Replacing Baker Mayfield: Poll

[Selby]

What injury are we talking about? Are we saying an injury to his non-throwing shoulder is the cause of all of this terrible play when we've seen him play well with the injury too?

Literally didn't say any of that. At all. I said the Browns are basically going to be stuck with Baker next year because of his fifth-year option - if we are going to have him on the roster next year we should at least do our due diligence and see how he performs once he is 100% healthy. Just cutting him and eating $18M in dead cap is not a smart decision.

 

[Los216]

Literally didn't say any of that. At all. I said the Browns are basically going to be stuck with Baker next year because of his fifth-year option - if we are going to have him on the roster next year we should at least do our due diligence and see how he performs once he is 100% healthy. Just cutting him and eating $18M in dead cap is not a smart decision.

We've seen him 100% healthy though. If we still need to see more in year 5 then that's all you need to know right?

 

[Selby]

We've seen him 100% healthy though. If we still need to see more in year 5 then that's all you need to know right?

We have, and he has played some pretty good football when healthy. He has also played some pretty bad football when healthy. I don't know if he is the guy, he probably isn't. But once again...his fifth-year option will make it difficult to move on from him in the offseason. With that being the case we should at least see if there is improvement once he has healed up completely. It doesn't seem there are many realistic improvements out there. You can name drop these other mediocre QB's that you like to do, but none of them are a clear upgrade over Baker. It doesn't make sense to make a move just for the sake of it.

I'm not saying anything differently than what a handful of other posters have said in the first few pages of this thread. I can fully acknowledge Baker probably isn't our guy but we also are stuck with him for the 2022 season.

 

[Lee]

This is quickly becoming a myth. Baker rarely rises to the occasion late in games. Was there not pressure headed into this season to win? Did we not have high expectations? How many different chips has Baker had on his shoulder this season? Like 6?

I saw some stat recently that Baker has far more last minute game winning or game tying drives than i thought.

I really think he is far hurt than most of us know, he isnt using it as an excuse, but he shouldnt have been playing and should of sat until after the bye week. And that is not on Baker, that is on management and coaching.

 

[adam81king]

I saw some stat recently that Baker has far more last minute game winning or game tying drives than i thought.

I really think he is far hurt than most of us know, he isnt using it as an excuse, but he shouldnt have been playing and should of sat until after the bye week. And that is not on Baker, that is on management and coaching.

What's the stat you saw, cause what I saw has him at 2-6 with the ball in his hands and 3min left needing a TD to win, or tie...

 

[AZ_]

Drafting a QB in the top 50 picks and not starting him immediately is a recipe for disaster IMO. The fans, the players and specifically Baker knows that a team isn't drafting a guy that early without the expectation that he becomes the starter eventually (if not immediately).

Baker will get booed off the field with every incompletion if the fans think there's a better option on the bench (and I'm not saying a 2nd round rookie would be a better option, but the perception would absolutely be "this guy can't be worse!" if Baker struggled). Hell, the fans are already restless this year and friggin completely washed Keenum is the guy who would be replacing Baker.

And this shift would happen immediately, like drive 1 of week 1. Mayfield would have to play great from the jump or the fans would absolutely turn on him and things would blow up IMO.

We just saw this play out with Eagles and Wentz. They drafted Hurts and the fans were immediately clamoring for him as Wentz played progressively more and more like crap. The Eagles had a horrible season and ended up firing their coach over it too.

If Baker is the best option for the Browns at QB for 2022, then there needs to be no competition. Put the full support of the organization behind him and roll the dice that his injuries are the reason he's struggled this year. If he stays healthy and he still fails, then you just move on after next season.

I feel you.

But that’s business, Baker has not proven capable of getting the contract. The team needs to manage media fallout and rely on their running game and defense to win games, and whatever happens with the QB position is going to be assessed and auctioned.

2023 and the future at QB are a major question mark, and if you find yourself with the opportunity to invest in a young QB in what seems like a sea of incomplete prospects with talent, it seems like a worthwhile endeavor to me.



Some might view that as starting the clock on a Baker departure, maybe that turns out to be true, but the Browns shouldn’t be without options when HE PROVES incapable of rising to that challenge.

 

[buzzdog]

I feel you.

But that’s business, Baker has not proven capable of getting the contract. The team needs to manage media fallout and rely on their running game and defense to win games, and whatever happens with the QB position is going to be assessed and auctioned.

2023 and the future at QB are a major question mark, and if you find yourself with the opportunity to invest in a young QB in what seems like a sea of incomplete prospects with talent, it seems like a worthwhile endeavor to me.



Some might view that as starting the clock on a Baker departure, maybe that turns out to be true, but the Browns shouldn’t be without options when HE PROVES incapable of rising to that challenge.

I definitely think we need to replace Keenum. The fact that KS refused to sit Mayfield after the Patriots game where he was clearly hobbling and was throwing with all arm and no base speaks volumes. KS obviously thinks Keenum's noodle arm is no longer playable when he sticks with a limping, one-armed guy who's half shell shocked in the pocket and hesitant to pull the trigger throwing into tight windows.

Stefanski needs someone behind Mayfield who gives the team a real chance to win and that's how you explain it to Baker, period. Whether it's a mature rookie or a retread vet with some miles left on the odometer, we must have a better more viable backup than Keenum. Any head coach or GM that can't sell that idea doesn't belong in that job.

 

[CBBI]

I feel you.

But that’s business, Baker has not proven capable of getting the contract. The team needs to manage media fallout and rely on their running game and defense to win games, and whatever happens with the QB position is going to be assessed and auctioned.

2023 and the future at QB are a major question mark, and if you find yourself with the opportunity to invest in a young QB in what seems like a sea of incomplete prospects with talent, it seems like a worthwhile endeavor to me.

