Sam Darnold Visiting Browns This Week
Sam Darnold‘s itinerary is starting to come into focus. He will spend Friday with the Broncos in Los Angeles working out for Denver brass, Albert Breer of SI.com reports (on Twitter). This will come after Darnold spends Wednesday in Cleveland visiting the Browns. Josh Allen is also expected to visit the Browns on Wednesday. As for the Broncos, they’ve now been linked to meetings or workouts with Darnold, Rosen and Baker Mayfield. And it would seem likely, judging by the type of quarterback prospects John Elway has invested in during his GM tenure, that the 6-foot-5 Allen will also meet with the Broncos. Denver signed Case Keenum but is participating in a thorough process to determine whether they should follow the 2016 Eagles’ or 2017 Bears’ routes by subsequently adding a high draft choice at football’s marquee position. Or, this could be partially about setting up a possible trade-down scenario.
Baker Mayfield First QB To Visit Browns
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.
- 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.
Josh Rosen Will Play For Whoever Drafts Him
Josh Rosen‘s former head coach isn’t sure that he’d be a fit for the Browns, but Jim Mora‘s comments are not part of a conspiracy to steer Cleveland away from him. The UCLA product will not refuse to play for Cleveland or any other team, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. 
[RELATED: Josh Rosen To Meet With Seven Teams]
This is not the first time we’ve heard speculation about a top prospect trying to avoid the Browns. Last summer, there were rumblings that Sam Darnold could hold off on his draft decision until the identity of the team at No. 1 overall was determined. Apparently, none of this year’s top four QBs have any reservations about the Browns as Rosen, Darnold, Mayfield, and Allen have all publicly welcomed the challenge of righting the ship in Cleveland.
Most prognosticators have the Browns zeroing in on Darnold or Allen, but GM John Dorsey says that the team is still open to all options at No. 1. They’ll meet with Rosen this week and he’s unquestionably in the mix after turning in the best completion percentage (62.6%) and touchdown/interception ratio (26/10) of his collegiate career in 2017.
Baker Mayfield To Meet With Seven Teams
Baker Mayfield‘s April figures to be busy. The Oklahoma signal caller will meet with the Browns, Bills, Jets, Giants, Dolphins, Broncos, and Cardinals, Robert Klemko of The MMQB reports. 
The Giants will sit down with Mayfield before the Jets, Manish Mehta of the Daily News adds. He’ll meet with the G-Men on April 8 and 9 before continuing his pre-draft tour with the Jets on April 9 and 10. The Jets conducted a private workout with Mayfield in Oklahoma on March 24, fueling speculation that he could be among the QBs in consideration for them at No. 3 overall.
Mayfield was last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, but some evaluators question whether he has the height to succeed at the next level. There are also some character concerns thanks to his actions during games against Ohio State and Kansas and a public intoxication arrest.
Most of the teams in this bunch were expected to show interest in Mayfield, but the Dolphins and Broncos are not obvious fits for him given the presence of Ryan Tannehill and Case Keenum, respectively. The Cardinals make more sense for Mayfield since Sam Bradford is not necessarily a long-term answer under center and the Bills are also a logical fit since they are not completely locked in on A.J. McCarron as their starter for 2018. Unlike the Dolphins and Cardinals, the Bills have ample ammo to move up for Mayfield with the Nos. 12 and No 22 picks in their possession.
Josh Rosen To Meet With Seven Teams
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is set to meet with the Browns, Jets, Giants, Cards, Broncos, Bills, and Chargers in the coming weeks, according to Peter King of The MMQB. Cleveland gets the first crack at Rosen with a visit lined up for this week. 
[RELATED: Josh Rosen Will Play For Whoever Drafts Him]
King suspects that the Browns will ask Rosen about recent comments made by his former head coach, Jim Mora, in which he advocated for USC Sam Darnold go to No. 1 overall.
“Because of fit, I would take Sam Darnold if I were the Cleveland Browns. I think that blue collar, gritty attitude, I think his teammates will love him, I think the city will love him. He’ll say the right things. He will come in and he will represent well. I think he kind of represents what Cleveland is. And if I was one of the New York teams, I would take Josh *snap* just like that. I think they will both be great in the pros.”
In his conversation with King, Mora expounded on those thoughts a bit, but didn’t exactly backtrack.
“He needs to be challenged intellectually so he doesn’t get bored,” Mora said, while reemphasizing the angle of Rosen needing the proper “fit.” “He’s a millennial. He wants to know why. Millennials, once they know why, they’re good. Josh has a lot of interests in life. If you can hold his concentration level and focus only on football for a few years, he will set the world on fire. He has so much ability, and he’s a really good kid.”
