Will the Cleveland Browns stick to their quarterback plan?

The Cleveland Browns organization has planned on starting Tyrod Taylor while Baker Mayfield sits and learns the style of the NFL, but will they actually stick to that plan?

The Cleveland Browns front office and coaching staff have been adamant that Tyrod Taylor will be the starting quarterback for the 2018 season. By doing this, the organization is trying to not rush Baker Mayfield onto the field until he is absolutely ready to play.

The hope is that Mayfield will understand most of the dynamics of the NFL and will not have that many growing pains when they make him the full-time starter.

But this is a plan the Browns have tried many times before, and it usually does not work. One example came in 2010 when Colt McCoy was not supposed to play in his rookie season. But after injuries to the starting quarterback and backup quarterback, McCoy was forced to play, with less than stellar results.

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The same can be said in 2016 with Cody Kessler. After injuries to Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown, Kessler was put on the field before he was expected to. He also struggled to win games in that situation.

Granted both McCoy and Kessler were third-round picks and did not have the talent that Mayfield does. But even talent will not help a quarterback transition from college to learning an NFL playbook or game-planning for a NFL defense. Rookies also need to understand to take care of their body throughout a longer season against more physical players.

These are the types of little things that coaches hope rookie quarterbacks can learn while sitting on the bench without the stress of trying to win games solely on their shoulders. The Browns plan on this happening with Mayfield learning underneath Taylor and Drew Stanton. And it seems like a plan the Browns will follow through on.

While appearing on The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima on 92.3 The Fan on Monday, Browns reporter Daryl Ruiter was asked if Mayfield will be given an opportunity to show what he can do with the first-team offense.

“Not right now, no,” Ruiter said. “The plan is Tyrod Taylor is the starting quarterback for the Browns in 2018. I give the organization credit, they actually seem to be ready to actually stick to a plan. For the first time in about 20 years, it looks like they may actually stick to a plan.”

Ruiter was also asked if there will be a quarterback competition during training camp, but he quickly shot down that notion.

“When I see Baker Mayfield take a snap with the first-unit offense, then I’ll talk about competition,” Ruiter said. “Until that happens, there is no competition.”

From what is being said within the organization and the reports coming out of Berea, it seems that the Browns are very committed to having Mayfield sit for as long as possible this season.

There is always a possibility that injuries force Mayfield onto the field earlier than expected. And if the Browns struggle throughout most of the season, Mayfield could get a chance later in the season, similar to what happened in Chicago last season with Mitchell Trubisky.

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But for the time being, Mayfield could be on the bench for most of, if not the entire 2018 season. And if that happens, it will be the first time a plan organized by the Browns has worked as expected.

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