By nature, Cleveland sports fans are a nervous lot.
Do the Indians have enough pitching, particularly in the bullpen. Will LeBron James leave the Cavaliers in the off-season?
For Browns’ fans, the worry is always the quarterback position. That comes from not having a franchise QB since Bernie Kosar was given his release by Bill Belichick in 1993.
When the Browns draft a rookie at the position, the front office and the fans invariably want to get him on the field, sometimes at the detriment to the player.
Tim Couch was supposed to be the foundation for the Browns when they returned to the NFL in 1999. He came into the first game he suited up for, and started the second game. Behind a makeshift offensive line, it was an expansion team after all, Couch took a beating and lasted just five seasons.
He did guide the Browns to a playoff spot in 2002, however.
Last season, DeShone Kizer was thrown into the fray before he was ready, and the result was an 0-16 season that everyone would like to forget.
So, now the attention falls upon first overall pick Baker Mayfield, and already some fans and media alike are wondering when he will start for the Browns.
Here are the arguments they use, and our response:
The Carson Wentz/Deshaun Watson Factor: Both of those QBs were picked in the first round and started right away, and if they could, why can’t Mayfield?
In Wentz’ case, the Eagles traded away Sam Bradford for a first round pick, and the alternative was Chase Daniel, who had (and still has) started just two NFL regular season games, and had thrown 77 passes total.
And for Houston, it took just one half of football for Bill O’Brien to decide Tom Savage shouldn’t be his starting passer, a job given to him with two NFL starts.
Even Russell Wilson beat out Matt Flynn, signed to a big contract as a free agent after, you guessed it, two NFL starts.
By contrast, the QB the Browns plan to open the season with, Tyrod Taylor, has started 42 NFL games, has a winning record in those starts, and guided the Buffalo Bills to a playoff spot last season.
This isn’t to say Taylor is an All Pro. But he is a professional quarterback with a proven track record. And for a team that has won one game in the past two seasons, that’s very appealing.
His Age. Mayfield is 23 years old, hardly an advanced age. Aaron Rodgers was 25 years old when he started his first NFL game. Brett Favre was also 23. Russell Wilson was 24 years old.
The point is this–if Mayfield sits this season, he could still wind up as the Browns’ starting QB for 12-15 years, based on how long players like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Favre have started.
The Bust Factor. If Mayfield doesn’t start right away, clearly he is a bust. Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs picked Patrick Mahomes in the first round and he started one game, the last game of the year after KC clinched a playoff spot.
Is anyone saying he’s a bust?
Look, if the best veteran QB the Browns had was Brian Hoyer or Brock Osweiler, we could understand being upset if Mayfield couldn’t beat them out.
That’s not the case here.
If Mayfield overwhelms Todd Haley and wins the job by being better than Taylor, then so be it. Otherwise, why not let the future franchise quarterback, learn how to be a professional by observing both Taylor and Drew Stanton, two guys who are pros.
Relax, Browns’ fans. There’s no rush here.
If the Browns are 4-8 with four games left, then they can let Mayfield get a chance to show what he has learned.
But, here’s a novel approach. Why not try to win some football games? It doesn’t mean you are stunting Mayfield’s growth, nor does it mean the Browns blew the first overall pick.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 