Cleveland Browns: Tyrod Taylor named contract-year player with most to prove
By Dan Justik
Bleacher Report listed the players in contract years with the most to prove in 2018, and Cleveland Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor was one of the more prominent players listed.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor has the reassurance of the coaching staff that he will be the team’s starting quarterback for the season.
Knowing that he won’t have to deal with a quarterback competition will let him relax and play his game. But he may not be as relaxed this season as he will be playing for a new contract at the end of the season.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report listed ten players that are in contract years with the most to prove this upcoming season. The first player listed was the Browns quarterback.
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"He limits his mistakes, and he makes a large impact with his legs. So a big 2018 campaign could convince somebody in this quarterback-starved league to give Taylor a lucrative long-term contract as a starter as he heads into his age-30 season."
If Taylor has a strong 2018 campaign, he could play himself into a big contract next season. Teams are sometimes more willing to pay a quarterback big money knowing that he has proved he can succeed in the league instead of taking a chance on a quarterback in the draft.
It seems that no matter how well Taylor plays for the Browns this season, it is very unlikely that he will remain in the brown and orange next season. With Baker Mayfield waiting in the wings, Taylor is seemingly auditioning for the rest of the NFL this season.
With a strong cast of skill players – Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry, David Njoku, Duke Johnson – Taylor will have plenty of weapons to use this season. With the Browns likely to utilize thier running game and keeping the offense balanced, Taylor will be able to take advantage of defenses not knowing what is coming.
Offensive coordinator Todd Haley has said that he wants to tailor his offense to the strengths of the players. If that is true, expect to see Taylor on the move a lot with plenty of roll-outs for the dual threat quarterback.
Next: Five opposing players the Browns must account for in 2018
Even though there is a lot of money on the line for Taylor this season, he should be able to find success in Cleveland. That success could translate into a whole lot of cash for the quarterback at the end of the season.