Shortly after Super Bowl LII’s conclusion, the Browns continued planning their exhaustive research process about the 2018 quarterback class. Baker Mayfield looks to feature prominently in this pre-draft routine.
The Browns contacted the Heisman Trophy winner and set up a pre-draft visit, Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com reports, adding this doubles as Mayfield’s first invite.
Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, however, notes nothing is finalized about a Mayfield summit yet. But it’s expected. Cabot reports the Browns will bring in all of the top quarterback prospects for visits before the draft. They’ve been connected to four passers in what promises to be a unique offseason.
Part of the complexity now comes from Scot McCloughan, whom the Browns are using as a consultant during the process. A scouting guru, the former Redskins GM could be working toward a full-time role with the Browns, Cabot notes. And he hasn’t made his Mayfield feelings much of a secret.
McCloughan has praised Mayfield during multiple radio interviews, and by the time he made pro-Mayfield comments on Jan. 18, Cabot reports he was already moving toward his consulting role with the Browns. During the interview, McCloughan said he would take Mayfield over Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen.
“He is a competitive guy. He wears it on his sleeve from the standpoint of emotions,” McCloughan said (via Denver-based 104.3 The Fan). “He plays with strength throughout his body, and the fact that he’s just a football player — it’s impressive. It’s a really good class this year coming out in the draft for quarterbacks. But I know this, if I was going to play one game tomorrow, he’d be my guy — hands down.”
Considering the influence he’ll have in the coming months, these comments are certainly illuminating. Cabot reports McCloughan was talking up Mayfield to John Dorsey at the Senior Bowl last month.
As a Seahawks exec, McCloughan helped make the decision to use a third-round pick on 6-foot Russell Wilson. Considering the troubles the Browns have experienced at quarterback since rebooting their franchise, and the current pick they hold, this decision qualifies as a much higher-profile call.
Both Dorsey and Hue Jackson prefer taller quarterbacks, per Cabot, who previously wrote she doesn’t expect Mayfield to be the top Browns choice. Few mock drafts have him going to Cleveland. Klemko ranks the Browns as Mayfield’s most likely landing spot and adds his experience and football aptitude could sway Dorsey, who said Patrick Mahomes‘ ability to process some of Andy Reid‘s playbook during the parties’ pre-draft summit helped influence the Chiefs’ decision to trade up for the raw Texas Tech passer.
Mayfield to Cleveland with any of the top 4 picks sounds like a disaster
yes but what if they trade to 6 with the jets. get 4 and 6 and likely get their guy if it’s baker and another player and likely a 1st next year. or 5 with the Broncos. having two top 4 picks only works in the browns favor if they want to trade down a little.
Browns have the leverage. They should, but won’t, trade down and keep going down as far as they can while accumulating picks/players. Everyone knows they are grilling every qb. If they keep trading down then other teams might think oh maybe we can get one of them later too. Snowball to the second round and you got more picks/players and can still get a good qb. Browns need to stop drafting qbs they think are NFL ready because they are only NFL ready with a real NFL team.
I don’t pretend to be an expert but he looks better than Donaldson. I only saw Donaldson play a couple time and his bowl game he looked like hot garbage.
Ugh, Darnold
Same here. Darnold has terrible feet in the pocket. He reminds me of Blaine Gabbert.
Agreed. He is not the QB to throw into the fire as a top pick.
Yep .. BakerJohn Mansfield
Might as well meet all the top guys. The Browns need warm bodies.
Josh Allen the future of Cleveland
Yep!
So 2nd round?
Dude how many chances are the Browns gonna get to draft a QB high in the draft only to completely whiff but then they yank the next season and get a decent pick again? Are there any rules in place for something like that? I hate to see Baker Mayfield waste his talent there.
Browns aren’t getting to the Super Bowl overnight. Gamble and try to get him or whoever is left over second round. Complete your team.
I’d rather Kiser than waste 1 or 4 on Mayfield.
Do you not remember Kizer playing this past year? I would rather anyone than Kizer.
A rookie thrown into the fire with such a great supporting cast, how could he not succeed? Oh wait, no wonder the Browns 2.0 have been since an utter disgrace, they run the cycle of GM, coach, QB, repeat…and never give a QB a chance to learn and give him weapons before trotting him out there.
Ok, when one of the “scrubs” did get open, Kizer was no where close with the football… I’m not saying don’t develop Kizer, what I am saying, is that Kizer should not be starting. He came out early and Jackson did nothing to help him, passing 60%+ of the time. He’s a turnover machine too. Veteran QB will be starting week 1. Not Kizer.
For all the fuss over the fact that Jackson was getting a pass because team wasn’t drafting players he wanted how can they not go with the QB he wants this year?
Good point… but he’s a lame duck coach. 1-31 is not a small sample size. 2-35 all time as a head coach. Guy just isn’t a good coach… he’s going to fail regardless of the players on the field. John DeFillipo for head coach in 2019!!
Jackson was 8-8 with Oakland. That would make him 9-39 all time.
I thought he was an intern HC and went 1-4, so my bad… he’s still pretty terrible, his 1 win in the past two years was luck. 2 missed FGs and a blocked FG.
Nah, he’s actually horribly terrible.
Ego claims after the fact the 2 better qbs is what he wanted. We don’t know he wanted kizer and now he’s throwing him under bus which Hue is a hall of famer at doing
Wouldn’t be surprised to see them take Barkley at 1, trade out of the fourth to take Mayfield and add talent.
I hope for this. I don’t want to see the Giants get Barkley.
I agree, that’s a really good possibility, although I believe they’re going after Allen.
You don’t take Baker at 4 he won’t be there when you pick again. Elway is taking him at 5 if he’s still there.
Probably a hard sell but Open up the checkbook for Cousins and take Barkley at 1 and Minka at 4 then beef up the O line with one of those early 2nd round picks along with another pass rusher or 2. Safest way to go if you can sell Cousins on it.
Cousins plus Landry/Robinson… so Cousins/Barkley/Duke/Gordon/Landry Or Robinson/Coleman/Njoku… that would be some playmakers. On paper anyway, Coleman has shown very little as a Brown. Gordon may not make a whole offseason. We will see. It’s not impossible to fix this offense w a competent qb and competent playcaller.
Sign cousins trade up to two and take Chubb and Barkley
No need to trade up. If anything trade down so everyone can get their QBs.
Duh, they’ll bring in several QBs for interviews. All teams in need of a QB will.
It’s called the pre-draft process.
Last time I checked Hue Jackson is not the Qb whisperer so having him for a year or less as their head coach just won’t matter since he gone soon