Baker Mayfield Needs to Start Week 1
What’s the best case scenario for the Browns if Tyrod Taylor starts this year?
Sure, we will win a few games, somewhere in the 5-7 range and it’s a solid step in the right direction. Except for the fact that Tyrod Taylor is going to get a big contract from another team, say his goodbyes to Cleveland and that will be that.
You want to know why former Browns QB, DeShone Kizer, is in Green Bay right now?
Because the Browns played him from the start, figured out he stinks and got him out of Cleveland as fast as possible paving the way to even draft Baker Mayfield as the #1 pick overall this past April.
I do not believe in sitting the future of a franchise unless it’s behind a star quarterback like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Taylor may be solid, but he is not the future of this team and everyone knows it.
All the reports from training camp are saying that Mayfield is ahead of schedule and looks great. I think having Taylor on the team serves as a great mentor to Mayfield but watching from the sideline doesn’t do much for a quarterback’s progression. In-game reps are not replaceable by practice or preseason snaps. There are only so many actual games and wasting those on a bridge QB is not the right move.
Frankly, the Browns screwed up with Johnny Manziel in many ways and one of those ways was making the kid stand on the sideline watching Brian Hoyer stink it up. Throw the kid in the fire, let him take a few hits and realize the NFL is no joke. No one knows for sure what would have happened, but it couldn’t have been worse than the actual outcome…
Don’t make the same mistake again, Cleveland.
Mayfield is a climber. Twice, he walked on. He became a Heisman Trophy winner. He made in to the College Football Playoffs. He was the number one pick overall. We didn’t draft him to stand on the sideline. That’s what you do with 6th round picks.
Tyrod Taylor is a solid quarterback and will make a great backup quarterback and mentor. This article isn’t meant to disrespect him, a QB who led the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs last year. But this team drafted Baker Mayfield to be the starting quarterback and I have decided that he needs to start Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
We aren’t winning the Super Bowl this year, so why build behind a quarterback that isn’t going to be around when this team makes a run? Winning a few less games with a learning rookie could pay off in the future than winning a bit more with a guy that won’t get re-signed after the season.
Image: ESPN
