Daily Dawg Tags: Who the heck is Mike White?
By Thomas Moore
The Cleveland Browns are once again in the market for a starting quarterback. Could Western Kentucky’s Mike White really be the answer?
The Cleveland Browns are widely expected to walk out of the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft with a shiny new quarterback.
The player will likely come from the group of Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, USC’s Sam Darnold, Wyoming’s Josh Allen and UCLA’s Josh Rosen.
But what if there is another candidate that has caught the eye of general manager John Dorsey?
That could be the case according to Tony Pauline at draftanalyst.com, who opines that Western Kentucky quarterback Mike White is one of Dorsey’s favorites.
Well, isn’t that interesting?
Cleveland Browns
White spent his first two college seasons at South Florida before transferring to Western Kentucky after head coach Willie Taggart switched the Bulls offense from a pro-style attack to a spread offense.
White was the starting quarterback for the Hilltoppers for two seasons, during which he completed 66 percent of his passes for 8,540 yards, 63 touchdowns and just 15 interceptions.
That’s more passing yards over the past two seasons than Jackson (7,203) and just a tick below Mayfield (8,592).
White also caught the attention of Pro Football Focus, especially when it comes to deep throws, as the site graded White with a passer rating of 118.1 on the long ball.
The Hilltoppers went 11-3 in White’s first season as the starter, but slipped to just 6-7 this past season, while not exactly playing a difficult schedule as a member of Conference USA.
Finally, White has the size that NFL teams look for as he is listed at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds on the Western Kentucky team website.
So what does that mean for the Browns?
White can’t be in the conversation for either of Cleveland’s first round selections, currently No.1 and No. 4 as he is very much a development quarterback. But if Dorsey believes that White will still be there in the later rounds, the Browns have the draft assets to make a move and pick him up.
Browns fans can follow White during practices this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The game will take place on Saturday at 2 p.m. and be televised by the NFL Network.
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Todd Haley brings instant credibility to Browns (ESPN)
"There’s zero reason to complain about hiring Todd Haley as the Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator. Haley brings credibility and accomplishment with him from Pittsburgh. This move strengthens the coaching staff and allows Hue Jackson to focus on the big picture, especially with Haley expected to take over play-calling."
Josh Allen wants to be the guy for the Browns (cleveland.com)
"At least one quarterback named Josh is saying all the right things about the Cleveland Browns heading into the draft."
NFL news:
Giants hire Pat Shurmur to revitalize struggling team (New York Times)
"The New York Giants, who missed the playoffs this year for the fifth time in six seasons and lost 13 games for the first time in the team’s 92-year history, completed the second major step in a sweeping overhaul on Monday by naming Pat Shurmur as the franchise’s new head coach."
Sorry Bengals fans, Mike Brown isn’t changing (cincinnati.com)
"Mike Brown shouldn’t talk publicly anymore to people like me. His handlers in the Bengals PR department should consider insisting on that. I say this in all sincerity and, believe it or not, with a certain affection for the team’s president. He isn’t helping himself."
Steve Wilks brings steady, firm hand to Cardinals (azcentral.com)
"It appears hard to find someone who didn’t enjoy playing for Steve Wilks over Wilks’ 12 years as an assistant coach in the NFL. But that doesn’t mean the new Cardinals coach spent all his time patting guys on the back, saying, “There, there.”"
Alshon Jeffery one game away from Super Bowl guarantee (Chicago Sun-Times)
"After a 38-10 drubbing at the hands of the Vikings on Jan. 1, 2017, capping a 3-13 finish, Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery made a bold — some might say, ridiculous — prediction. Jeffery told reporters, “I guarantee you we’ll win a Super Bowl next year.” If you’re willing to concede that he never really defined “we,” then Jeffery is 60 minutes away from delivering on his lofty prophecy."