BANKING ON BAKER
By STEVE KING
OK, so what’s going to happen with, and to, Baker Mayfield this season?
Is he going to right himself and get his career back on track as the Browns franchise quarterback after a disappointing, rough-and-tumble 2019? Or are last fall’s problems going to morph over into this fall, possibly – or perhaps even probably – causing the Browns to seriously rethink him and their quarterback situation?
- The Baker Mayfield Project
- Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods press conference
- Ryan Grigson Joins Browns, again
- Gear section Attention CLE fans
- Myles Garrett vs Mason Rudolph – Anybody looking forward to playing Pittsburgh?
- Video: Myles Garrett showing why he is, well…Myles Garrett
- Good Move
- Looking for a Monster Golf Swing to show off at the Annual Browns Golf Outing?
It’s impossible to say if we should be banking on Baker. Who really knows for sure?
But people in the media, especially the sports media, which is built on such things, are asked to look at all the facts and even the suppositions and make predictions on this, that and the other. It’s what people expect. It’s what we do.
And my prediction – though, of course, it’s just a guess, like everybody else’s prognostications – is that Mayfield will rebound – and then some – and have a strong and impressive 2020 season that will get him and his career straightened around. With it, then, the Browns offense, and the team overall, will have a resurgence, too, and, following the nightmarish 6-10 finish of 2019, Cleveland will be a real contender not just in the North Division but also the AFC as a whole.
Browns fans would like to have that happen – of course they would – and I really think it will.
At least that’s my prediction – er, best guess.
But why?
Why do I think that?
It’s not just because I want to see it, though that would be great. Rather, the reason for my answer is three-fold.
First and foremost, Mayfield has the ability. All those scouts and general managers, including then Browns GM John Dorsey, weren’t wrong in 2018 when they had him rated highly heading into the NFL Draft. He was worthy of all that. He earned it from what he had done in college, especially at Oklahoma, where he finished his career.
Then, after starting the 2018 season on the bench, sitting behind Tyrod Taylor, he came on and had an outstanding – and in most cases, historic – rookie season. You saw it. I saw it. We all saw it. He was nothing short of brilliant.
But on top of all that, there’s something more about banking on Baker.
And that’s coming in my next post.
