https://www.nfl.com/news/browns-plan-to-move-forward-with-baker-mayfield-as-their-qb

@hoorta said:

1) Rodgers isn't coming here, too expensive from what we'd have to give up in terms of draft picks and players. Plus, he's just a short term fix.   Correct

2) I forgot to mention Deshawn Watson... No thanks, trouble with a capital T.   There are those that like him for us.

3) Mayfield for Carr plus a 2nd is interesting to me though.  (Probably not happening)   I don't know why the Raiders would do this...except Baker fits the Raider aura.  

4) Not interested in Cousins either.  

5) Regarding Keenum..  He's the only quality backup QB currently on the roster.  We can release him after the season, and it only costs us a tad over a million against the cap.  

If we think our 3rd stringer is good enough to be the backup, then we can let Keenum go.  But Keenum is a good guy to have as a backup...though pricey.  

Keenum on the roster with no changes carries a salary of 7.83 next season.. seems a bit ridiculous given all our needs.

@westside-steve said:

Originally I'd picked a Mullins and Charlie Whitehurst Jersey. Speaking of opinions I think Rodgers would be a klusterfuk. If, as you seem to think, stefanski can't control Baker Mayfield how do you think he'd get along with Aaron Rodgers? How much better with the team be without two or three of our starting players and a couple of our future first-round picks? Sounds like a winner to you?

And, as you seem to think, stefaski hates Case Keenum why hasn't he talked Andrew Berry into dumping him at his salary?

WSS

1) Rodgers isn't coming here, too expensive from what we'd have to give up in terms of draft picks and players. Plus, he's just a short term fix.   

2) I forgot to mention Deshawn Watson... No thanks, trouble with a capital T. 

3) Mayfield for Carr plus a 2nd is interesting to me though.  (Probably not happening)

4) Not interested in Cousins either.  

5) Regarding Keenum..  He's the only quality backup QB currently on the roster.  We can release him after the season, and it only costs us a tad over a million against the cap.  

@hoorta said:

Steve, MHO is Mar-eee-oh-ta isn't an upgrade over Baker.  You probably realize the silly season has started early in Cleveland, linking every potential qb (Rodgers, Wilson) to the Browns plus a couple trades.    Like an even swap of Mayfield for Kirk Cousins, or trading for Derek Carr.   

Originally I'd picked a Mullins and Charlie Whitehurst Jersey. Speaking of opinions I think Rodgers would be a klusterfuk. If, as you seem to think, stefanski can't control Baker Mayfield how do you think he'd get along with Aaron Rodgers? How much better with the team be without two or three of our starting players and a couple of our future first-round picks? Sounds like a winner to you?

And, as you seem to think, stefaski hates Case Keenum why hasn't he talked Andrew Berry into dumping him at his salary?

WSS

@westside-steve said:

Steve, MHO is Mar-eee-oh-ta isn't an upgrade over Baker.  You probably realize the silly season has started early in Cleveland, linking every potential qb (Rodgers, Wilson) to the Browns plus a couple trades.    Like an even swap of Mayfield for Kirk Cousins, or trading for Derek Carr.   

@gumby73 said:

Missed my Saturday morning cartoons ?

I'm just waiting on the comedy sketch artist's, to put these two on the nose of the Cleveland Titanic, as they escort them both to Baker's LA surgery

Haslam.............. "ex-umm" "we will need both of your phones & any social media devises" ? Your agent has our digits 

Speaking of "comedy"  I guess some Jaguars fans are so irate that Kahn won't fire their GM, they're encouraging everyone to wear clown outfits to the game against the Colts Sunday.   

I'm just waiting on the comedy sketch artist's, to put these two on the nose of the Cleveland Titanic, as they escort them both to Baker's LA surgery

Haslam.............. "ex-umm" "we will need both of your phones & any social media devises" ? Your agent has our digits 

     ya see what happens when you report ufo's ? ? (nah-nu nah-nu) 

    Jimm'a to Depot      

I will see my way OuT !   ??

@hx214 said:

I could care less what they do at QB, as long as it's good for the team.

But feeling well enough to get on the field to play has little to do with getting on the field and being 100%

Case Keenum blows. Kev knows it. Went with the best option he had to win.

