BEREA — On the eve of training camp, Browns general manager John Dorsey and coach Hue Jackson did their best to put to bed any lingering notions that No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield could supplant veteran Tyrod Taylor as the starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“This is Tyrod Taylor’s team,” Dorsey said Wednesday. “He’s taken a team to the playoffs and he has demonstrated that, you know what, he’s our starter.”
Jackson was more than willing to agree. And added that Mayfield won’t be given much of an opportunity during training camp to make it a competition.
“Tyrod Taylor is the starter,” Jackson said. “I don’t envision any situation where all of a sudden (Mayfield’s) getting a bunch of first-team reps unless God forbid something happens.
“I’m committed to making this work the way that we have it, because I think it’s what’s best for the organization, I think it’s what’s best for the player. If the player supersedes that, it will show itself. I think we’re in a really, really good place right now.”
Jackson, 1-31 in two seasons, was scarred by being forced to play rookie quarterbacks Cody Kessler and DeShone Kizer too early the last two years. He desperately wanted a quality veteran to instill as the starter, and told Mayfield before the draft he’d have to sit and learn if he were chosen. He’s delighted not to be running, and judging, another quarterback competition.
Jackson wouldn’t say if Mayfield opens camp No. 2 or No. 3 on the depth chart.
“He’s going to get reps,” Jackson said. “And one of my jobs and the staff’s job is to make sure that we’re developing him and making sure that he starts to really understand the National Football League. I don’t think it matters about number. Baker Mayfield will get reps to get better as a football player for the Cleveland Browns.”
Jackson again made it clear the No. 1 pick isn’t No. 1.
“John has done a great job of getting us a veteran player that’s won games in the National Football League,” he said of Taylor, who was 22-21 in three years as a starter for the Bills and led them to the playoffs last season. “I think if you look at our rooms over the last couple years we had some guys who hadn’t won any games in the National Football League. I think this is a tough league at that position.
“There’s no question that we drafted Baker for a reason. And I think he’s the future of this franchise. But Tyrod Taylor has demonstrated all offseason what he needed to show us and show me and the staff to be the starter. Baker Mayfield is working his tail off. He’s got a lot of work to do. He’s got to learn this league. Understand it better. We’re not putting a ceiling on anything, but at the same time we feel very comfortable with our room exactly how it’s made up with a couple veteran players and a young, very talented, emerging player.”
Dorsey traded a third-round pick for Taylor at the start of free agency, assuming the $16 million on the last year of his contract. He then signed veteran Drew Stanton and drafted Mayfield rather than USC’s Sam Darnold, Wyoming’s Josh Allen or UCLA’s Josh Rosen.
Dorsey reiterated the organization’s love for competition but noted quarterback is a different animal and he wants to bring along Mayfield slowly.
“He will have a chance to see defenses, offenses and nuances that are very complicated. Very few guys can walk in there as a rookie and actually control, move forward and have success at a high level,” Dorsey said. “So why not for the betterment of the organization and for the player, let him learn from true professionals. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Jackson said it’s fine that Mayfield, who won the Heisman Trophy as a senior at Oklahoma and was declared the most pro-ready prospect, isn’t ready to start.
“We didn’t bring him here for that,” Jackson said. “We brought him here because he’s talented, we think he’s the future of this organization, we’re going to do everything we can to continue to develop him as we go through training camp and preseason, during the season and put him in position that when he does need to play, and when he’s ready to play, he’ll walk out there and play well.”
