination in a trade would be the Colts. Oftentimes in a trade, a player is shocked by where he's going or isn't thrilled with the destination. Mayfield would be getting his wish in this instance.

He's Got a Friendly Contract: Mayfield only has one year remaining on his contract, which is a guaranteed $18.858 million. That's a big deal for multiple reasons. First, the Colts wouldn't be tied to any guaranteed money beyond 2022. To have your starting quarterback playing under $20 million feels like a rarity nowadays. The Colts would still have roughly $21 million in cap space to work with after acquiring Mayfield. Also, if things don't go well, they can simply elect not to re-sign him after the season.

It's a Legitimate Attempt to Get Better: The Colts won't make this move if they feel like Mayfield is just going to be a middle-of-the-road quarterback. They'd be banking on him being closer to the player Cleveland thought they were getting with the No. 1 overall pick just four years ago. The AFC is absolutely stacked after the moves that have been made this offseason, so the Colts would be making an attempt to compete with the conference's elites.

Has Been Noted as a Vocal, Energetic Leader: It was reported that one issue the Colts had with Wentz before trading him was the lack of strong leadership that he displayed. Mayfield has been described as a player that teammates hold in high regard, and he's consistently seen being vocal with his teammates.

Offensive Free Agents Know Who Colts' QB Would Be: In free agency, it's tough for an offensive player to agree to join a team that doesn't know who its quarterback is, especially wide receivers and tight ends. The Colts need both. By having their quarterback situation settled, potential free agents can decide whether or not they'd like to come to play with Mayfield.

CONS

Why Didn't the Browns Have More Success?: Since Mayfield was drafted in 2018, the Browns have had a solid roster for most of the time. Featuring an elite offensive line, run game, pass-catchers, and balanced defense, Cleveland has been a popular playoff pick for the past few years. However, Mayfield is just 29-30 as the Browns' starting quarterback, and the team has only gone to the postseason (or finished above .500) once. Why? How much did Mayfield's inconsistency and ill-timed mistakes affect that record?

Inconsistent Play: In four seasons, Mayfield has had two pretty good years (2018 and 2020) and two not-so-great ones (2019 and 2021). Every team has injuries (including Mayfield himself), but having roller-coaster seasons throughout the early portion of your career despite the strong supporting cast he had is cause for concern.

Colts' Supporting Cast Isn't as Good as Browns': For much of Mayfield's time in Cleveland, they have had an elite offensive roster featuring a highly regarded line, two Pro Bowl running backs, two Pro Bowl receivers, and a Pro Bowl tight end. The Colts still have most of what is considered a great offensive line but outside of Michael Pittman Jr. and Mo Alie-Cox, they have no established pass-catchers. The Colts' run game, however, is the only other in the NFL that might compare to Cleveland's. At least Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines can both catch.

He Had Offseason Shoulder Surgery: Mayfield was plagued by a torn labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder throughout the 2021 season. He had surgery for the injury back in January, which was expected to sideline him for four to six months from the time of surgery, putting his return anywhere from May to July. The later side of the recovery would likely mean Mayfield would not get to the on-field portion of work with his new teammates until training camp.

Compensation Might Be too Much: The Browns reportedly want a Day 2 draft pick (second or third round) in exchange for Mayfield. The Colts already don't have a first-round pick in this draft as a result of the trade for their last failed quarterback experiment. Giving up a draft pick as valuable as this year's Day 2 picks for a quarterback who is set to become a free agent after the season and may leave is a steep price.

Selecting a QB Early in Draft May Create Friction: The Browns and Mayfield have reportedly been at odds since the start of the last season, but Cleveland courting Watson prompted Mayfield to officially request a trade. If one of the top quarterbacks in the draft class falls into the Colts' lap at pick No. 42 and they make the pick, would Mayfield check out, mentally?

Rumors About Maturity: I just talked about his leadership but there have been rumors about Mayfield's maturity as well. Just last week, it was reported that the Browns "want an adult at quarterback." There were also a couple of controversial on-field incidents and an arrest while at the University of Oklahoma.

This Situation is Very Carson Wentz-ish: Volatile play from a former top draft pick coming off a down year, and questionable maturity. That kind of sounds like the guy the Colts just traded away in Wentz, doesn't it?

Do you think the Colts should trade for Mayfield? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!

• The Pros, Cons of Colts Trading for Matt Ryan

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