Baker Mayfield: Fire The Cannons

[CBBI]

Once this season concludes, if the Browns determine that Baker Mayfield isn't the QB they want to move forward with then the only realistic play would be to draft a QB early which would probably require an aggressive move up price.

The Browns would basically need to be the reverse Browns in that scenario and sacrifice their 2022 1st in order to move up from 10-15 spots in the first round.

Do what the Chiefs and Texans did. They each made the playoffs in 2016, but then they each sacrificed their 2018 1st rounder to move up from the 20s to 10 and 12 to select Mahomes and Watson, respectively.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

35 million for Matt Ryan is not a better option. There is something wrong with him this year and he will be 36 fucking years old next season. Baker has flat out outplayed him this year, I think we are under estimating where Baker has been, probably around top 15 this year. We had hoped he was top 5, he hasn't shown that yet, but you must not watch allot of other teams, there is allot of bad QB play out there, Baker has been very average, some times looks great, some times makes bad plays, but Matt Ryan is not the answer unless the Question is what highly paid QB is in his mid to late 30's and looks like he is on the Major Decline.

Matt Ryan isn't any different this season than he has been in the past.

He's just not compiling the same level of counting stats. But, he's been around this level for years now. The dude is accurate, can read a defense, has no mobility, and will never challenge a defense. He'll miss a few open reads, struggle in the red zone, and is at his best checking it down underneath off-coverage to rack up yards after his team is down by multiple scores.

He has never been as good as his counting stats would lead you to believe.

 

[Los216]

OK, here is the million dollar question. What QB would you trade for? Who is available that is better than Baker. throw out a name.... I will wait.

After this season ends? Matt Stafford. He's better than Baker Mayfield. We gotta stop pretending that Baker is lighting it up and he's just gonna flip a switch and figure it out. In the event that Baker is not the guy there are other QB's who are better than him who are available. If every time a QB gets suggested people bring up their flaws, ask yourself why we are looking for a QB in the first place. If we're looking for a guy at the end of this seaon it means that Baker is not it.

As of today in October I do not believe that Baker is the guy. Now that can change by the end of the season. Of course we all know that. That doesn't mean that we can't discuss what some of our options are. I think it's silly to sit here and pretend like if Baker ain't it that we shouldn't quickly move on.

And yes people are going to say it's only been 5 games. We all know that. The problem though is the changes that we need to see from Baker Mayfield are probably going to take a lot longer than this season. If he's not the guy by the end of this season I wouldn't want to waste anymore time.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

After this season ends? Matt Stafford. He's better than Baker Mayfield.

In case you are curious @Los216 , this is why I gave you the laughing rating.

Matt Stafford, after flirting with being good last year, is dog shit.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

After this season ends? Matt Stafford. He's better than Baker Mayfield. We gotta stop pretending that Baker is lighting it up and he's just gonna flip a switch and figure it out. In the event that Baker is not the guy there are other QB's who are better than him who are available. If every time a QB gets suggested people bring up their flaws, ask yourself why we are looking for a QB in the first place. If we're looking for a guy at the end of this seaon it means that Baker is not it.

As of today in October I do not believe that Baker is the guy. Now that can change by the end of the season. Of course we all know that. That doesn't mean that we can't discuss what some of our options are. I think it's silly to sit here and pretend like if Baker ain't it that we shouldn't quickly move on.

And yes people are going to say it's only been 5 games. We all know that. The problem though is the changes that we need to see from Baker Mayfield are probably going to take a lot longer than this season. If he's not the guy by the end of this season I wouldn't want to waste anymore time.

I mean, I legitimately would ask why you're looking at a QB in the first place. Baker isn't at the point where he needs to be replaced in order for us to be successful. And, in my eyes, "successful" means a championship contender. Baker, at his current ability, should be kept as our starter for the full five years of his rookie deal. The only question I have is if he's good enough to dedicate a significant portion of our cap to for a new contract, or if we should draft his replacement.

When you say he's not "the guy" what does that even mean? Because, every single QB you suggest isn't "the guy" in my eyes. "The guy" means an elite QB. If we're moving on from Baker because he's not there yet, why would we pick up a veteran who we know isn't there?

I feel like you don't even watch the full games of other QB's you mention.

 

[MGMT]

Literally, has anyone said that he’s lighting it up? I honestly have not seen any comment like that made. Who said he’s going to flip a switch? We are discussing his week-to-week development because a vast majority seem to be aware this is an ongoing process.

 

[Vee-Rex]

I feel like you don't even watch the full games of other QB's you mention.

I don't think he does either.

Grass will always be greener until we get a Mahomes or something. And the scary part about it? I don't think some would be satisfied with him either.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

I don't think he does either.

Grass will always be greener until we get a Mahomes or something. And the scary part about it? I don't think some would be satisfied with him either.

