DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Tyrod Taylor sees himself as more than a passing fancy in Cleveland

https://theundefeated.com/features/tyrod-taylor-cleveland-coach-hue-jackson/

figured I'd start a new thread since the other one was getting long and this is a decent read


BEREA, Ohio – Up next at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, Tyrod Taylor.

The Browns last week traded for the former Buffalo Bills signal-caller, hoping he’ll at least slow down their long-spinning quarterback carousel. Currently atop the Browns’ depth chart, Taylor is slated to become their 29th starting passer since the 1999 season. That’s a whole lot of quarterbacks. Taylor, though, may not even have the gig a whole season.

Cleveland holds both the Nos. 1 and 4 overall draft picks. With one of them, the Browns are expected to select a quarterback. It appears that Taylor is merely a placeholder. On the other hand, if Taylor connects with head coach Hue Jackson and helps the woebegone franchise achieve a modicum of success (around these parts, even a four-of five-victory season would be reason for a downtown parade), perhaps he’ll remain at the front of the line for a good stretch as well as get a new contract from Cleveland or another team.

For his part, Taylor plans to lead the Browns all season.

“I don’t necessarily view myself as a bridge quarterback,” said Taylor, under contract for $16 million in 2018. “I’m a quarterback. As far as a bridge, hopefully I’m helping bridge this team to a Super Bowl. And that’s the plan.”



In Jackson, Taylor has a boss who, despite his nightmarish two-year stint at the Browns’ helm, has displayed his offensive chops at multiple coaching stops. Potentially the only NFL team with a black head coach and black starting quarterback next season (Teddy Bridgewater will compete for the starting job with the New York Jets under Todd Bowles), the Browns envision Jackson and Taylor being a winning combination. Or at least something like that.


“We both understand that in this league, everything boils down to winning. But, yes, that’s something [the NFL’s lack of African-American head coaches and starting quarterbacks] that’s always there,” Taylor said Thursday at the Browns’ facility.

“Coach Hue is going to do his best to make me a better player, and I’m going to do my best to help us win. That relationship … that’s what will be most important thing about that relationship. But, yeah, anything that you have in common can help” build a relationship.

Relying heavily on rookie quarterbacks during his first two seasons guiding the Browns, Jackson is 1-31. Last season, rookie DeShone Kizer started 15 games. Cleveland joined the 2008 Detroit Lions as they only NFL teams to finish 0-16. Kizer was traded to the Green Bay Packers.

Obviously, a coach entering his third season with a .031 winning percentage is sitting on a white-hot seat. In Jackson’s situation, rolling with an adult at the position just makes sense.

“It’s going to be Tyrod Taylor,” Jackson said. “We’re going to get behind him, and he’s going to lead this organization.”

Taylor isn’t the only addition to the league’s 24th-ranked offense. The Browns traded for wide receiver Jarvis Landry, the former Miami Dolphin, to play alongside Josh Gordon, and also signed former San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde. Landry had a league-leading 112 receptions last season for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. Hyde rushed for 938 yards and eight touchdowns.

“I know everybody is talking about the past and what’s gone on here,” Jackson said. “I don’t think that’s what fazes [Taylor]. He’s been in tough situations before. We do have a lot of work to do, but those are two guys [Taylor and Landry] you start to change the narrative and culture with.”


Although Taylor’s three-year union with the Bills produced only one postseason appearance, that, by Bills standards, marked progress. After all, the franchise has had only three winning seasons since 1999.

On the final day of the 2017 regular season, Buffalo needed to win and received help to get in. The Bills closed with a 22-16 road victory over the Miami Dolphins. Taylor completed 70.4 percent of his passes and had a touchdown pass, no turnovers and a 74.1 Total QBR. Back in 2016, Taylor finished ninth in Total QBR at 62.4. Clearly, Taylor has skills.

“The way he carries himself,” Jackson said of Taylor, “you can tell he’s very proud of his accomplishments.”

NFL observers have criticized Taylor, however, for being too cautious with the football. And he struggled during Buffalo’s 10-3 AFC wild-card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, completing only 17 of 37 passes for 134 yards with one interception. The Jaguars are young and supertalented on defense. Still, Taylor didn’t play well.

Maybe Jackson is the right coach to help Taylor climb higher. Perhaps Taylor will be the competent passer Jackson has needed in Cleveland. This much is certain: We’re about to find out what they are capable of doing together.

I love it. I think the Browns genuinely like Taylor, and his team mates also seem genuinely excited to have him.

I'm open to Taylor being the guy if he goes out there and proves he's the guy. Do your think, man, you're certainly getting first crack at it!

