Cleveland Browns Odds Shift After Amari Cooper Trade

The Cleveland Browns Are Shaking Things Up

After a disappointing 2021 campaign, the Cleveland Browns have decided to make some major changes this offseason. Cleveland will have a revamped receiving corps for Baker Mayfield with the addition of Amari Cooper. The Browns dealt Odell Beckham Jr. to the Los Angeles Rams in the middle of last season, and they have given Jarvis Landry permission to seek a trade after bringing in Cooper from Dallas. Could this be what Baker Mayfield needs to take the next step or is it all window dressing?

Potentially Baker's Last Year in Cleveland

Baker Mayfield is entering the last year of his rookie contract with Cleveland. The Browns exercised the fifth-year option on the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but they have yet to sign him to a long-term deal.

Mayfield has alternated good and bad seasons through his first four years in the NFL. He was extremely impressive as a rookie, but he threw more interceptions than any quarterback in the AFC in 2019. Mayfield was sharp once again in leading Cleveland to its first playoff win since 1994 two years ago, yet he did not play well last year.

The Browns are definitely doing the right thing by taking a ‘wait and see’ approach with Mayfield. Cleveland is giving him one more chance to prove himself before deciding whether to make Mayfield its long-term answer or to cut bait. There is reason to believe he could still be the face of this franchise for the foreseeable future as he was dealing with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder all throughout last season.

How Good Will the Browns Be in 2022

If Mayfield can even be decent in 2022, the Browns will be a playoff team. Cleveland has one of the best ground games in the league with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt carrying the load, and this is a very good offensive line. Chubb has run for over 4,800 yards with 36 touchdowns in his first four years, averaging at least 5.0 YPC in all four seasons.

The defense was one of the best in the NFL last season too. Myles Garrett is a superstar that has been named a First Team All-Pro in back-to-back seasons. Rookie Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was superb in his first season too, showing that he should have been a first-round pick. Their play was a big reason why Cleveland ranked third in total defense and second in yards per play allowed.

Cleveland is 35-1 to win the Super Bowl after the Cooper trade. While the Browns don’t want to tie themselves to Mayfield long term just yet, Cleveland is a solid futures bet at this price. The Browns have everything else it takes to win a Super Bowl except a good passing game. A healthy Mayfield could shine once again in 2022 with a strong No. 1 receiver like Cooper.

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