Rumor: Baker Mayfield Gaining Steam to Be #1 Overall Pick

[Wamu]

 

[Cyder]

That's the possibility I see as well. It's going to have to be a really sweet deal for Cle though since most people only have 15 or so first round grades in this draft.

It would be a stretch but Buffalo as the #12 and #22 and need a QB. You might even be able to get their #1 next year. On top of that, Denver might want one of the QB's in which case Cleveland can threaten to trade with Buffalo and get an extra pick from Denver and move back only one spot in which case the still get who they would have taken anyway.

Thursday is going to be very interesting.

 

[Tharvot]

It would be a stretch but Buffalo as the #12 and #22 and need a QB. You might even be able to get their #1 next year. On top of that, Denver might want one of the QB's in which case Cleveland can threaten to trade with Buffalo and get an extra pick from Denver and move back only one spot in which case the still get who they would have taken anyway.

Thursday is going to be very interesting.

Yes indeed. I'm cautiously optimistic.

My ultimate preference if for Barkley at 1 and Chubb at 4 because I believe they can get by with Tyrod at QB for a handful of seasons and those 2 are immediate big impact guys. That's a pipedream though.

I fully expect them to go QB at 1 and probably Chubb at 4, though I would be just as happy with Barkley at 4 if he's there.

I will not be happy with at QB at 1 and trade down at 4 because in all likelihood it means another season of rebuilding. Unlikely that whoever they get in the mid-late first will have the same impact as the guy at 4 and the QB at 1 will (hopefully) not sniff the field.

 

[Cyder]

Yes indeed. I'm cautiously optimistic.

My ultimate preference if for Barkley at 1 and Chubb at 4 because I believe they can get by with Tyrod at QB for a handful of seasons and those 2 are immediate big impact guys. That's a pipedream though.

I fully expect them to go QB at 1 and probably Chubb at 4, though I would be just as happy with Barkley at 4 if he's there.

I will not be happy with at QB at 1 and trade down at 4 because in all likelihood it means another season of rebuilding. Unlikely that whoever they get in the mid-late first will have the same impact as the guy at 4 and the QB at 1 will (hopefully) not sniff the field.

Tyrod is terrible. I used to be a supporter but watching him in the playoff game last year was painful.

 

[Tharvot]

Tyrod is terrible. I used to be a supporter but watching him in the playoff game last year was painful.

He's a mediocre NFL QB, which would make him the best QB the Browns have had since returning to the league. Hell, Brian Hoyer had them competing for the division 1/2 way through the season a few years back.

 

[shopson67]

If Barkley is gone I can see them trading out of the #4 to a team that needs a QB and is willing to pay through the nose for it.

That would put them in better value position to draft an OT.

I'm not sure anyone is going to "pay through the nose" though, as they know the Browns won't take another one and the 3 likely trade partners (Miami, Buffalo, Cardinals) are coming from the same general range. Miami and Cardinals aren't really in good position to overpay with draft choices, (the Bills would be easily ahead of them with their 2 1sts, which is already more than the chart value).

 

[shopson67]

He's a mediocre NFL QB, which would make him the best QB the Browns have had since returning to the league. Hell, Brian Hoyer had them competing for the division 1/2 way through the season a few years back.

Aim higher

 

[Tharvot]

Aim higher

If the tradeoff is having Barkley and Chubb on your team, I think you are aiming higher. Certainly worth a hypothetical debate.

Maybe it's Cleveland's putrid history with QBs that biases me against them, but I simply am not terribly high on any of the QBs in this draft. IMO, Mayfield is the best of the group and he has his own negatives.

 

[shopson67]

If the tradeoff is having Barkley and Chubb on your team, I think you are aiming higher. Certainly worth a hypothetical debate.

Maybe it's Cleveland's putrid history with QBs that biases me against them, but I simply am not terribly high on any of the QBs in this draft. IMO, Mayfield is the best of the group and he has his own negatives.

What will it take for you to be high on a QB prospect? Many consider this to be one of the better QB classes in recent memory. It really is best to lock one up (hopefully the right one) when you are in the ideal draft position to do so. You're going to like it even less if they don't take one this year, then have to spend a bunch of draft picks to trade up and get one next year. Much easier to take a bad pick if it didn't take 4 picks to get in position for that pick.

 

[Roy Munson]

31 teams approve of that pick.

 

[Tharvot]

What will it take for you to be high on a QB prospect? Many consider this to be one of the better QB classes in recent memory. It really is best to lock one up (hopefully the right one) when you are in the ideal draft position to do so. You're going to like it even less if they don't take one this year, then have to spend a bunch of draft picks to trade up and get one next year. Much easier to take a bad pick if it didn't take 4 picks to get in position for that pick.

What??? Who? The past 3 QB classes have been better going in.

The class with Goff and Wentz was easily better than this group. Last year, I think both Watson and Mahommes were better than this class. 2015 was better with Jameis and Mariota.

The only QB in this class that has impressed me at all has been Mayfield. I won't be upset if the Browns take him at #1, in fact I like him despite being a cocky son of a bitch. I'm not high on Darnold or Allen (in fact, I think Allen is nothing more than a white JaMarcus Russell) and Rosen is a complete headcase.