In our system? I think you're right. The past few years would not have allowed Mahomes to turn into the player he is today.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Do what the Chiefs and Texans did. They each made the playoffs in 2016, but then they each sacrificed their 2018 1st rounder to move up from the 20s to 10 and 12 to select Mahomes and Watson, respectively.

Although you have to be lucky enough to have a Mahomes and Watson in the draft at all, and then be lucky enough to have them fall to a spot that is reasonably obtainable by trade. That's maybe 1 draft out of 10. Or 20. A fair number of drafts go by without any QB in them as good as either of those guys.

 

[Los216]

I mean, I legitimately would ask why you're looking at a QB in the first place. Baker isn't at the point where he needs to be replaced in order for us to be successful. And, in my eyes, "successful" means a championship contender. Baker, at his current ability, should be kept as our starter for the full five years of his rookie deal. The only question I have is if he's good enough to dedicate a significant portion of our cap to for a new contract, or if we should draft his replacement.

When you say he's not "the guy" what does that even mean? Because, every single QB you suggest isn't "the guy" in my eyes. "The guy" means an elite QB. If we're moving on from Baker because he's not there yet, why would we pick up a veteran who we know isn't there?

I feel like you don't even watch the full games of other QB's you mention.

You keep throwing around that word elite and it doesn't make any sense. So according to you there's maybe 5 teams who have their guy? You are using extremes when evaluating QB's. In your eyes they are either elite or complete trash and that's a horrible way to look at it. Your QB doesn't have to be elite for you to get to a Super Bowl. Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers have only been to one each. Being elite doesn't give you a free pass.

In the last 10 years

Kurt Warner
Eli Manning
Joe Flacco
Colin Kaepernick
Washed Peyton Manning
Cam Newton
Matt Ryan
Carson Wentz
Nick Foles
Jared Goff
Jimmy Garrapplo

All led their teams to Super Bowl appearances. How many elite QB's were on that list? You tried to diss me when I mentioned Matt Ryan by saying he wasn't elite when he led his team to a Super Bowl and won the MVP that season. Just like Cam Newton.

Look at that list. It is absolutely not a requirement to have an elite QB in order to make a Super Bowl.

The question for Baker that needs to be answered is can he lead you to a Super Bowl. Next season is the last year of his rookie deal. That has huge implications for us financially. he is either going to play on the Franchise tag which is going to be $30M next season or he's going to sign a long term deal which will be $30M annually. Either way. If you're not sure he's the guy by the end of this season it doesn't make any sense to continue going forward with him next year. Bottom line is after this season Baker Mayfield is going to be a $30M per year QB. It's inevitable. If you don't think he's the guy then why waste your time?

 

[Los216]

I don't think he does either.

Grass will always be greener until we get a Mahomes or something. And the scary part about it? I don't think some would be satisfied with him either.

FOH. I don't watch games because you disagree with me? That's bullshit.

I mean The Bears drafted Mitch Trubisky #2 and went and signed a FA QB and then benched his ass. And Trubisky led them to the playoffs after winning their division. I don't see how looking at options other than Baker Mayfield is so ridiculous. Do you want to end up in a similar situation as The bears? What's their future at QB look like? Draft? Free Agent? Trade? They ain't going back to Trubisky and Foles is probably more of a stop gap. Their wasting an elite defense because they didn't have the balls to move on from their QB fast enough. They could've signed Cam Newton this offseason and be a Super Bowl contender.

I don't want The Browns to be in a similar situation with Baker that Chicago was with Trubisky. We are almost at that point unless baker puts all of this to rest and seals the deal.

 

[Los216]

Although you have to be lucky enough to have a Mahomes and Watson in the draft at all, and then be lucky enough to have them fall to a spot that is reasonably obtainable by trade. That's maybe 1 draft out of 10. Or 20. A fair number of drafts go by without any QB in them as good as either of those guys.

And there are maybe 3 QB's in this upcoming draft who are worth trading up for and way more than 3 teams who need a new QB. We'll probably play ourselves out of position to get one of them. The teams at the top probably aren't trading out of Lawrence and Fields which is why I believe if we were to move on from Baker it will more than likely be a Free Agent or a trade.

 

[Lee]

After this season ends? Matt Stafford. He's better than Baker Mayfield. We gotta stop pretending that Baker is lighting it up and he's just gonna flip a switch and figure it out. In the event that Baker is not the guy there are other QB's who are better than him who are available. If every time a QB gets suggested people bring up their flaws, ask yourself why we are looking for a QB in the first place. If we're looking for a guy at the end of this seaon it means that Baker is not it.

As of today in October I do not believe that Baker is the guy. Now that can change by the end of the season. Of course we all know that. That doesn't mean that we can't discuss what some of our options are. I think it's silly to sit here and pretend like if Baker ain't it that we shouldn't quickly move on.

