Baker Mayfield and Boiling down the rhetoric

By Steve King

Will Baker Mayfield be the answer?

You’ve read this before on this site, but it’s worth repeating, especially for the purpose of this post.

That is, there was so much talk about the NFL Draft leading up to it, so much during it and so much in the two weeks since, that it’s dizzying. If you try to comprehend it all, or even just a decent portion of it, you’ll get a headache.

But if you’re going to remember only few things that were said, let this be one of them.

It’s from ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., who, during a long discussion with several fellow analysts about the Browns’ selections, made this comment in summation, “We’re talking about this guy and that guy and how they’ll fit and this, that and the other, but the fact of the matter is that none of this other stuff will matter if the Browns don’t hit on their quarterback. That’s the most important thing. It will all depend on that.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

The NFL – really, football at all levels – is all about the quarterback. That’s because the game today is all about the offense and scoring points, and the only way to do that consistently is with a great quarterback.

The Browns haven’t had a great quarterback for any length of time in the expansion era – not since Bernie Kozar departed midway through the 1993 season. That’s – gulp! – 24 years ago.

That’s obviously way, way too long.

But no matter how long it is – or isn’t – the quarterback is the key. Not just A key, but rather THE key.

As such, then, Is No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield the guy for whom the Browns have so desperately sought since 1999?

He had better be, or else a lot of people will pay for it with their jobs.