Throughout NFL history, one of the teams that has made the most mistakes is the Cleveland Browns. That’s why they are considered one of the most dysfunctional franchises in the league’s history-and the present is no exception. In the recent Draft, they selected two quarterbacks-yes, two: one of them being Dillon Gabriel and the other Shedeur Sanders.
Well, the Cleveland Browns could have used one of those two picks to select a wide receiver, which is something they clearly need right now. Outside of Jerry Jeudy, they practically have no one to catch passes. Now they face a four-way quarterback battle for the Browns’ starting job, and the one who appears to have the edge is Joe Flacco.
One of the biggest mistakes in Cleveland Browns history wasn’t that long ago-it was the case of Baker Mayfield. After being the first overall pick in the 2018 Draft, he led the Browns to their first playoff win in 26 years just two years later. But after a bad season, Cleveland traded him to the Panthers to sign-yes-Deshaun Watson.
Baker Mayfield has had his ups and downs since the Browns
Letting go of Baker Mayfield was to give Deshaun Watson a five-year, $230 million contract. In three years, he has only played 19 games-a complete disaster. And the truth is, even though he’s still with the franchise, it’s highly unlikely he’ll play for the Browns again.
Mayfield has sparked divided opinions. For example, NFL analyst Matthew Freedman said the Browns mishandled the Baker Mayfield situation:
“They had a franchise quarterback. They selected him No. 1 overall. They made the playoffs with him still on his rookie contract. And they traded him for nothing. Incredibly poor management.”
But not everyone agrees. Analyst Marcus Mosher believes Mayfield is a much better quarterback today than the one the Browns let go of three years ago:
“The trade for Deshaun Watson was a mistake from every angle. But Baker Mayfield was a very average quarterback in Cleveland and then bounced around the league. I still don’t think he’s a top-10 QB in the NFL, so it’s not like the Browns lost a true franchise-changing quarterback.”
What is certain is that Baker Mayfield is coming off a season where he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns with a 71.4% completion rate, setting records with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, everything is uncertain with the Cleveland Browns-they still don’t know what will happen at the quarterback position.
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