Detroit Lions: That time Mike Florio threw something against a wall but it didn’t stick

Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio recently suggested that the Detroit Lions should take a run at acquiring Cleveland Browns disgruntled quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The first question I have is; is Mayfield much of an upgrade over Jared Goff?  For those of you emphatically nodding your head yes, you need to realize that the Detroit Lions will take a dead cap hit of $30.5 million if they trade the 27-year old signal-caller.

Mayfield is due just over $18 million this upcoming year and is in the final year of his rookie deal.  So, that ties up a whopping $48.5 million next season to have Mayfield under center and looking to cash in on a new contract.

It just doesn’t make sense.

If the Detroit Lions were in a position, say, similar to the San Francisco 49ers, perhaps the slight upgrade at the quarterback position would be worth the crippling financial repercussions the move would cause, but the Lions are nowhere near ready to contend for a Super Bowl let alone the playoffs.

Any team inclined to add Mayfield would need to reward him with a Kirk Cousins-Esque extension, and I’d prefer the organization look to continue building up this roster with the hopes of drafting their next franchise quarterback over the next couple of seasons.

Having an up-and-coming quarterback on their rookie deal insulated by a roster prepared to win and eventually extending him is a far better option than trading draft capital on another bridge-type quarterback.

Mayfield recently posted a heartfelt message to Browns fans and followed it by saying it’s best for both parties involved to move on.  This after Mayfield was clearly resentful towards the organization after they publicly kicked the tires on potentially adding Deshaun Watson.

Mayfield then formally requested a trade, but the Browns will not honor the request after finding out they are no longer in the Watson sweepstakes.  The troubled relationship in Cleveland appears as though it will remain throughout the offseason; stay tuned.

Florio mentions that Mayfield fits Detroit’s current culture and mindset, which is probably true, and while he’s an ok player at his position, he’s not much of an upgrade to Goff.  Again, this move doesn’t make sense for where the organization currently is in its rebuild.

The obvious connection between the Lions and Mayfield is assistant GM John Dorsey, the former GM of the Browns who drafted Mayfield with the first overall pick out of Oklahoma back in 2018.