Just win, baby!

Every player in the NFL should share that belief. I mean if a guy doesn't believe in himself, nobody else will.

Of course he does. He's only 28, so he's actually a year younger than Kirk Cousins. Maybe he can stick around but the idea that he is the long term solution is only something he can believe at this point.

Taylor's future in Cleveland is up to him. He has confidence just as every player should. If he plays well and turns around the Browns he will be the QB. I am amazed at how all the QB experts on here are quick to put labels on players.
On paper we should be improved at receiver, QB, secondary, and LB by getting Collins back. Our oline took a hit with Thomas retiring but should still be solid. And we still have the draft. Things are starting to lookup for the Browns.

Tyrod is the perfect QB to have if you plan to have a strong defence and a great running game. If they were to draft Saquan at #1 then it means that is exactly what they plan to do.

That's not going to happen.

Saquan is not going to be a Brown.

Quarterback rankings: Top 32 signal-callers across NFL
22

Tyrod Taylor

QB
Browns


There is a defined, attractive skill set here for Browns coach Hue Jackson to work with. Taylor is perhaps the best pure running quarterback in football and throws a beautiful deep ball. Combine those skills with extreme caution when it comes to interceptions -- perhaps too extreme -- and Taylor rarely is the reason his team loses.

2017 stats: 15 games | 62.6 pct | 2,799 pass yds | 6.7 ypa | 14 pass TD | 4 INT | 427 rush yds | 4 rush TD

NFL.com

I like it. I like him.

I am not looking at him as a bridge. I am looking at him as the QB of the Browns.

A change of teams might really help him. If we draft a qb at 1, great, but I wouldn't go in to this ready to hand the ball off to the drafted player after a year. I'd be ready to look to sign TT to a new 3-5 year deal if he earns it.

I've watched too much terrible football to get caught up in labels.

Just don't suck on Sundays.

i mean, the guy did finally bring a buffalo bills team to the playoffs after how many years? how many other starting QB's since kelly tried and failed before him?

thats not easy to do.

I agree.


Hey, at least we won the pre-season last year.



Hue needs to focus on The-Season and less on the Pre-Season.



JMO

I like TT. I like the fact he does not turn it over. He may be able to make bigger plays with better perimeter talent.
I am anxious to see what he can do with some good wide outs (Gordon and Landry, and maybe a new addition, i.e. Barkley). Cannot say I have much confidence in Coleman.

As to the Coleman comment....we just lost a great player over there. We can't expect the same, no matter who we [url=playhttps://www.dawgtalkers.net/ubbthreads.php/ubb/newre.][url=playhttps://www.dawgtalkers.net/ubbthreads.php/ubb/newre.][url=playhttps://www.dawgtalkers.net/ubbthreads.php/ubb/newre.]playhttps://www.dawgtalkers.net/ubbthreads.php/ubb/newre.[/url][/url][/url]



Teams don't usually replace a HOF player with another.

Peen, you may have your Colemans confused. I think he meant Corey, not Shon.

j/c:

My comments will probably be misconstrued and people will label me a Taylor hater, but I am still going to post them.

I like some things about Tyrod Taylor. Such as:

--he takes care of the ball
--he is athletic
--displays good leadership qualities
--can run the rock
--has very good character from what I have learned
--puts air under the ball on deep passes
--has overcome long odds. I think he was drafted in the 6th round.

Things I don't like as much:

--holds the ball too long
--abandons the pocket too early at times
--does not throw w/anticipation and instead has to see his receiver break open. This one is huge
--doesn't make enough plays in the passing game
--doesn't put the team on his back
--doesn't put enough points on the board or make enough big plays
--too conservative.

My prediction:

I know he is getting a lot of love now, but I believe many of the same guys loving him will be calling for the rookie to start before the season is half over. I think people are going to turn on this guy. I think that is a shame because Tyrod is who he is and won't deserve the beating the fans will give him.

Your entitled to your opinion the same way any arse has a right to fart. Of course that doesn't mean I don't wish you would keep it to yourself but hey whatever rocks your scow.

Its pretty much a given that we will have a qb controversy. Fans will always want the rookie because "We have to see what we have"

Let's not kid ourselves.

Then whatever rookie happens....we will ruin them.

The fans and media might indeed pressure the team to start the rookie sooner rather than later, but I don't know if that will ruin the dude. Rosen will be ready day one. The others? Not so sure, but we have some more talent on this team now than we did in previous years.

Sorry. May as well get used to the reality of the situation.

