Browns Should Make Baker Mayfield Compete to Remain Their Quarterback

The Cleveland Browns wrap up 2019 failing to make it to the playoffs in a season filled with high expectations and heavy scrutiny. And in the end, all the Browns have to show for it is another fired coach and a vacant general manager position. The season was marred by distractions where star players are showing off expensive watches in the first couple of weeks, followed by a player striking another player with a helmet. Finally and quite possibly the saddest moment of all, you have Browns players begging opposing team's players to encourage their GM to 'come get them.'

Browns now enter unseen or familiar terrain because their bold offseason moves were seen as a giant motivating factor in fans and media alike to believe in them, only for it to all fall apart. One glaring issue staring them in the face is the case of Baker Mayfield.

His 2018 season was awkward as their previous 'former' head coach, Hue Jackson, hesitated to use Mayfield in favor of a player with experience at first. Mayfield eventually gets the start and brings so much life back to Cleveland that everybody is convinced he's the savior that Cleveland needed. The 2019 season, however, proved to be dismal, to say the least. Mayfield currently holds a 2019 stat line of 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Since 2018 the Browns have fired three coaches and one GM, and the organization has to be wondering if it's time to look at the talent. Jason McIntyre believes we're due for Mayfield to earn his keep. In a draft class that has the Jets all-in on Sam Darnold, Bills all-in on Josh Allen, and Ravens all-in on Lamar Jackson, Browns feel embarrassingly behind with their number one pick. Consider that Josh Rosen was immediately pushed aside by the Arizona Cardinals because they realized, right away that they had drafted the wrong guy.

Jason McIntyre believes the Browns have an opportunity to bring in some other quarterbacks around the league and make Mayfield compete to keep his starting spot:

"Get some competition in there for Baker Mayfield. Get him focused on playing quarterback. Just cause you went #1, it doesn't mean SQUAT. We saw Josh Rosen go #10 a couple years ago. After one year, the Cardinals shipped him out of town. They got a new coach and said, 'bye.' Nothing is given in the NFL. It will humble you quickly.

If I'm the Cleveland Browns, I would pursue a guy like Marcus Mariota or Case Keenum to be my back up to push Baker. Say to Baker, 'We're not giving you anything. The guy who picked you...HE GONE! The coach who had you...HE GONE! This is a new regime: Strap in, Baker. GROW UP. Stop getting in online fights and talking to these dopes in stadiums. You don't need that; you're better than this.'"

Listen to Jason McIntyre's full take below as he explains how Mayfield's story began as him being the underdog and why it may be best to put him back into position to 'rise to the occasion' rather than pat him on the back for showing up.