Christ. Myles Garrett tweaked a groin 3 weeks ago. He's been on the field since and has done NOTHING. Dude lined up against one of the worst OLines in football and couldn't record a sack against a old fat QB.

So did TJ Watt have a recent groin issue. His second one, plus he has cracked ribs.  He recorded 4 sacks.

The Steelers pretty much kept Myles at bay the first time they played. He managed 1 sack.

Blaming "injuries" is way overrated.

An old article from 2015:

• The NFL has 1,696 players; very few are not playing through some ailment
• Soon after Peyton Manning’s record ninth one-and-done playoff appearance in Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts, a report surfaced that he had played with a torn right quadriceps since mid-December. Aaron Rodgers, while clearly debilitated, had a better result playing on an injured calf. Despite variant outcomes, both quarterbacks, and particularly Rodgers, have since shared hero status for playing through pain.
• In NFL, playing through pain comes with territory | NFL | The Guardian

If people feel Baker needs to be 100% in order for him not to suck, then he's not a top notch QB.

@nickers said:

Yeah Myles has fallen off the map...

Myles Garrett is playing with an injury. Nick Chubb was playing with an injury. Without using the word hate how many of you guys are [upset] that they didn't sit down and let the 2nd 3rd or 4th string play?

WSS

@hx214 said:

I could care less what they do at QB, as long as it's good for the team.

But feeling well enough to get on the field to play has little to do with getting on the field and being 100%

Case Keenum blows. Kev knows it. Went with the best option he had to win.

Christ. Myles Garrett tweaked a groin 3 weeks ago. He's been on the field since and has done NOTHING. Dude lined up against one of the worst OLines in football and couldn't record a sack against a old fat QB.

Yeah Myles has fallen off the map...

@gorka said:

Baker felt well enough to play, the doctors say he's well enough to play, the coach says he's well enough to play, him practicing during the week says he's well enough to play.

My feeling is that his injuries had zero to do with his poor performance.

I could care less what they do at QB, as long as it's good for the team.

But feeling well enough to get on the field to play has little to do with getting on the field and being 100%

Case Keenum blows. Kev knows it. Went with the best option he had to win.

Christ. Myles Garrett tweaked a groin 3 weeks ago. He's been on the field since and has done NOTHING. Dude lined up against one of the worst OLines in football and couldn't record a sack against a old fat QB.

@hoorta said:

Don't make it a black or white sort of thing Steve. There's shades of grey in between.  I don't "hate" Baker. I do think it's a bad idea to not bring in a plan "B" in whatever form for the 2022 season. I am sorry he played poorly because of the bum shoulder and other injuries. Too bad he couldn't look in a mirror and objectively see his performance was hurting the team. That performance against the Steelers was an abomination, the worst I've seen from a Browns quarterback in years. Brandon We-Done bad. You get zero sympathy from the other teams Baker. If you want to say I DO hate watching our quarterback shit himself all over the field, you're correct in that regard.

Stefanski must have zero confidence in Keenum if he didn't shelve Baker after the Patriots game and start Case.  In that six game span, he STUNK in four of them.  Sub 60 qbr for the record... 9 TDs to 10 INTs. That blows dead worms.   Does Kevin bear some responsibility for not sitting Mayfield sooner? Absolutely!!!   

One thing for sure Steve- should Baker win the starting job in 2022, he's going to be operating on a very short leash. That is, if Stefanski has two communicating neurons. We can't afford to flush another season riding a lame horse.  

Too much blame is put on "injuries".

Those that feel that Baker is the guy are clinging to hopes that it was the injuries that set him back. I say they're in for a rude awakening..

Baker felt well enough to play, the doctors say he's well enough to play, the coach says he's well enough to play, him practicing during the week says he's well enough to play.

My feeling is that his injuries had zero to do with his poor performance.

It boils down to only two arguments heard on this board...either Baker truly sucks, or he doesn't have the weapons to be successful.

@hoorta said:

Don't make it a black or white sort of thing Steve. There's shades of grey in between.  I don't "hate" Baker. I do think it's a bad idea to not bring in a plan "B" in whatever form for the 2022 season. I am sorry he played poorly because of the bum shoulder and other injuries. Too bad he couldn't look in a mirror and objectively see his performance was hurting the team. That performance against the Steelers was an abomination, the worst I've seen from a Browns quarterback in years. Brandon We-Done bad. You get zero sympathy from the other teams Baker. If you want to say I DO hate watching our quarterback shit himself all over the field, you're correct in that regard.