Mora’s comments may be a topic of discussion for interested teams, but it would be shocking to see Rosen fall any further than the Jets at No. 3.
Browns Leaning Toward Sam Darnold?
- Expected to select a quarterback at No. 3 overall, the Jets are going to be spending some key hours with prospects this month. They’ve already worked out Josh Rosen and Baker Mayfield, and Mike Maccagnan has plans to arrange some for-Jets-eyes-only throwing for Josh Allen, Calvin Watkins of Newsday reports. However, the Jets GM does not plan to schedule a private workout for Sam Darnold. Maccagnan watched Darnold play in person at USC, when the Trojans faced Rosen’s UCLA Bruins in November, and attended his pro day. Nevertheless, it’s interesting the Jets won’t use every avenue they have to evaluate Darnold, even if he’s been the quarterback most closely connected to the Browns at No. 1. The Jets have been closely tied to Allen for months.
- Longtime Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer does not anticipate any Jets/Darnold prep work mattering, expecting the Browns to take the USC product at No. 1. She notes the team is close to settling on a consensus for what to do with that seminal selection. Hue Jackson said that process is winding down as well.
- It’s not outside the realm of possibility that four quarterbacks could go in the top four, should a team trade with the Browns and move into the No. 4 slot, but NFL.com’s Chad Reuter sees one of the passers being available by the time the Bears pick at No. 8. Reuter suggests the Saints as being the team that trades into that draft slot and selects Mayfield, nearly mirroring the move the Chiefs made (from No. 27 to No. 10) last year to take Patrick Mahomes. Mayfield’s 6-foot frame being similar to Drew Brees and his profile as a player who could use some developmental time would line up with the Saints, who would have to almost certainly surrender their 2019 first-rounder and then some to move from 27 to 8.
Poll: What Should Browns Do At No. 1?
With Cleveland decision-makers confirming what’s long been rumored this week about the team’s intentions to draft a quarterback with its top pick, it appears relatively safe to assume one of four passing prospects will end up in northeast Ohio next season.
After the Browns traded out of draft slots that ended up sending Carson Wentz to the Eagles and Deshaun Watson to the Texans the past two years, they appear committed to finalizing this extensive research project in the coming weeks. But which of the top QBs should be Cleveland-bound?
Sam Darnold‘s probably been the player most linked to the Browns with their top pick, but Josh Allen continues to lurk as well. And the team’s interest in Baker Mayfield persists. While Josh Rosen has become the member of this quartet least linked to Cleveland, the UCLA talent remains in relative contention here and appears a safe bet to be chosen in the top 10 — if not in the top five.
Darnold did not throw at the Combine but impressed at a rainy pro day in Los Angeles. Although some scouts would prefer he work on a slightly elongated throwing motion, the USC product does not plan to adjust it. He’s long been rumored to go in this draft slot, even before the Browns acquired it, and was much more diplomatic about being sent to Ohio than Rosen.
Hue Jackson mentioned he would prefer the Browns landing a prospect with some mobility to work in the offense alongside Tyrod Taylor. However, John Dorsey wasn’t as committed to that. Rosen would not be a great fit if the Browns sought a mobile passer, and in being viewed as perhaps the readiest pro, sitting for a full season — as the Browns would like the rookie-to-be to do as Taylor starts — may not match up with his timeline either.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has mocked Allen to Cleveland for months, and Jackson said the Wyoming talent “looks the part.” The Mountain West Conference-honed prodigy also wowed at the Combine with this blend of athleticism and arm strength, and he’s viewed as raw enough that a de facto redshirt season might behoove his development. He seemed intrigued about bucking the trend of bad QB investments in Cleveland.
Not initially viewed to be on the same tier as the other three members of this quartet, Mayfield has seen his stock climb steadily this offseason. The Heisman Trophy recipient, amid fighting off Johnny Manziel comparisons, is coming off a “great” workout with the Browns recently. He’s been linked to Cleveland consistently, particularly with Browns consultant Scot McCloughan being a staunch Mayfield proponent, but could also be available if the Browns decide to take an unconventional route and hold off their quarterback pick until No. 4.
