Shortly after naming rookie Baker Mayfield the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns, head coach Hue Jackson stated that veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor would not be going anywhere.

“He is going to be right here. He is not going anywhere. I think that is important. Like I said, I think part of Baker being able to play like he did was because of Tyrod and Drew. I do not want to upset that room that way. I do not think there is any reason to. Tyrod is going to be needed. He is the backup quarterback on this team if he is healthy, and he has played. His teammates know who he is and how he goes about the rhythm of his game. I think it is always good to have that kind of depth at that position, especially if we are travelling down this road, which we are," Jackson said.

The presence of Taylor gives Cleveland a reliable backup option but he is a free agent after the season. Taylor, himself, did not rule out the idea of asking for a trade.

“You never know. I mean, I’m well aware of all that. I don’t necessarily put it on my thought process every day. I come out each and every day aiming to get better and trying to find things to work on in my game. We’ll see. That’s more of a question for my agent. We talk. I wouldn’t necessarily reveal that to the media," he said.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell devised a trade that would send the veteran to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a conditional seventh round choice.

"The Browns don't need Taylor after benching him for Baker Mayfield, and while Taylor would presumably return to the lineup if Mayfield were to get injured, he didn't really seem like a good fit in Hue Jackson's offense, which also has No. 3 QB Drew Stanton. Taylor is likely looking at backup work in free agency in 2019, and the Browns are essentially going to eat the $7 million or so remaining in base salary on his deal," Barnwell wrote.

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He then explained why the AFC contender might be a potential landing spot.

"One place that might make sense for Taylor, though, is Jacksonville. While Blake Bortles struggled badly against the Chiefs in Week 5, I don't think the Jags would be pursuing Taylor as a replacement for their hot-and-cold starter. Bortles is basically priced in as the leader of this offense until 2019. Taylor would fit in as a likely upgrade at backup ahead of Cody Kessler by virtue of his ability to avoid giveaways, although he struggled with the Browns. He also could feature for a few snaps per game as a read-option quarterback to help spring the Jacksonville running game. It's not much for $7 million, but if Bortles gets hurt and the Jaguars are stuck without a viable quarterback, they'll be happy they turned to Taylor."

Taylor, a sixth round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills in March. General Manager John Dorsey sent a third round pick to Buffalo to complete the deal. The Virginia native completed 41-of-84 passes for 462 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions this season. He also had 16 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown. Taylor suffered a concussion during Week 3 against the New York Jets, which opened the door for Mayfield, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. The veteran has since been cleared and practicing with the team.

A trade of Taylor seems unlikely unless he requests it and the team grants it. If Cleveland allows him to test free agency next off-season, they will get a compensatory selection back for him. The compensatory selection will no doubt be better than a conditional seventh round choice. The presence of the Virginia Tech product gives Cleveland a mentor for Mayfield and a reliable backup quarterback in the event an unfortunate injury occurs to the rookie.

Salary cap space is not an issue for the Browns. They have the most salary cap space in the NFL.