Analysis: In line for contract extension, Browns' Baker Mayfield may benefit from patient approach

The anticipated contract extensions for quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield rank among the ongoing storylines of the NFL offseason. 

By all indications, Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are making progress toward a new deal that will put the 2019 NFL MVP in the company of Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson as the highest-paid passers in the league.

Allen, meanwhile, looks to capitalize on a 2020 season when he was runner-up for league MVP and soon could get paid by the Buffalo Bills.

But Mayfield isn’t a lock to secure elite-level money. That’s because despite being selected No. 1 overall in the same 2018 draft class as Allen (seventh) and Jackson (32nd), Mayfield hasn’t provided the same kind of instant success as his peers, experiencing his share of ups and downs in the last three seasons.

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