While that’s not expected, Jackson has offered effusive Bradley Chubb praise. And it’s not certain the N.C. State pass rusher will make it past the Giants at No. 2. Saquon Barkley is listed atop many prospect lists, but no running back has gone No. 1 since Penn State’s Ki-Jana Carter in 1995. And the Browns just signed Carlos Hyde. It’s not out of the question Cleveland trades the No. 1 pick, but after what’s transpired the past two years regarding this franchise and quarterbacks, that seems unlikely.
So, which one of the passers should soon expect to look for Ohio real estate? Is Allen’s upside too tantalizing to ignore? Does the apparent clubhouse leader Darnold represent the best combination of talent and intangibles to go No. 1? Is Mayfield worthy of this pick? Or is it possible the Browns are ready to pull another unexpected maneuver and either trade the pick or select a non-quarterback? Take PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!
Baker Mayfield-To-Browns Buzz Genuine?
- Connected mostly to Sam Darnold and Josh Allen at No. 1 overall, the Browns are still publicly expressing their interest in the big four quarterbacks at this juncture of the process. But Hue Jackson is “very close” to finalizing a preference to bring to John Dorsey and has said he would like a quarterback whose mobility is relatively in step with Tyrod Taylor‘s, as opposed to a stationary passer. The Baker Mayfield interest is believed to be genuine, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports, adding the Heisman Trophy winner enjoyed a “great” workout with the Browns this week. The team is expected to bring Allen, Darnold, Mayfield and Josh Rosen in for visits before the draft.
- Darnold-to-Cleveland has been the scenario most discussed around the league at this point, Terry Pluto of cleveland.com writes. While Pluto doesn’t discount the idea of the Browns going in a different direction, he has not heard anything lately connecting the team to Rosen. The UCLA quarterback was not exactly a portrait of enthusiasm about a potential Browns union when that subject surfaced late last year.
- After the Browns take their quarterback at No. 1, Pluto expects them to select Bradley Chubb at No. 4. The caveat of the N.C. State dynamo being available should obviously be included, but with the Jets expected to take a QB at No. 3 and it making sense for the Giants to do the same at 2, the Browns could have the inside track on selecting the top quarterback and top non-quarterback in the draft. Jackson hasn’t exactly been evasive about envisioning what Chubb would bring to the Browns’ defense.
Hue Jackson On Browns’ QB Strategy
Hue Jackson is “very close” to determining which quarterback will be his top recommendation come April, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.
The third-year coach worked out all four of the top passers recently, per Cabot, as he makes preparations to help John Dorsey identify the eventual player the Browns will draft at No. 1 overall.
Four players are believed to be under consideration for that pick, with Jackson refusing to rule out Baker Mayfield, but the Cleveland coach said he would like the team’s choice to match up — to some degree — with Tyrod Taylor‘s mobile skill set. That would seemingly make Rosen a longer shot to head to northeast Ohio than Mayfield, Sam Darnold or Josh Allen.
For now, though, Taylor is Jackson’s starter.
“We understand that this quarterback decision is for the future. But this is now. This is going to be the 2018 season, and Tyrod Taylor’s going to get us to winning,” Jackson said, via Cabot. “… I think that’s the first and most important thing in this organization — how do we get to winning? And I think Tyrod’s gonna do that, and then the young guy in the future is ready to play — a year from now, hopefully. We hope that’s the way it goes.
And Jackson wants this arrangement to last throughout the season. The Browns are hoping their No. 1 overall pick will redshirt this year. The team went into last season with DeShone Kizer starting in Week 1 and played Cody Kessler some due to injury in 2016.
However, Jackson wouldn’t rule out the rookie usurping Taylor if he’s talented enough early to do so.
“Is the guy going to be comfortable having to sit? If he’s talented enough to overcome the situation, then he is,” Jackson said. “We’re not gonna stop that, either. (But) we’re heading into this with this guy having a chance to sit and watch. Some guys can do that, some guys can’t. So who’s going to be two years from now, a year from now, the most talented of this group that can help lead this organization?”
“We would be asking a lot of a rookie quarterback (to start) in his first year, especially coming off an 0-16 season. That would be unfair.”
Jackson praised the leadership qualities of all four possible No. 1 picks and dismissed comparisons between Allen and Kizer.
“This guy is what the quarterbacks look like when they get out of a truck. He looks the part,” Jackson said of the Wyoming prodigy. “So it’s going to be interesting over the next five weeks to see where we are.
“… They’re not the same person. Josh’s journey to the NFL was not DeShone’s journey. DeShone was a player at Notre Dame from the beginning. Josh had to work his way to Wyoming and go through his process to get there. I know people look at their completion percentages and see they’re similar, but I don’t see it that way. I think they’re different.”