John Dorsey will not draft Saquan Barkley.

Vers, I think that one thing that Hailey did in Pittsburgh was to speed up Ben's reads. Ben used to make his OL look absolutely horrible, largely because he did want to want until the last second to see his receiver open, rather than throw anticipating that receiver coming open. He also wanted to see, then throw.

Is that your memory as well?

I don't think that Hailey is going to turn Tyrod into a stud QB, but I think that he will speed up his reads.

I agree. Folks are really getting on the Tyrod Taylor hype train. Especially with the push the Browns are giving him right now and the way he carries himself (like a starting QB)


But don't forget that many Buffalo fans wanted to get rid of him. He was benched last year. He is what he is, and that's an average QB.

I'm not sure that AJ McCaron isn't better than Tyrod even.

But fans should know what they're getting, and not think it's more than that.

Tyrod is a good game manager. For him to shine he really needs a good HB. I hope we find one for him.

I read where Haley really emphasized that Ben needed to get rid of the ball faster and to stop extending plays as much as he was. The logic behind it was to keep Ben healthier.

On the other hand, I think Ben can read coverages just fine while Tyrod doesn't seem to possess that same skill and doesn't throw w/anticipation. Instead, he waits for guys to come open before he throws it. It's a big reason why he doesn't turn the ball over much. I question if that will change.

I was talking to a big time Bills fan the other day - he said he has a love/hate relationship with TT ... he can do amazing things (with his feet) - but struggles to go through progressions or to read a D . . . So I think what you just said is right. I still think he's got the potential/probably will be the best QB we've had since 1999.

Tyrod had a winning record playing for Buffalo. He took Buffalo to their 1st playoffs in what, 17 years? That's right Buffalo. If we can continue to give him some weapons in the draft, he is good enough to do the same in Cleveland. Why do most Browns fans always look at the negatives on a player? Sure Taylor is not a top ten QB but that doesn't mean that with some help he can't turn this losing team around. He is probably the best QB we've had since Bernie. What positive influence will Haley have on him? We don't know but he is our QB, at least for this season. For once we are putting emphasis on winning games now instead of looking to the future while making excuses why we are too young to win now. I like the Taylor trade and hope he plays well enough that our rookie QB stays on the bench. He may not be perfect but he's good enough to help us win games. For all who want to start a rookie QB, the losing will continue and we will be looking for a new coach. I just want to win and Taylor can help us do that.

Taylor is the bridge until he can prove otherwise.

We will still draft one at 1 and next season we should have a really nice problem on our hands... Assuming we don't restructure his current deal, will we resign Taylor, franchise/trade him, or let him walk? Could keep Taylor and trade the 2018 #1 pick.

Agreed.

He needs to worry about games and winning them than fuddling with the PS. We seemed to endlessly fuss with that. I think we are more capable on the field this year, less babysitting Kizer, and able to play football. I would like to see a steely-eyed focus on that. Dorsey has gotten rid of some of that nonsense IMO.

Play ball! Go Browns! Don't suck.

I did....I had a few bourbons last night...that was near closing time for me.

I kinda hope they draft Christian Kirk this year, if only to watch the confusion about Christian Kirk/Christian Kirksey.

Imagine if we also had Christian Kirk's cousin - Kirk Cousins.

I think the universe would blow up if that happened.

This is bringing back horrible memories of Terry and Oneill Cousins.

Terry and Oneill Cousins are Kirks Cousins?

Tyrod can ball, we could have kept Keizer to not have to draft a QB in the 1st rd.

Barkley 1 and Fitzpatrick at 4. Instead we are left with a 50/50 proposition at #1

That leaves us with Darnold 1 and Fitzpatrick 4. You guys better be right

I don't know that we could have not drafted a QB, but Taylor isn't going to give the job away.

The problem is TT is only signed for this year. If we want to keep him longer we will have to sign him to a new deal. If he plays great, he is going to want to be paid, which gives us an excuse to not sign him. If he doesn't play great, we won't want to sign him.

You're right on us needing to be right. I don't care if whoever we take doesn't end up the best QB out of this draft class. Only time will sort that out.

He does need to be a QB we can play and win with...a guy in the top 15-16 QB in the league would be the minimum I would hope for.

Thats the problem with drafting QB's, you just never really know, more so than any other position. A good example would be Manning and Lief. There was actual debate in front offices as to which guy was better. Look how that turned out.

Has anyone had a better overall record that Taylor prior to coming to the Browns?

Maybe Jake Delhomme? But recently, he's (record wise) better than any we've had in a long time.

I wish him well...