Some might view that as starting the clock on a Baker departure, maybe that turns out to be true, but the Browns shouldn’t be without options when HE PROVES incapable of rising to that challenge.

I don't disagree with you. Mayfield certainly has not earned a contract extension.

And I totally understand how much the Browns QB situation is in flux in 2023, but I'm more nervous about the possibility of imploding the 2022 season before it even begins with an unhappy/disrespected/marginalized/whatever you want to call it franchise QB.

Here's my thought...

If the Browns are lacking confidence in Mayfield bouncing back and having a good season in 2022 to the point where they feel the need to hedge their bets by bringing in a veteran or highly drafted rookie to come in and compete/push him, then I would just go ahead and trade Mayfield immediately.

If the Browns are comfortable with Baker as their starting QB in 2022, then they need to be 100% all in on the guy.

If he flops, then you just deal with it after the season.

 

[Vee-Rex]

If there's any agenda it's people being tied to a mediocre QB that is holding back this roster.

There are people who have flirted with the likes of Sam Darnold and Cam freaking Newton to replace Baker. If they're willing to downgrade and make the team worse, then yes, they have an agenda. The polar opposite is if people were claiming Baker is a great player and wanting to extend his contract - I haven't seen that at all, really.

 

[col63onel]

The dude won the Heisman trophy and was the No. 1 overall draft pick for christ's sake. He's been the no questions asked starting franchise QB under *four different head coaches*. He hasn't been an actual underdog in half a decade or longer.

He was also a walk on twice. He had 3 different HC college. He's only had the same HC in back to back years twice since he started college. He wasn't the starter right away with the Browns. He played the first 2 years of his NFL career with Hue Jackson/Todd Haley/Freddie Kitchens as his HC/OC. He wad drafted into a franchise that had 4 of it's previous 52 games.

I can buy the argument that having a "chip on his shoulder" doesn't make him play better. But I don't buy the argument that he's had things easy.

 

[Los216]

 

[Vee-Rex]

Now show that for Sam Darnold.

 

[buzzdog]

I don't disagree with you. Mayfield certainly has not earned a contract extension.

And I totally understand how much the Browns QB situation is in flux in 2023, but I'm more nervous about the possibility of imploding the 2022 season before it even begins with an unhappy/disrespected/marginalized/whatever you want to call it franchise QB.

Here's my thought...

If the Browns are lacking confidence in Mayfield bouncing back and having a good season in 2022 to the point where they feel the need to hedge their bets by bringing in a veteran or highly drafted rookie to come in and compete/push him, then I would just go ahead and trade Mayfield immediately.

If the Browns are comfortable with Baker as their starting QB in 2022, then they need to be 100% all in on the guy.

If he flops, then you just deal with it after the season.

Again, I disagree. The team's job is to win games. However it needs to happen the job of the front office is to get the best available backup QB who can actually win games if Baker goes down with injury.

It's just that simple and that's exactly how you explain it to Baker. It's not difficult.

 

[CBBI]

Again, I disagree. The team's job is to win games. However it needs to happen the job of the front office is to get the best available backup QB who can actually win games if Baker goes down with injury.

It's just that simple and that's exactly how you explain it to Baker. It's not difficult.

A backup QB who can step in and help the team win games if Mayfield goes down with injury is not the same thing as bringing in a veteran or a rookie with the purpose of "providing competition" to Baker. If the Browns are going to go with Baker as their starter in 2022, then I'm 100% in favor of improving the backup QB situation because I think Keenum is washed up. No argument there.

But a lot of people aren't suggesting that. They are suggesting to bring in someone who can push Baker for the starting role. And a QB competition implies that said player brought in could outperform Baker and earn the starting job.

I'm simply pushing back against that being a good idea.

If the Browns bring in a QB that could potentially be a better starting option even when Baker's healthy, then they're playing with significant fire of imploding the whole season because of how Baker is wired and how easy it will be for the fans to turn on Baker if they feel there's a better option on the bench.

I just think he'd be a major problem if the organization "disrespected" him like that.

 

[buzzdog]

A backup QB who can step in and help the team win games if Mayfield goes down with injury is not the same thing as bringing in a veteran or a rookie with the purpose of "providing competition" to Baker. If the Browns are going to go with Baker as their starter in 2022, then I'm 100% in favor of improving the backup QB situation because I think Keenum is washed up. No argument there.

But a lot of people aren't suggesting that. They are suggesting to bring in someone who can push Baker for the starting role. And a QB competition implies that said player brought in could outperform Baker and earn the starting job.

I'm simply pushing back against that being a good idea.

If the Browns bring in a QB that could potentially be a better starting option even when Baker's healthy, then they're playing with significant fire of imploding the whole season because of how Baker is wired and how easy it will be for the fans to turn on Baker if they feel there's a better option on the bench.

I just think he'd be a major problem if the organization "disrespected" him like that.

Publicly proclaiming that there is going to be a QB competition is almost always a really stupid idea. They could bring in the best possible available talent as a back-up without ever doing something so stupid.

What they quietly say to each player behind closed doors can be a distinctly separate matter. Just get the best available guy on the roster. Then you have options.

Stand behind Mayfield 100% and prop him up as the top dog who's going to take us to the playoffs, do it for real. Then go for it, for real. If Baker delivers the goods, then ride with him.

If Mayfield gets injured or if he again failed to perform in a way that has us on the right track, you just go ahead and make the change. At that point I assume that the decision would be made to pull the plug, and any bridge with Baker would be burned, and we'd be wanting to move on anyhow. But we'd have someone in place who could possibly win games, and at worst serve as a viable bridge while we search for the next guy.