Stefanski must have zero confidence in Keenum if he didn't shelve Baker after the Patriots game and start Case.  In that six game span, he STUNK in four of them.  Sub 60 qbr for the record... 9 TDs to 10 INTs. That blows dead worms.   Does Kevin bear some responsibility for not sitting Mayfield sooner? Absolutely!!!   I won't buy the conspiracy theory that Kev was trotting Baker out there so he could fail, and in the process get rid of him. That would be the classic cutting your nose off to spite your face. But if he was playing Mayfield because Baker told him.. "Hey coach, I'm good to go." That wasn't very smart.   

One thing for sure Steve- should Baker win the starting job in 2022, he's going to be operating on a very short leash. That is, if Stefanski has two communicating neurons. We can't afford to flush another season riding a lame horse.  

@westside-steve said:

Apparently you've been drinking again. There are haters and there are apologists. Consider me the latter if you must. But that's not the point of the o p. Neither is this next sentence: Baker doesn't decide who starts at quarterback nor does he call the plays predictable or not. Kevin Stefanski does. If we lost more games because of that that's his fault. Is it your opinion that Baker should have been benched at the point of the injury and gone straight to surgery?

If that's your opinion without any insult I think you're wrong. Aside from that if it was Stefanski's incorrect decision that's bad but if Jimmy Haslam ordered him to do it that's worse.

And again that's a discussion for the other thread. This one is about who will be the darling of the haters. Mariota? Bridgewater? Watson? Dalton? Bum off the street?

WSS

Don't make it a black or white sort of thing Steve. There's shades of grey in between.  I don't "hate" Baker. I do think it's a bad idea to not bring in a plan "B" in whatever form for the 2022 season. I am sorry he played poorly because of the bum shoulder and other injuries. Too bad he couldn't look in a mirror and objectively see his performance was hurting the team. That performance against the Steelers was an abomination, the worst I've seen from a Browns quarterback in years. Brandon We-Done bad. You get zero sympathy from the other teams Baker. If you want to say I DO hate watching our quarterback shit himself all over the field, you're correct in that regard.

Stefanski must have zero confidence in Keenum if he didn't shelve Baker after the Patriots game and start Case.  In that six game span, he STUNK in four of them.  Sub 60 qbr for the record... 9 TDs to 10 INTs. That blows dead worms.   Does Kevin bear some responsibility for not sitting Mayfield sooner? Absolutely!!!   I won't buy the conspiracy theory that Kev was trotting Baker out there so he could fail, and in the process get rid of him. That would be the classic cutting your nose off to spite your face. But if he was playing Mayfield because Baker told him.. "Hey coach, I'm good to go." That wasn't very smart.   

One thing for sure Steve- should Baker win the starting job in 2022, he's going to be operating on a very short leash. That is, if Stefanski has two communicating neurons. We can't afford to flush another season riding a lame horse.  

@nickers said:

As much as I hate to admit it... Baker is becoming a cancer...

He would be better off to go dark on social media and just have surgery, go to Texas and rehab in silence 

But he won’t 

@orion said:

...that certainly is not going to be a popular view.  But it is a well stated view.  Baker has had 4 years to show that he's great.  But he really hasn't.  And I'd have liked to have been in the meeting room with Berry and OBJ after OBJ's Dad's tweet.  What did OBJ have to say?  Could it have been something like, "The QB is not too good.  The coach wants 3 TE's and 2 thousand yard RB's.  My stats and value are going to go into the shitter here.  I don't want to be here".   If he felt the QB wasn't gettin' him to a SB then I can see a guy like OBJ plotting to get out.

Early on, I felt like we had a chance at the end of games with Baker.  Perhaps mostly because I hadn't felt ANYTHING like that in the previous 20 years.  But over Baker's 4 years I gradually lost that feeling.  And the reason is mostly because he DOESN'T bring us down the field for the wins.  He may make some throws, mixed with some Chubb long runs and scores...and we get out to a nice lead....but we're always trying to cling on to that lead.