And yes people are going to say it's only been 5 games. We all know that. The problem though is the changes that we need to see from Baker Mayfield are probably going to take a lot longer than this season. If he's not the guy by the end of this season I wouldn't want to waste anymore time.

So Matt Ryan and Matt Stafford is what I am afraid Baker is for life, not who I want to replace him with. Stafford is a career 62% completion with about a 2 to 1 td/in ration. Baker is having a slightly better year than him right now and isn't 32 years old in his 10th season.

Remember that 62% completion percentage came with allot of years throwing to Calvin Johnson who has a catching radius of an ocean, we all could complete passes to Megatron in his prime, lol.

The issue is Baker isn't bad, he is better than average, but he isn't good or even great yet. But he is by far the best of the previous 30 we had and lets not start getting grass is greener syndrome and think Stafford is better.

We would all love to hit a homerun and find our Wilson or Mahommes, but Baker is good enough that replacing him isn't easy. And there is a real fear he commands 30 mill a year to be Kirk Cousins, but we are in a far, far, far better place with Baker than lets say Johnny Football or Derek Anderson, or Weeden or any of the other losers before him. Baker shows promise and most importantly it looks like we have a head coach that can develop him and use him properly. Remember, Russell Wilson was about the same qb as Baker his 3rd year just with more foot speed. Wilson had a Phenomenal defense thus why he was already a SB champ, but make no mistake he had to be developed, difference is he was a 3rd round pick and Baker is 1st overall so there was more patience with Wilson.

 

[Los216]

So Matt Ryan and Matt Stafford is what I am afraid Baker is for life, not who I want to replace him with. Stafford is a career 62% completion with about a 2 to 1 td/in ration. Baker is having a slightly better year than him right now and isn't 32 years old in his 10th season.

Remember that 62% completion percentage came with allot of years throwing to Calvin Johnson who has a catching radius of an ocean, we all could complete passes to Megatron in his prime, lol.

The issue is Baker isn't bad, he is better than average, but he isn't good or even great yet. But he is by far the best of the previous 30 we had and lets not start getting grass is greener syndrome and think Stafford is better.

We would all love to hit a homerun and find our Wilson or Mahommes, but Baker is good enough that replacing him isn't easy. And there is a real fear he commands 30 mill a year to be Kirk Cousins, but we are in a far, far, far better place with Baker than lets say Johnny Football or Derek Anderson, or Weeden or any of the other losers before him. Baker shows promise and most importantly it looks like we have a head coach that can develop him and use him properly. Remember, Russell Wilson was about the same qb as Baker his 3rd year just with more foot speed. Wilson had a Phenomenal defense thus why he was already a SB champ, but make no mistake he had to be developed, difference is he was a 3rd round pick and Baker is 1st overall so there was more patience with Wilson.

I'm not saying that I'm ignoring everything that you're saying about past Browns QB's but I'm ignoring everything that you're saying about past Browns QB's lololololoololol

What we cannot do is grade Baker on a Browns QB curve. I ran off a list of QBs who led their teams to a Super Bowl in the last 10 years and there's a bunch of non sexy names on that list. So if Baker Mayfield ends up being a Matt Ryan or Matt Stafford that's not exactly doomsday for us. You can make a Super Bowl with that caliber of QB. The real question for Baker specifically is can he lead you to a Super Bowl.

Now me personally, I think Matt Stafford in a better organization can potentially make a Super Bowl. The other QB's who I suggested going after in the offseason, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton, have led their teams to Super Bowls.

One other thing I forgot to mention is Baker's physical limitations. For some reason he looks worse athletically then he did coming into the league. Am I the only one who thinks he's lost a step athletically? I'm also starting to worry more about his height then I want to admit. I've been trying not mention his height since it's obviously something that is what it is but it feels like one of those things that's just going to be a hard hill to climb over for him. I still think Baker struggles with some things on the field due to his height. Now he can play though all of this and end up being our guy but I'd be lying my ass off if I said that I wasn't skeptical.

 

[I'mWithDan]

We are in a pretty no win situation, to me, unless something dramatically changes.

Baker isn't worth $30 million a year........but we also realistically cannot trade up to correct this mistake either. Our defensive talent is generally a disaster up the middle and we need all available draft capital to fix that unit, in all likelihood. So it is possible that we just have to pay Baker and hope for the best, not because he's worth it but because that is the only realistic avenue at this point.

Maybe the Browns get lucky and an unforeseen veteran hits the market or they unexpectedly develop a mid round pick but for now......we are probably going off this cliff with Baker and hoping we simply glide to the ground. Buy as much time as we can while either A. hoping he develops or B. until a contingency plan can take hold.