 

[shopson67]

What??? Who? The past 3 QB classes have been better going in.

The class with Goff and Wentz was easily better than this group. Last year, I think both Watson and Mahommes were better than this class. 2015 was better with Jameis and Mariota.

The only QB in this class that has impressed me at all has been Mayfield. I won't be upset if the Browns take him at #1, in fact I like him despite being a cocky son of a bitch. I'm not high on Darnold or Allen (in fact, I think Allen is nothing more than a white JaMarcus Russell) and Rosen is a complete headcase.

Most of those classes haven't proven to be more than 2 deep though. People were ready to dump Goff after a bad start under Fisher. Jameis and Mariota haven't led their teams too far as of yet. Mahomes is still unproven and Watson already proved one of his weaknesses (build) to be an issue. Trubisky hasn't exactly wowed as of yet either.

All prospects have their negatives, and these guys are all pretty different. Just depends on what negatives you can teach around and improve.

 

[Tharvot]

Most of those classes haven't proven to be more than 2 deep though. People were ready to dump Goff after a bad start under Fisher. Jameis and Mariota haven't led their teams too far as of yet. Mahomes is still unproven and Watson already proved one of his weaknesses (build) to be an issue. Trubisky hasn't exactly wowed as of yet either.

All prospects have their negatives, and these guys are all pretty different. Just depends on what negatives you can teach around and improve.

Well we can't say ANY of the current crop will amount to anything in the NFL. Just because there are more QBs doesn't mean the crop is necessarily better. The fact that none of the top 4 QBs stands out as the clear choice at #1 indicates that none are all that great rather than all being worthy.

 

[shopson67]

Well we can't say ANY of the current crop will amount to anything in the NFL. Just because there are more QBs doesn't mean the crop is necessarily better. The fact that none of the top 4 QBs stands out as the clear choice at #1 indicates that none are all that great rather than all being worthy.

Glass half full / glass half empty. It's all a matter of perspective. You're loaded up against QBs, so of course you're going to view it that way...

 

[Across The Field]

Most of those classes haven't proven to be more than 2 deep though. People were ready to dump Goff after a bad start under Fisher. Jameis and Mariota haven't led their teams too far as of yet. Mahomes is still unproven and Watson already proved one of his weaknesses (build) to be an issue. Trubisky hasn't exactly wowed as of yet either.

All prospects have their negatives, and these guys are all pretty different. Just depends on what negatives you can teach around and improve.

I think the issue is, none of these QBs are in the Andrew Luck type of mold. However, Barkley and Chubb are truly elite prospects that are about as close to being "can't miss" as prospects can get. Look at what happened in Dallas two years ago. This Browns team with Barkley and Tyrod would remind me a LOT of that Dallas team.

 

[Tharvot]

Glass half full / glass half empty. It's all a matter of perspective. You're loaded up against QBs, so of course you're going to view it that way...

I'm resigned to the fact that the Browns will likely take a QB at #1, though I'm not sold on any of them being locks at that spot. IMO, their franchise would be served well by taking Barkley at 1 and Chubb at 4, but if they miss out on a QB that turns out to be the next Aaron Rodgers, they'll never live it down. It's a crap shoot. The reason I like the other 2 ahead of the QBs is because I see them as more of a sure thing in terms of NFL success than the QBs. It's all speculation at this point. In 5 years or so, we will have a better picture of who was worthy of the top spot.

 

[shopson67]

I think the issue is, none of these QBs are in the Andrew Luck type of mold. However, Barkley and Chubb are truly elite prospects that are about as close to being "can't miss" as prospects can get. Look at what happened in Dallas two years ago. This Browns team with Barkley and Tyrod would remind me a LOT of that Dallas team.

Browns have missed with "can't miss" DL and RB picks high in the draft before too. Prospects like Luck are extremely rare, and even he has his doubters now with his injuries.

 

[shopson67]

I'm resigned to the fact that the Browns will likely take a QB at #1, though I'm not sold on any of them being locks at that spot. IMO, their franchise would be served well by taking Barkley at 1 and Chubb at 4, but if they miss out on a QB that turns out to be the next Aaron Rodgers, they'll never live it down. It's a crap shoot. The reason I like the other 2 ahead of the QBs is because I see them as more of a sure thing in terms of NFL success than the QBs. It's all speculation at this point. In 5 years or so, we will have a better picture of who was worthy of the top spot.

All true, other than I would argue that they already passed on two QBs that are on their way to great careers, potentially Rodgers-esque.

 

[Roy Munson]

What??? Who? The past 3 QB classes have been better going in.

The class with Goff and Wentz was easily better than this group. Last year, I think both Watson and Mahommes were better than this class. 2015 was better with Jameis and Mariota.

The only QB in this class that has impressed me at all has been Mayfield. I won't be upset if the Browns take him at #1, in fact I like him despite being a cocky son of a bitch. I'm not high on Darnold or Allen (in fact, I think Allen is nothing more than a white JaMarcus Russell) and Rosen is a complete headcase.

Headcase or not, Rosen has the talent.

 

[shopson67]

Headcase or not, Rosen has the talent.

I personally think he has the most arm talent in the class. He doesn't have Allen's howitzer, but can make all the throws.