CLEVELAND — With the Cleveland Browns having acquired a new starting quarterback in Deshaun Watson, Baker Mayfield will soon be on the move.
And while it remains unclear where the Browns will trade Mayfield, the betting odds suggest that the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft might not be going far.
On Monday, Bookies.com released its odds for where Mayfield will be traded following Cleveland's blockbuster trade to land Watson from the Houston Texans. And at +350 odds, the Indianapolis Colts top the list, ahead of the Carolina Panthers (+450) and Seattle Seahawks (+500).
The full odds for Mayfield's next team are as follows:
- Indianapolis Colts (+350)
- Carolina Panthers (+450)
- Seattle Seahawks (+500)
- New Orleans Saints (+800)
- Houston Texans (+800)
- Atlanta Falcons (+1000)
- The Field (+500)
That the Colts possess the best odds to acquire Mayfield doesn't necessarily come as a surprise as Indianapolis is one of the few remaining teams in the NFL in the market for a starting quarterback. Furthermore, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Mayfield informed the Browns that he preferred to be traded to the Colts after requesting a trade from Cleveland last week.
While the Browns initially denied Mayfield's request, those circumstances changed a day later when Cleveland acquired Watson in a blockbuster deal. In addition to sending three first-round picks, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 pick swap to Houston, the Browns signed the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, setting a new NFL record for guaranteed money.
As for Mayfield, the Oklahoma product is entering the final year of his rookie contract with a fully guaranteed $18.8 million owed to him in 2022. In addition to the Colts, the Panthers and Seahawks each find themselves without solidified starting quarterbacks at this point in the offseason.