The Browns will pay Blake Hance $39,706 for driving from New Jersey, not practice with the team, replace injured third-string guard Michael Dunn, survive 14 snaps against Cam Heyward and become a legend.
It's amazing the Browns and Baker Mayfield went from a record-setting rookie of the year-caliber season then helping a team get its first playoff win in 26 years to a messy divorce in a matter of about, oh, eight months.
This level of continued dysfunction is staggering.
It's OK to say Baker Mayfield stunk today. After all, he said the same thing. It's also possible to still believe he's the guy in Cleveland. These two things can both be true.
The Baker Mayfield situation is astonishing. Less than a year ago, he & the Browns were flying high after an impressive season & playoff appearance. He finished that campaign with a top-10 QBR & PFF grade. One injury-filled campaign later & he seemingly holds no value whatsoever.
Say whatever you want about Baker Mayfield, but the Browns haven't handled the situation well at all. The team actively hurt itself with all of this becoming public.
If you're concentrating on the one poor pass Baker Mayfield threw all night and not seeing the overall improvement made in a matter of days, you might have an agenda.
Texas Tech's Tyler Owens, who's a favorite to post the fastest 40 at this year's NFL combine, doesn't "believe in space," as in "other planets," and feels flat-earth theories have some "valid points."
Coach Stefanski should have stepped in much sooner regarding the Baker Mayfield situation. His decision to let the QB play basically cost the team its season.
The Chargers were able to score the game-tying touchdown because some official decided THIS was defensive pass interference on a 4th-and-4 play. Unbelievable.
I know Saquon Barkley has been special, but he hasn't elevated an entire franchise like Baker Mayfield. Mayfield should be the easy choice for NFL Rookie of the Year.
I just realized something funny. The
#Browns
ended up with the first (Jadeveon Clowney) and second (Greg Robinson) overall picks, plus the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (OBJ), from the same draft class where the team selected all-time busts Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel.
Blame Baker Mayfield all you want, because the QB wasn't good in the first half.
But an opponent going nearly perfect on third down for an entire half (rookie QB behind center) with only two incomplete passes and a 99-yard drive is another level of ineptitude by a defense.
For all those who complained that Cincinnati didn't deserve to be in the College Football Playoff, I hope they now realize how loaded that team really was.
NINE draft picks.
More than:
Alabama
Michigan
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Also more than Florida
FSU, Miami & USC COMBINED.
"We know exactly what they're going to do." -- Cardinals DC Vance Joseph regarding
#Browns
offense.
If that's not an indictment of Kitchens' play-calling, I don't know what is.
Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson has a hamburger named after him at Elk Horn Brewery in Eugene. The class' top-rated center breaks down his signature sandwich: 🍔
Let me say it again for those in the back: Whether the
#Browns
win or lose tonight, this season is a success. More importantly, the franchise is finally trending in the right direction due to an aligned organizational structure, adroit general manager and excellent head coach.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Harrison Butker's commencement speech: "We have over 3,000 players. ... They have a diversity of opinions & thoughts just like America does. I think that's something that we treasure & that's part of ultimately what makes us as a society better."
Yes, the professional, who's lasted 15 years in the league after being undrafted through hard work, was the problem after the Browns drafted an irresponsible, immature, lazy and entitled college frat boy to replace him. 🙄
The Browns getting this meeting with Deshaun Watson may fracture things beyond repair with Baker Mayfield if a trade doesn't occur.
Where would Cleveland go from there?
Fumble.
Drop.
Gator-arms a pass.
False start.
Doesn't secure catch on fourth down.
These were the Browns' wide receivers with the game on the line.
It's not the QB. Mayfield has played well considering the circumstances.
The idea of Cleveland letting Joe Schobert walk in free agency is mind-boggling. He's never been fully appreciated for how good of a player he really is.
Browns selected three players during the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. All three had their fifth-year options picked up. That's...a change of pace.
Through three weeks of play, the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns are the only teams ranked among the top seven in both total offense and defense.
Three years ago, the Cleveland Browns chose Hue Jackson over the analytics department's preferred choice of Sean McDermott.
McDermott has two winning seasons and two playoff appearances in three seasons.
Jackson + Freddie Kitchens = 9-44-1
Jarvis Landry passive-aggressively trying to force his way out of Cleveland when all he has to do is post this year's salary-cap figure, because that's the real reason why the Browns are almost certainly going to grant his wish this offseason.
#Browns
didn't start RB Nick Chubb until Week 7 of last season. Since then:
254 carries
1,221 rush yards
87.2 YPG
4.8 YPC
10 rush TDs
34 catches
248 receiving yards
2 receiving TDs
104.9 TYPG
...with two more games to play before his first full season as a starter is complete.
Most underappreciated part of Baker Mayfield's growth this season? He's getting really good at the little things like hard counts and playaction fakes.
Currently in my timeline, people are still arguing over:
-- the validity of Deshaun Watson accusations.
-- how much or little Baker Mayfield actually contributed.
-- Jimmy Haslam's involvement.
-- whether John Dorsey deserves more credit.
This fan base is broken, man.
A person doesn't have to fall into one of the two categories:
Baker is the guy & injuries ruined his season -OR- Baker is a bum & needs to go.
Third option: Acknowledge injuries. Recognize he still needed to play better. Understand he's likely Browns' starter next season.
