NFL
When to Expect Baker Mayfield at Starting QB
After making his NFL preseason debut on Thursday night, Baker Mayfield has begun his candidacy for the starting quarterback role of the Cleveland Browns. The former Sooner went 11 of 20 for 212 yards with a pair of TD’s to boot against the Giants in Week 1 of the preseason.
The on-the-run sideline throws were familiar to what spectators saw from him in Norman: scrambled, yet effective. Baker Mayfield’s accuracy, field awareness, and overall football acumen seems to have translated well from the collegiate field to the big leagues. Sources around the league say the first overall pick has already impressed the coaching staff this preseason. The question now for the Browns is not who the best quarterback in ‘The Land’ is. Rather, it’s when the time will come to hand Mayfield the reins.
Barring injury to Tyrod Taylor, the current starter at QB, Head Coach Hue Jackson has time to decide how he wants to integrate Mayfield into the starting lineup and reorder his roster. There are several schools of thought regarding how to introduce a rookie quarterback onto the main stage. Below are the various scenarios for how the Browns could best utilize this newly drafted talent, a situation they have fumbled many times before.
Week 1
The conventional answer to this question would be to start Baker Mayfield Week 1. If preseason continues as expected, it is easy to presume Mayfield will out-perform Taylor. So let the best man win, right? Maybe not. No matter Baker’s success this season, the Browns are a work in progress and are a ways away from a playoff bid. To many, the risk outweighs the reward in starting Baker for Week 1. The prospect of Mayfield either getting injured or losing his confidence after a string of early losses is sound cause for anxiety.
Week 5
The best way to analyze an NFL schedule is to break the calendar down into groups of four games. The first part of the Brown’s schedule includes the Steelers, Saints, Jets, and Raiders, arguably the toughest stretch of their schedule. Jackson could avoid putting Mayfield in harm’s way those first few weeks by having him start taking snaps in Week 5 against the Ravens. This would likely create a much smoother start for the young quarterback in regular season play. For some, Week 5 is still too early for Baker. The young QB would still face the Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Houston, and Denver defenses — all without a seasoned supporting cast around him.
Week 12
The Browns’ bye week lands on Week 11, right after their matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10. By starting Baker in Week 12, Mayfield would have plenty of time to familiarize himself with the playbook, teammates, and personnel — all while keeping him injury-free. Taking advantage of the additional time off would also give Baker and the Browns time to recalibrate with him at the helm. The downside of a Week 12 start is that it only leaves the Heisman winner with six games of the 2018 season to step into the starting role. This could impede on this growth as an NFL quarterback in future Browns’ seasons. Considering Taylor’s likely performance this year, it is hard to see Cleveland waiting until Week 12 to call Mayfield’s number.
There’s No Time Like 2019
The conservative strategy would be to hold Baker back until the 2019 season. As stated prior, the Browns are a long way from becoming a postseason threat, leaving them no real pressure to start Baker in the 2018 season. This would keep Mayfield healthy and allow him to further matriculate. It is hard to see this scenario coming to fruition, though, as Baker’s competitive temperate would be hard to keep constrained on the sideline for the entirety of the season. There seems to be little point in losing games that would be winnable with Baker under center. A preventable losing streak without Mayfield would only lower morale further in an already fragile locker room. Wide receiver Jarvis Landry, for one, has been anxious to bring success to FirstEnergy Stadium and would likely not look kindly on the delay of Baker’s tenure in Cleveland.
