Cleveland Browns

Browns eyeing Watson over Mayfield after acquiring Cooper

Updated Mar. 14, 2022 5:55 p.m. ET

One of the most active teams so far during NFL free agency is the Cleveland Browns.

After trading for Amari Cooper over the weekend to bolster their wide receiver room, they released veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry on Monday morning.

In addition, the Browns reportedly also have interest in soon-to-be former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, according to Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot.

"If [the Browns] decide to seriously pursue a trade — and they seem to be leaning that way — they’ll have to act fast and come big with an offer to the Texans that will include multiple first-round picks and most likely Mayfield.

"They’ll also have to sell Watson — who has a no-trade clause in his contract — on the notion that they’re an elite quarterback away from winning a Super Bowl. They can point to the championship-caliber defense, running game and offensive line."

With the Browns upgrading at wide receiver, and publicly being connected to another quarterback, the questions surrounding Baker Mayfield's future with the franchise only continue to grow louder.

What's the future hold for the former No. 1 pick?

With Mayfield entering a contract season, Colin Cowherd said Monday that the addition of Cooper gives the franchise an opportunity to provide its current quarterback all the tools necessary to prove he is the right guy for the job.

"You've gotta give your quarterback, Baker Mayfield, a fighting chance in the last year of his contract," Cowherd said on "The Herd."

What does Amari Cooper mean for Baker Mayfield and Browns? I THE HERD

With Amari Cooper headed to the Cleveland Browns, Colin Cowherd explores what an additional talent at receiver could mean for Baker Mayfield, who's on the final year of his contract.

Moving further into the Cleveland QB conversation, Cowherd doesn't believe that the Browns have a legitimate shot at Watson due to their lack of assets, but he does see the Browns' interest in Watson as an indictment on Mayfield and how much noise surrounds his name.

"I don't think they're going to get [Watson] in Cleveland because I don't think they have as much to give as far as personnel and picks," Cowherd said.

"You can't be noisy unless you're great. If you're going to be noisy, you've gotta be special. Because most companies have options and they will move off you. Baker's noisy and they don't think he's worth it."

If the Browns were able to land Watson, it would appear to be a no-brainer when comparing him to Mayfield on the field.

Through his first four seasons, Watson completed 67.8% of his passes for 14,539 yards and 104 passing touchdowns. Mayfield has completed just 61.6% of his passes for 14,125 yards and 92 scores in that same span.

Arguably the biggest difference between the two, however, is the fact that Watson has thrown just 36 career interceptions, while Mayfield has thrown 56, the most in the NFL since the start of the 2018 season.

It appears Mayfield might have time to make one last push and prove he's the answer in Cleveland unless Watson decides he wants to pay a trip to the Dawg Pound.