Ranking John Dorsey’s best moves in first year as Cleveland Browns GM
By Dan Justik
1. Selecting Baker Mayfield
Ever since the Browns returned to Cleveland in 1999, they have been looking for their franchise quarterback. It took them until the 2018 NFL Draft to find that quarterback, and that is why selecting Baker Mayfield was the best move Dorsey has made in his first season as the Browns general manager.
There was a lot of discussions about who the best quarterback in the draft was, and Dorsey decided that Mayfield was the best quarterback – to the surprise of many. But after one season, Mayfield seems like the best quarterback in the class.
In 12 games this season, Mayfield has completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 3,065 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, with a quarterback rating of 92.6. And not only does Mayfield have talent, but he has the ability of making every player around him better.
By selecting Mayfield, it allows Dorsey to focus his attention on other positions of need. He no longer has to put assets into the quarterback position, which will create a better supporting cast around him.
Mayfield also has all of the intangibles that a team would want from their quarterback. He has already won the locker room and is the leader of the entire team. And he can keep his teammates in games, even if they make a mistake.
Dorsey has done a good job in his first calendar year with the Cleveland Browns. But finding the Browns their franchise quarterback was the most important move that he has made as the general manager.
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