Baker has had some good games.  But he's had too many not too good games.  We need better than that from our QB to win a championship.  Whether that's attainable any time soon...who knows right now.  We may have to ride with Baker.  All that said, he's still about the best QB we've had this century....but, the bar wasn't incredibly high.

As much as I hate to admit it... Baker is becoming a cancer...

@berniesuperbowl2 said:

I’ll turn the tables. Last year was the “perfect storm” for Baker. In 2020, Baker benefited from the best o-line in the NFL and the best running game in the NFL. Stefanski made him look better than he did. We had no major injuries on offense outside of Odell in 2020, who Baker had zero chemistry with because Baker is a one read quarterback. This year our RB’s were banged up, we had injuries to the o-line, and we asked Baker to step up and be the man. He couldn’t do it.

Out of the last 20 years, including more than 100 QB’s, Baker is near dead last in 4^th quarter crunch time stats. He has no athleticism and has the mental/emotional maturity of a 12 year boy. We will never win a Super Bowl with him ever. This year wasn’t a down year for Baker, this year is the normal for Baker - you’re not going to have the number one o-line and running game each and every year. A quarterback needs to be able to pass the ball, not turn the ball over .....and lead us to a field goal or a touchdown in the 4^th quarter. It's not his shoulder, it's not the lack of a #1 WR - we had a #1WR and Baker sucked so bad he went to another team where he's scoring a touchdown every game. 

...that certainly is not going to be a popular view.  But it is a well stated view.  Baker has had 4 years to show that he's great.  But he really hasn't.  And I'd have liked to have been in the meeting room with Berry and OBJ after OBJ's Dad's tweet.  What did OBJ have to say?  Could it have been something like, "The QB is not too good.  The coach wants 3 TE's and 2 thousand yard RB's.  My stats and value are going to go into the shitter here.  I don't want to be here".   If he felt the QB wasn't gettin' him to a SB then I can see a guy like OBJ plotting to get out.

Early on, I felt like we had a chance at the end of games with Baker.  Perhaps mostly because I hadn't felt ANYTHING like that in the previous 20 years.  But over Baker's 4 years I gradually lost that feeling.  And the reason is mostly because he DOESN'T bring us down the field for the wins.  He may make some throws, mixed with some Chubb long runs and scores...and we get out to a nice lead....but we're always trying to cling on to that lead.

Baker has had some good games.  But he's had too many not too good games.  We need better than that from our QB to win a championship.  Whether that's attainable any time soon...who knows right now.  We may have to ride with Baker.  All that said, he's still about the best QB we've had this century....but, the bar wasn't incredibly high.

Maybe with his injuries he knew his limitations.

@bob806 said:

I think we all have a little bit of that in our head. The guy was a minority shareholder in the (despised) Steelers organization. As much as we hate the Steelers, they certainly seem to run their team in a well thought out manner.

I want to give Haslam some credit for laying low the last couple years. I think he realized he was meddling way too much, impeding any progress. 

Now comes the tough time for Haslam....the losing and finger pointing by players,fans, local & national sportswriters/broadcasters....can he remain in the background? Easy for me to say, he needs to TRUST Andrew Berry and let him handle things. 

Please, let's not go backwards & do the lather, rinse, repeat thing of firing everybody and starting over. 

Word is that Jimmy has begun to do just that: meddling again. He's been since about halfway through the season, so hold on. 

@calfoxwc said:

from hater fans who don't understand it's a team game.

Sometimes I wonder if Baker understands it’s a team game?

@nickers said:

The first thing that needs to happen is we need to get the Tennesee Hucksters to sell the team to someone who knows wtf they are doing...

I think we all have a little bit of that in our head. The guy was a minority shareholder in the (despised) Steelers organization. As much as we hate the Steelers, they certainly seem to run their team in a well thought out manner.

I want to give Haslam some credit for laying low the last couple years. I think he realized he was meddling way too much, impeding any progress. 

Now comes the tough time for Haslam....the losing and finger pointing by players,fans, local & national sportswriters/broadcasters....can he remain in the background? Easy for me to say, he needs to TRUST Andrew Berry and let him handle things. 

Please, let's not go backwards & do the lather, rinse, repeat thing of firing everybody and starting over.