Baker Mayfield will be the first of the big four passers to visit the Browns. The Oklahoma product is flying into Cleveland on Monday night to begin his visit, one that will last through Tuesday as well, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. Josh Allen‘s meeting at Browns headquarters in Berea, Ohio, will commence on Wednesday, Cabot reports, and Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold are coming in shortly after that. Three of these powwows are expected to be completed by the end of this week, with Cabot reporting one may occur early next week. Hue Jackson said last week he is “very close” to determining which of these QBs will be his preference going into the draft. The Browns are widely expected to select a quarterback at No. 1 overall. John Dorsey said he wants these QBs to visit consecutively to allow for easier comparisons between them.
Mayfield will visit the Giants and Jets next week, and both he and Rosen are meeting with seven teams. The only difference between these prospects’ schedules thus far is the Dolphins have not arranged a Rosen meetup, while the Chargers have, and the Bolts are not known to have set up a Mayfield summit.
Here’s more out of Cleveland and some other NFL cities as draft month begins.
- Jets representatives will fly to Wyoming to work out Allen this week, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), before the 6-foot-5 signal-caller visits their Florham Park, N.J., facility shortly after. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports the Jets meeting will take place early this week as well. The Jets have been connected to Allen for months and were rumored to be planning a workout soon.
- The Allen/Browns connection should not be dismissed, Rapoport notes (video link). Citing a source who’s known Dorsey for a long time, the new Cleveland GM has long preferred big-armed passers. Patrick Mahomes qualifies as the latest such investment, and although the former NFL linebacker was not a high-ranking Packers exec when they traded for Brett Favre in 1992, Dorsey was a scout for Green Bay at the time. He was with the Packers as their director of college scouting when the team made the Aaron Rodgers pick in 2005. Alex Smith is the outlier, but the Chiefs held the No. 1 pick in a 2013 draft that was not flush with quarterback upside. Allen is viewed as the top arm talent in this draft.
- Should the Browns make this decision and bring Allen to northeast Ohio, the expectation is the Giants will draft Darnold. Surveying various executives and scouts, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller tweets every one of them said the Giants would take Darnold if Allen goes to the Browns. Dave Gettleman has not been as direct as Dorsey and Jackson have about the position his team is targeting in Round 1, and it’s not certain the Giants are going to draft a quarterback despite theirs having recently turned 37.
- Lamar Jackson will not count toward one of the Dolphins‘ 30 visits since he went to high school in the Miami area, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. The Dolphins have not been linked to a Jackson meeting just yet, but they were on hand at the Louisville phenom’s pro day. And since a meeting will be fairly easy to set up, it’s likely the Fins will host the dual-threat passer.
- Hayden Hurst will visit the Jaguars on Tuesday, Rapoport tweets. Rated by many as the top tight end in this year’s class, the South Carolina product will meet with a team that just released one of its cornerstone players in Marcedes Lewis. Jacksonville has been busy at this position this offseason, agreeing to deals with Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Niles Paul. But the team looks to be exploring the notion of further investing at tight end with the No. 29 overall pick.
For a team that’s gone 1 and what?…31? The Browns would have a lot of guts taking a college player with only one full year of play and 56% accuracy. I like Josh Allen a lot. He’s got one hell of an arm and a lot of character, but if neither Allen or Darnold work out in the NFL, the Browns front office would look better off taking Darnold.
I’m guessing Allen ends up with the Jets, but we won’t know until it’s called in. A lot to watch for this year.
I know the Jets need a QB in the worst way, but if Darnold and Rosen aren’t available, they have to consider taking Barkley instead of Allen or Mayfield. Barkley is as sure as they come, and a position they need. I’d even play that card in the press to get Cleveland to swap their 4 for the Jets 3 while tossing in a 2nd rounder that the Jets can get back after moving a couple of theirs to move up. Jets still get the QB (Allen or Mayfield) while the Browns lock up the two players they wanted/needed.
No way the jets spent all that they did to take a RB.
They’re taking a QB and likely Baker once Darnold and Rosen go 1-2.
Yah man they traded up to get Mayfield. He’s probably there choice over Rosen and Allen. Darnold is the only guy I’d say they pass up Mayfield for
Mayfield’s prob there at 6. Its Darnold, Allen, or Rosen.
That’s my take regarding Mayfield. They didn’t need to trade up to get him.
You really think the jets traded up to get a RB or even trade back one? Is your brain dust ?
If the Giants take Darnold over Chubb, Nelson, and Barkley but wouldn’t take Allen, that tells you a little something.
Giants taking Barkley makes all the sense in the world. Solid group of receivers, a QB that still had some left in the tank and add in the best talent in the draft at a position that can for it all together for them rather than draft a backup QB for 2018, I just can’t see it any other way for them.
They have Eli for 2 more seasons. They’ll “extend him” with a b/s year to reduce his cap hit, or at least I would. I’d trade back, only if I still have a chance at Chubb, Barkley or Nelson (So not trading with the Bills). You can pass on Barkley and take Nick Chubb in round 2. My reasoning being that the drop off from Bradley Chubb and Quentin Nelson to the next best DE / OL is significantly higher than Barkley to the next RB.
Smokescreens are beginning to thicken…..
Just change Allen’s uniform in the picture to a Browns one. It fits perfect with that snow……and so will he. Darnold would freeze his thin-blooded tail off.
You’re damn right!
– Brett Favre
Yeah California kids can’t succeed in the cold and and snow – John Elway
ARod too. (Unsure if he was Cali but he went to school there)
Elway — born in the state of Washington (it gets cold there, by the way), and played at Stanford (that’s in Northern California, where it’s colder and actually snows at times).
Tell me, ohiodevil, do you live to question everything I post?
Elway went to Granada Hills High School in San Fernando Valley , Ca
Browns should take Barkley and settle with what’s left at 4. Hell Allen might drop to 4.
Browns Barkley
Giants darnold
Jets Rosen
Browns Allen.
You get who you wanted and even if you don’t no guarantee Giants take eli successor as they could take Chubb to to replace jpp.