Baker Mayfield needs only 2,247 passing yards during the 2021 campaign to move into fourth all-time in
#Browns
history behind Brian Sipe, Otto Graham and Bernie Kosar.
Despite everything, Cleveland is still 4-2 with...
- Bengals
- Raiders
- (bye)
- Texans
- Eagles
- Jags
...on the docket before December.
Learn from the whipping a Super Bowl contender provided and move on.
Greedy Williams is recovering from nerve damage in his right shoulder, which cost him all of last season.
Denzel Ward has never played a full 16-game slate.
No one should say the Browns don't have any obvious needs. Outside corner is easily the team's biggest area of concern.
Amazes me how many want to credit Kevin Stefanski for Baker Mayfield's success last season without acknowledging his rookie year or fact he went through so many head coaches/systems & still found a way to thrive despite adverse conditions. Maybe Baker deserves some credit, too.
Man, how lazy to call out Mayfield after:
- Three massive drops, including a touchdown pass to Jarvis Landry.
- Awful weather where there's been rain, some snow and massive wind gusts.
- And a defense that can't stop anyone.
Good morning to everyone but those who continually blame Baker Mayfield for everything that goes wrong with the Cleveland Browns.
Evergreen statement: Football is about more than the QB position.
If the Browns win today sans their top four wide receivers, first-round left tackle, starting Mike and Will backers, and a third-string rookie guard in the lineup all with a playoff appearance on the line, immediately hand Kevin Stefanski the NFL Coach of the Year trophy.
Can't talk about Baker Mayfield's soph. slump w/o acknowledging:
1. HC/playcaller out of his depth
2. QB coach change
3. Star WR injuries
4. League's worst pair of tackles
Yes, Mayfield needs to be better. He said so. But the convo runs so much deeper than "He sucks."
Don't worry federal government. Hue Jackson's got this. Mychal Kendricks will now be forced to play every snap during the final preseason contest.
#punishment
#AZCardinals
CB Robert Alford on
#Browns
QB Baker Mayfield: "you can see his progression" every year in NFL. "Baker is an up and coming great QB in this league."
"We knew exactly what the play was going to be." -- TJ Watt on the Steelers' game-winning strip-sack and score.
That's one helluva indictment of the Browns' offensive play-caller.
I hate blaming officiating and I've been very vocal about this point over the years, but something drastic needs to be done by how the league assesses pass interference. Far too subjective yet the most game-changing penalty in the sport.
So, the Browns traded away the opportunity to draft a Pro Bowl alternate QB (Deshaun Watson) only to draft a Pro Bowl alternate QB (Baker Mayfield) AND a Pro Bowl cornerback (Denzel Ward).
The idea Baker Mayfield isn't at the heart of the Browns' coaching search and the the team might move on from him is laughable at best.
It's like everyone forgot what happened prior to this season and thinks a quarterback can't improve when placed in a better situation.
Fun with numbers! Name that middle linebacker:
Player A
97 total tackles
2 sacks
5 TFL
9 PD
4 INT
2 FF
77 coverage grade
Player B
96 tackles
0 sacks
5 TFL
9 PD
2 INT
0 sacks
79.7 coverage grade
One is Luke Kuechly; the other is Joe Schobert.
Three things consistently seen during this draft season that make absolutely no sense to me:
1. Mac Jones over Justin Fields and Trey Lance.
2. The Bengals taking Ja'Marr Chase over Penei Sewell.
3. A linebacker slotted to the Cleveland Browns.
A pregame stat caught my eye and I grew curious.
Total career touchdowns by the top three quarterbacks from the 2018 class:
Josh Allen - 81
#BillsMafia
Baker Mayfield - 76
#Browns
Lamar Jackson - 68
#RavensFlock
(For those curious, Sam Darnold has 46.)
So, let me get this straight.
Odell Beckham requests his release and sits out a few days of practice AFTER asking to be traded during the previous offseason.
Somehow, he was forced out of Cleveland and his old team didn't want him anymore???
Maybe it's just me, but I never heard of a good teammate who 1) publicly criticizes other players on the squad, 2) has others speak on his behalf to belittle a fellow team member and 3) cut off communication with his head coach.
I get being frustrated but that's childish.
The Browns under Gregg Williams' supervision have now won three of their last five. The team won three under Hue Jackson in 40 games.
Coaching matters.
Can't stress enough how well Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is playing. Force player + fills + blitzing + coverage + flying to the football = complete defender.
I haven't seen a single rational person excuse Garrett's actions. But the lack of discipline toward the instigator is perplexing. It's not hard to separate these two things.
I know I'm sick but I might be delirious.
Are people seriously calling for Kevin Stefanski's head after one disappointing campaign?
Did he do a good enough job this season? No. He'll say exactly the same. But the answer isn't cycling through coaches AGAIN. Stefanski can coach.
Funny how a backup Bengals defense is still sitting on the same old plays and stopping them before they get started. Wide receivers still not getting open and drops, of course.
Definitely Baker Mayfield's fault.
In Cleveland's four games without Denzel Ward:
-- Mike Glennon looked like a viable starter in Jacksonville.
-- Ryan Tannehill threw for 389 yards.
-- Lamar Jackson went nuts in second half.
-- Mason Rudolph threw for 315 yards.
Probably just coincidence.