How Browns' trade for Deshaun Watson impacts Baker Mayfield, Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo & more

Jacob Camenker

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How Browns' trade for Deshaun Watson impacts Baker Mayfield, Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo & more image

Deshaun Watson finally has his new team for 2022. He chose to waive his no-trade clause to join the Browns, who traded three future first-round picks and two later-round picks to land him.

The deal has several other NFL teams breathing a sigh of relief. Why? Because the Watson trade was reportedly holding up business across the NFL as the four teams involved in the Watson sweepstakes — the Browns, Falcons, Panthers and Saints — waited for him to make his decision.

How much of the league was impacted by Watson's waiting game? At least a quarter of it, according to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.

So if you thought the NFL trade market and free agency were moving fast before, buckle up. Things are just getting started.

Plenty of quality free agents are still on the market, and a few quarterbacks are looking for new homes via trade. What could happen next after the Watson trade? The Sporting News breaks down which players and teams will be impacted most by the deal.

MORE: Full details of the Deshaun Watson trade

Baker Mayfield

Watson being traded to Cleveland guarantees that the Browns will not be keeping Mayfield.

When the Browns were reportedly out of the Watson sweepstakes earlier in the week, it seemed as if they wanted to keep Mayfield. They said Thursday that they wouldn't accept his trade request, but that changed when they landed Watson.

Now, Mayfield will be traded. The only question is the amount of interest he will draw. According to Pro Football Focus' Doug Kyed, there isn't expected to be a "strong trade market" for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

There almost certainly will not be a bidding war for his services, as there was for Watson and Russell Wilson.

What, then, might Mayfield fetch in a trade? A source told CBS Sports' Josina Anderson that the Browns could acquire as much as a second-round pick for him.

It's unclear which teams might be willing to pay that price. The Seahawks reportedly have explored acquiring Mayfield, per Anderson, but if Mayfield gets his way, he will be traded to the Colts.

Given that the Browns have just $16.2 million in cap space (per OverTheCap.com) and need to clear room to acquire Watson, Mayfield and his $18.8 million cap hit for 2022 should soon be on the move.

MORE: Ranking Mayfield's 7 best trade fits, landing spots, from Colts to Bucs 

Matt Ryan

The Falcons are now in a precarious spot with their longtime quarterback. They didn't land Watson, and in their pursuit of him they seemed to put Ryan through the wringer.

Ryan and the Falcons had reportedly committed to a contract restructure ahead of free agency that was designed to give Atlanta more than $12 million in cap space. That agreement fell through while the Falcons pursued Watson.

Atlanta also moved the deadline for paying Ryan a $7.5 million roster bonus from Friday, March 18, to Tuesday, March 22, as it tried to acquire Watson. It's fair to wonder whether those contract developments — or the team's open pursuit of another quarterback — irked Ryan.

After all, the Falcons never firmly committed to Ryan as their starter for 2022. Coach Arthur Smith expressed confidence in the 36-year-old's abilities, but he left the door open for a potential trade at the 2022 NFL Combine.

"We anticipate Matt being part of the team, but you don't ever back yourself into a corner," Smith said, per the Falcons' official website. "If someone gives you an offer you can't refuse — Matt knows how we feel about him. Matt has a lot of good football left in him."

But does Ryan still believe the Falcons are confident in him after they went all-out to bring in Watson? NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Ryan is "considering his options," while the Falcons hope he returns to the team.

Jimmy Garoppolo

The 49ers are all but certain to trade Garoppolo this offseason. The team has Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, ready to step in, and Garoppolo's cap hit is set to be just under $27 million in 2022.

Garoppolo will likely be one of the next quarterbacks moved, but the timing of a trade seems dependent on a few things.

First, Garoppolo's value will be based on the current quarterback market. The big dominos have fallen at the position with Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson all in long-term homes. How much interest will teams have in Jimmy G compared to Mayfield and Ryan (if he's available)?

The other factor is the price to land Garoppolo. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports the 49ers are looking for a "second-round pick and more" in exchange for the quarterback.

Pelissero said there are "multiple teams interested" in Garoppolo "but nothing done yet."

It's also worth noting that Garoppolo is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. That injury may scare off some teams, but many other teams still need to add talent at quarterback.

Panthers

As one of those teams that need to add talent at quarterback, the Panthers may be one of the biggest losers of the Watson trade. They were desperate to upgrade the position but struck out on their most realistic option.

Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker are the only quarterbacks on Carolina's roster. Neither one played well last year. Coach Matt Rhule is on the hot seat, so he is likely looking for an alternative.

How might the Panthers make an upgrade? ESPN's David Newton doesn't believe they'll target Garoppolo because of his salary and shoulder injury. He believes the Panthers would instead look at Mayfield and Eagles quarterback Gardner Minshew, whom Carolina considered trading for last season.

Additionally, Newton said that the Panthers could look at free agents like Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick or use a first-round draft pick on Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett. All that is to say that Carolina doesn't have a clear answer.

On the bright side, the Panthers were able to take some of the cap space they would have used on Watson and signed top receiver DJ Moore to an extension.

Saints

The Saints spent a lot of time clearing cap space during the past week to ensure they would have a chance to trade for Watson. Luckily for them, they didn't purge much talent in doing so; they mostly restructured contracts instead of releasing players. Had they cut players and missed out on Watson, their roster would be in bad shape.

Instead, the Saints have $26.3 million in cap space that it can use on upgrades. That could involve re-signing longtime left tackle Terron Armstead, according to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.

Additionally, Jameis Winston is back "in play" for the Saints, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Winston performed well for them in seven starts last season, posting a 5-2 record and throwing for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions before tearing his ACL.

The Saints certainly would have been in a better position with Watson, but if Winston can stay healthy, they should be able to compete for a wild-card berth given that they look like the second-strongest team in the NFC South behind the Buccaneers.

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Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.