5 Quarterbacks the Cleveland Browns can target to replace Baker Mayfield
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Baker Mayfield
All signs seem to be pointing to Baker Mayfield’s 4 year tenure with the Cleveland Browns coming to an end once the 2021 NFL season closes. The number 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft has had his fair share of ups and downs with Cleveland, notably ending the Browns 18 game winless streak in his rookie season and more recently ending a 17 year playoff drought last season. Despite this he has still been average at best.
With a QB record just under .500(29-30) and a career quarterback rating of 87.8, he hasn’t lived up to the expectations that come with a number 1 overall selection. Even in his best season he threw for only 3563 yards and 26 touchdowns. In todays game that simply isn’t seen as impressive anymore. The good thing about last season was in the 16 games started he only threw 8 interceptions. The same can’t be said about this season however.
He’s only started 14 games this year and has 13 interceptions and only 17 touchdowns. His shoulder surgery means he won’t start week 18 against the Bengals, giving veteran Case Keenum an opportunity to prove himself. With the Browns having nothing to play for and Mayfield not living up to expectations, it’s very realistic that the Browns do move on from him this offseason. Here are 5 possible Quarterbacks ranked in no particular order that the Browns can target for 2022.
Russell Wilson
The star signal caller for the Seahawks has been in these offseason trade talks since the disappointing end to Seattle’s 2018 season with a wild card loss in Dallas. The talks happen, people get excited and then in the end he stays and commits to the Seahawks. Last season was perhaps the closest we got to him moving on with rumors of Wilson letting the Seahawks know which teams he would like to go to.
Of course it didn’t pan out but Seattle was coming off a division title in 2020, this time around they have their first losing season since 2011. Seattle really has been all over the place and it’s clear that change is needed at some level within the organization. Whether that’s move on from their future hall of fame quarterback and rebuild or let go of the man who built the structure of the franchise and turned them into a powerhouse of the 2010s. Both are possible and the Browns would love to be able to take advantage of team looking to gain draft capital for a rebuild.
Aaron Rodgers
Another big name quarterback that could be on the move from his only home in the NFL. Like Wilson, Rodgers has been in the trade talks for a couple seasons now. What differs is that Rodgers seems to be fully focused on football in terms of where he could go after Green Bay whereas Wilson also wants to be in a marketable city. That could make Rodgers a more realistic move for Cleveland to pursue. That and the fact that this season truly is make it or break it in terms of the relationship between the Packers and Rodgers.
Their collective goal is to win the super bowl this season and if it doesn’t happen, it could mean Jordan Love will be strapping up to start at QB for Green Bay in 2022. If the Packers and Rodgers were to split ways then this is a no-brainer for Cleveland. With the way he’s playing, Rodgers could have 2 straight MVP awards which negates the age factor because clearly he can still sling that rock as good as anybody. They’ll be getting a winner that can carry an offense in moments when they need him to.
Deshaun Watson
We’ve sort of forgotten about Deshaun Watson with what’s been going on this season haven’t we? He’s still a viable contender for any starting spot in the league and being only 26 years old, he’s got quite the demand for him. Of course his legal issues are yet to be sorted as of now but the overwhelming feeling about his situation is that Houston will move on from him come the 2022 postseason.
As of now the front runners are Miami given that they’ve been the only serious team to pursue him and Watson has said yes to the Texans hearing offers from them through his no trade clause. Before the season it was obvious that the Browns were giving Mayfield another shot, but now? It’s possible they enter the sweepstakes for the QB they passed up in 2017.
Matt Ryan
Kevin Stefanski would absolutely love this. His run heavy, Nick Chubb focused scheme is calling for a quarterback exactly like Ryan. Manage the game well and punish teams over the top with play action when they start to load the box. Not only does this fit Ryan’s style of play, he does it well. His passer rating on play action passes is 111.2 which ranks 6th in the league and on deep throws(20 yards downfield) his 121.7 rating tops the league.
Not to mention, the nickname Matty Ice is given to him for a reason. When they need their quarterback to drive them down the field to win a game, Matt Ryan is who you want conducting. The general consensus seems to be that the Falcons will move on from Ryan this offseason given that they declined the option to rebuild for 2021 in favor of giving him a shot to try and make it work. With how 2021 has turned out for them it’s very possible that they look to build up capital for a rebuild in 2022.
Case Keenum/Draft a Quarterback
Another option the Browns could go for is looking at the draft this year. It’s not the most incredible draft class for quarterbacks that we’ve ever seen but there are some options. As things stand they’ll be picking number 13 overall. If they do choose to go for a quarterback at 13 they’ll have the option to start him immediately or let Case Keenum handle the starting role for a few weeks while they let their rookie settle in. They do have some more glaring gaps in their team at positions like receiver and linebacker so it’s possible that they use Keenum as a gap year quarterback and look to the 2023 draft to get their next franchise QB.
Of these 5 options listed the ones that stand out the most are definitely Rodgers and Ryan as both would work well in Cleveland’s system and both quarterbacks could realistically be moving on from their teams shortly. That being said, this is the NFL, craziness is in its nature so we can’t rule out a blockbuster trade like Wilson or Watson simply because it seems unlikely. The good thing for us is that we’re not too far away from this silly season playing out.
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Roshan Anand
(278 Articles Published)