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Cleveland Browns: NFL scout believes Mayfield will be on bench for years

By Dan Justik

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Oklahoma Sooners walks off the field after losing to the Georgia Bulldogs 54-48 in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Oklahoma Sooners walks off the field after losing to the Georgia Bulldogs 54-48 in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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Much of the talk surrounding the Cleveland Browns quarterbacks has been how soon will Baker Mayfield take over as the starter in 2018. But some in the NFL believe that he may not start for a couple of years.

For the first time in a long time, it seems that the Cleveland Browns have a quarterback room that has multiple quarterbacks that can play and win games. With one of those being first overall pick Baker Mayfield, questions remain about when he will play.

The Cleveland Browns acquired Tyrod Taylor in March to let whoever the Browns selected in the draft to sit for a year. That rookie ended up being Mayfield, who many believe could start Week One.

But even if Mayfield is not the starter Week One, there is the assumption that he will take over sooner rather than later. Taylor has one year left on his contract, so it is likely that this is the only season that he is in Cleveland while Mayfield is firmly planted as the starter in 2019.

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But an AFC scout recently told Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman that this may not be the only year that Taylor is in Cleveland.

"It’s this: Taylor isn’t going quietly into the night. In fact, it may be some time before he goes anywhere at all.“Tyrod Taylor could keep Baker Mayfield on the bench for years,” one AFC scout predicted."

The expectation is that Taylor is only a bridge quarterback for the Browns to not force Mayfield into playing before he is ready. But Taylor is one of the most talented quarterbacks the Browns have had since the team returned to Cleveland in 1999.

If Taylor has a good season and leads the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, it will make it hard on the Browns decision makers on what to do with Taylor during the off-season.

Taylor led the Bills to their first playoffs since 1999 last season with a mediocre supporting cast. In Cleveland, he will be playing with a bunch of talented playmakers, the most that he has played with in his entire career. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Taylor has a career year in Cleveland.

The one noticeable aspect if this were to come true is this would not be because Mayfield showed signs of struggling. It would be purely based on the fact that Taylor could play so well, he could make it hard on John Dorsey to let him walk in free agency.

What makes this unlikely is that Taylor will command a large contract in the off-season if he were to have a great year. The Browns would not be willing to pay top-dollar for a quarterback when they also have a first overall pick waiting in the wings.

Next: Five free agents that could help the Browns win now

It may seem unlikely to happen, but Taylor’s play could make it hard for the Browns to let him walk in free agency. But the pressure of having a first overall pick will likely push Taylor out of Cleveland at the end of the season, no matter how well he plays. But for the quarterbacks the Browns have thrown out on the field in the past, this is a good problem to have.

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