In light of Browns’ connection to Alex Van Pelt, should the Patriots sign Baker Mayfield?
Jerod Mayo found his three coordinators swiftly, three weeks after it was announced that the next England Patriots had selected him as their next head coach. Among these was the employment of an offensive coordinator, something that had been long sought since Bill O’Brien’s brief return to Foxboro, before he went away to Ohio State to take the same position in college. However, with Mayo’s employment of now-former Cleveland Browns coordinator Alex Van Pelt, fans may finally get a taste of what things will look like offensively in New England. Van Pelt is anticipated to bring a scheme akin to the one used in the West Coast offense to Foxboro, along with perhaps an experienced quarterback? Despite the recent signals from Mayo that the Patriots may use their No. 3 overall
pick in the NFL Draft, Van Pelt is likely to have a “heavy hand” in deciding who is under center next season, citing NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
This may make it more likely that the Patriots will recruit Baker Mayfield, the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a player Van Pelt is already familiar with. Though just for three seasons, the two were in Cleveland before Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers during the following offseason.
On October 11, 2020, in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) speaks with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and head coach Kevin Stefanski during the second half of the Browns’ game against the Indianapolis Colts at FirstEnergy Stadium. Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Although that trade may imply that Mayfield wasn’t the player that Van Pelt and coach Stefanski had in mind for their franchise quarterback, the former No. 1 overall pick could make them reconsider after a strong season with the Bucs. After a difficult 2022 in which the Panthers cut Mayfield after a 1-5 start to the season, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams, who were in need of a quarterback when Matthew Stafford was injured. Mayfield would play out the rest of the way in
Working under Sean McVay, L.A. did well enough to sign a free agent contract with the Buccaneers past summer. Even though Mayfield was playing in the large shoes of former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in Tampa, he still had a career-year. The 28-year-old quarterback led the Buccaneers to a 9-8 regular season record while throwing for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 17 games. In fact, Mayfield contributed to the Bucs’ victory in a postseason game. They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 in the Wild Card round before losing to the Detroit Lions in the following round. Liked: Swing on the West Coast? Patriots Want to Hire Former Seahawks Coach to Head Up the Offense
Due to his excellent play, he is expected to be among the best quarterbacks available during this offseason’s free agency period. According to Pro Football Focus’ most recent contract forecast, he will earn $25 million annually. With a projected salary of $66 million, the Patriots have plenty of cap space to make the move this offseason, according to OverTheCap. If the objective is to find a quarterback to replace Brady, then why not select someone who has experience in the position already?