One trade each NFL team must make before the deadline

Cleveland Browns: Tyrod Taylor to 49ers for 4th Round pick

Taylor’s poor play and concussion in Week 3 opened the door for Baker Mayfield to play, and the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner isn’t going to give the starting job back barring injury.

Taylor was only going to be a placeholder for Mayfield in Cleveland this year anyway, for part of or even the entire season if the Browns were winning games and he was healthy. They were a capable kicker away from being 2-0 in games he started and finished against the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints. So while he has flaws, Taylor is an adequate NFL starting quarterback.

As they try to survive Jimmy Garoppolo’s absence over the remainder of the season, the 49ers would probably take adequate quarterback play rather than whatever it is C.J. Beathard is offering. They had rumored interest in Taylor before the Bills restructured his contract to keep him from hitting free agency, so they eventually pivoted to Garoppolo at last year’s trade deadline.

After giving up a third-round pick to get Taylor, Brown general manager John Dorsey should seize an opportunity to recoup a draft pick rather than lose him for nothing in free agency. And Taylor surely wants to play somewhere as he looks toward free agency, even if he won’t formally demand a trade, rather than sit on the bench for the Browns while Mayfield plays.