Poll: Which Team Has Been The Biggest Winner In Free Agency?
With March drawing to a close and many of the game’s top free agents already inked to deals with their new teams, it’s time to take a look at the winners of free agency so far.
Entering the period, the focus was solely on Kirk Cousins and where the former Redskins signal-caller would sign and likely become the highest-paid player in the league. He expressed interest in wanting to win and followed through with his word, selecting the Vikings over a host of other suitors that included the Jets, Broncos and Cardinals. Landing a top quarterback on the open market is a rarity, which makes Minnesota easily one of the top beneficiaries of the early free-agent period. 
The team wasn’t done there, however, and added an impact defensive tackle in Sheldon Richardson to a defensive unit that was already arguably the best in the league. Coupling Richardson with Linval Joseph in the middle of the front four will make for one of the most impenetrable run defenses in the league. Minnesota also added Trevor Siemian to back up Cousins, re-signed kicker Kai Forbath and tabbed Kendall Wright to replace Jarius Wright, who the team released shortly after free agency opened.
Adding Cousins to an offense that already includes Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook and Kyle Rudolph, and slotting Richardson into the fray on the other side of the ball left the Vikings as one of the top Super Bowl favorites in 2018.
While the Vikings swung for the fences with a pair of big moves, no team has had a more active few weeks than the Rams. Just this week, the team added five-time Pro Bowl selection and 2010 Defensive Player of the Year Ndamukong Suh to a defensive front that already featured arguably the game’s most dominant defender in Aaron Donald. Needless to say, that pairing is sure to cause plenty of chaos for opposing offensive lines.
Despite losing Sammy Watkins to the Chiefs and trading Alec Ogletree to the Giants, the team did retain safety Lamarcus Joyner by placing the franchise tag on him. It also retained center John Sullivan to maintain some continuity up front on offense.
Where the Rams were the most active was not in signing players, but trading for them. In late February, the team traded for Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters and then later dealt for Broncos star cornerback Aqib Talib. The pairing, coupled with the Suh signing, gives the Rams a defense that is just as good on paper as the team’s high-powered offense.
The Browns entered the free-agent period with tons of cap space and they didn’t wait long to get to work. In one day, the team traded for Tyrod Taylor from the Bills, dealt DeShone Kizer to the Packers for Damarious Randall and used another trade to snatch up Jarvis Landry. All those moves were accomplished with the team still holding onto a majority of their stockpiled draft assets. The move of Taylor provided the team with a more than capable quarterback who can serve as a bridge to the signal-caller the team is expected to draft with either the No. 1 or No. 4 pick in the upcoming draft.
Though the team did lose Joe Thomas to retirement and a big contributor in Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland did also secure the services of Carlos Hyde to serve as the team’s workhorse. After addressing the offense in free agency, the team is set up to pursue top defensive talent in the draft after it nabs its quarterback of the future. 
The Bears made it a point to surround 2017 first-round pick Mitch Trubisky with plenty of weapons in his second season under center. They did just that by tabbing Allen Robinson, Super Bowl-hero Trey Burton and Taylor Gabriel, giving the team a steady group of pass catchers for new head coach Matt Nagy’s dynamic offense. On defense, it retained the services of breakout cornerback Kyle Fuller, who the team had to match an offer for from the Packers.
One under-the-radar signing was the deal to bring in veteran quarterback Chase Daniel. A longtime backup in New Orleans, Kansas City and Philadelphia, the former Missouri gunslinger should help Trubisky in the film room while also serving as a capable fill-in if need be.
The Buccaneers invested heavily in their offense early in free agency, re-signing wide receiver Mike Evans and tight end Cameron Brate to long-term deals. Where they made the biggest splash, however, was the signing of center Ryan Jensen from the Ravens. After just one season at the position, Jensen signed the largest deal for a center in NFL history, a four-year deal for $42MM with $22M in guaranteed money.
Tampa Bay didn’t ignore the defense, however, bringing in the likes of Jason Pierre-Paul in a trade and signing Vinny Curry. If things fall right, the Buccaneers could even add the top defensive end in the draft in Bradley Chubb, should a run on quarterbacks happen early in the first round.
Among the other teams with notable additions include: The Texans (Tyrann Mathieu), 49ers (Richard Sherman), Raiders (Jordy Nelson), Jaguars (Andrew Norwell) and Giants (Nate Solder).
So who has had the best offseason so far? Is it a team that made a flurry of moves or one who made one notable addition? Take PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.