Cleveland Browns: Revisiting moves that have worked at the bye

Drafting Baker Mayfield over Sam Darnold

There were many out there who would have messed this one up. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield was the best rookie signal-caller coming into the season. There’s no question about it. He had the arm strength, the accuracy, the smarts, the leadership, the improvisational skills, and the ball security every team desires. Yet many still wanted Sam Darnold out of USC.

Sure, Darnold could become a fine player and has had some good moments for the New York Jets who took him at No. 3. However, he’s been nothing close to what Mayfield has been. Darnold has been a turnover machine — like he was in college — and even was shown up by Mayfield who came in off the bench to beat Darnold’s team on Thursday Night Football for the Browns first win this season.

What makes the fact that Mayfield has been so much better than Darnold even more amazing is that Darnold’s coaches have been trying to get him to succeed whereas Baker was held back by his. Jackson and Haley were adamant about keeping Mayfield sidelined and didn’t even let him get reps with the first team. Darnold, conversely, has been the starter all season. And now, the Browns rookie is even better with the departure of the staff that wanted him to hold a clipboard all year.

In his last outing, Mayfield had his best game yet as he threw three touchdowns and just three incompletions against the Falcons. He made the Browns look brilliant for drafting him, and makes all those thinking he was the next Johnny Manziel look foolish.