"He's probably the 33rd best quarterback in the NFL" - Analyst delivers damning opinion about Baker Mayfield
There has been some harsh criticism of Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, but this might be the worst.
NFL analyst Bart Scott claimed Baker Mayfield isn't even among the league's top 32 quarterbacks. Scott had this to say on ESPN's Get Up:
"You're talking about a guy that's probably the 33rd best quarterback in the NFL. I'm saying that respectfully. But understand he's on the best team that he would ever be on. He had two of everything. He had the great offensive line. He had two good tight ends. He had two good receivers and two great running backs. Like he will never have a roster like that."
That's pretty tough talk coming from Scott about Baker Mayfield. However, he's not exactly wrong. A lot of what Baker Mayfield is dealing with is because of his own struggles.
While it's easy to blame others for his problems like he did with Odell Beckham Jr., once he was gone, there was no one else to blame. The Browns knew if they were going to make a Super Bowl run; it was not going to be with Mayfield.
Simply put, he didn't seem to possess the intangibles to lead a Super Bowl contending team.
"I'll start with the New York Giants: Baker Mayfield or Daniel Jones? Baker would light up New York City. He would eat up with that team in that division." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/WvpvQeDFaQ
Did Joe Burrow's season push the Browns to dump Baker Mayfield?
Speaking of Joe Burrow, did his second season with the Bengals force their cross-state rival to make a change? Probably.
Joe Burrow never beat Baker Mayfield. twitter.com/priscocbs/stat…
Burrow, who suffered a knee injury during his rookie season, came back stronger than ever. The Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC North and defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
The Browns haven't come close to that kind of success with Mayfield. The team showed signs of life back in 2020, but last year's underwhelming performance and Burrow's breakout year prompted the Browns to make a change.
Mayfield isn't a bad quarterback, but he isn't great either. Joe Burrow, as a second-year starter, had an exceptional year, throwing for almost 5,000 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Mayfield's statistical production failed to compare. He threw for 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Browns saw the writing on the wall that, after Beckham Jr. was gone, Mayfield wasn't the guy that would lead them to the promised land.
They may be taking a huge chance by trading for Deshaun Watson, but the risk may be more likely to pay off with Watson than with Mayfield.