top dawg

Yeah, OK. Keep living in the past, because you obviously believe that the Browns--the Browns number 1 draft pick is the much-coveted Baker Mayfield of 2022! The cat's out the bag. There's NFL tape. There's a credible argument that he's entered bust territory based on what's transpired this offseason alone, regardless of this arm talent that you speak of. Sure, he can throw a long ball and is fairly accurate, but he hasn't met expectations. Talking about not reading, you obviously haven't done any homework on Corral for you to be downplaying his arm talent or his athleticism. Go do your homework in between the sips of Mayfield Kool-Aid (year 2018); it has aged well.

I insinuated that he has high upside, and that if he can successfully make the transition that he will be special. Don't be putting words in my mouth! You're either INSANE or just plain ignorant about Corral's skill set. He has high level traits, certainly more than you're giving him credit for. And yet, you speak of Mayfield like he's been an all-world type of QB when Kurt Warner explained to you how limited that he is. There are questions in Warner's mind whether Mayfield is even a franchise QB. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/pro/browns/2021/12/09/kurt-warner-browns-news-baker-mayfield-contract-extension-franchise-quarterback-ravens-lamar-jackson/6442742001/ And Warner is hardly the only one that questions that. That's how Mayfield ended up here for a bag of peanuts.

Have you asked yourself why he really went third? Throw in the huge fact that he was hurt and missed performing during the critical part of the draft season, including the Combine, and really didn't have time to prepare properly for his Pro day, plus was unfairly besieged by a bunch of trumped up nonsense about alcohol and other issues stemming from a fight (where no punches were thrown) at a rich-kid high school, and he slid. Arguably, his talent wasn't the primary reason he was a day 3 pick. Now even if you think that it was, there have been day 3 picks that have excelled. Questions about Corral's ability to succeed in the NFL have not really been about what he has done, but what he didn't do in College due to playing in a Lane Kiffin offense.

You and others are just utterly drunk on the Baker Kool-Aid, making crazy claims about Baker's arm talent being one of the best in the NFL (yeah, you said that) and saying that Corral is not even in the same league when it comes to Baker's "physical gifts." I think y Corral can not only run circles around Baker, but he can make every throw in the book, has a faster release, can throw off platform, has as legitimate an arm as he not only bested Goldilocks in a QB throwing contest by heaving the ball 77 yards, but he chucked the ball 60 yards off-platform against Bama last season (with relative ease, I might add). For all the talk of Baker's 70-yard Hail Mary, it was akin to a contest as he had PLENTY of time. Moreover, I'd say that Corral is arguably better at layering his throws right now, and that he's simply a better QB off-platform, and is arguably more consistent with his mechanics inside and outside the pocket which has been somewhat of an issue for Mayfield at times, especially in crunch time. The question with Corral is not really about his arm talent, it is about his ability to master more complete NFL concepts and learn to make the proper reads on a consistent basis (which is also something Mayfield apparently has issues with to this day). For all of your bluster about Mayfield's arm talent, Lance Zierlein's NFL comp for Corral was ironically Baker Mayfield in his draft profile. Zierlein didn't comp Corral to Mayfield for Baker's running prowess. Moreover, Zierlein has also mentioned similarities to Zach Wilson who everyone knows was regarded as an arm talent wizard during 2021's draft season. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.saturdaydownsouth.com/ole-miss-football/matt-corral-draws-comparisons-to-2-recent-top-3-nfl-draft-picks/amp/ If Corral can maximize a hybrid Mayfield-Wilson skill set passing while also pulling his running skills out his bag and using them safely, we'll have a helluva QB once he puts everything all together from a skill set-perspective alone. If he masters the Xs and Os of the position, then he'll eclipse what Mayfield has done, period!

The ONLY thing I'm concerned about with Corral is his size. The size of his game is larger than you'd suspect for a QB of his size, but Mayfield is similarly built. Darnold is our only QB with prototypical size. But Corral will probably add a few pounds. This, along with smart play, will hopefully hold him in good stead. Injury was a thing last year for all our current QBs except for Walker. Good thing we invested in the O-line.

Baker played in appreciably more games in a markedly less talented conference with higher skill-position players on a more consistent basis. Name me one player of note that Corral has played with for any consistent amount of time while in the toughest conference in CFB. Anyone of note left before he got his full-time gig. Corral's years ('20 & '21) as the unquestioned QB1 were with guys who had oven mitts for hands. Moreover, I'm sure you forgot to press that little "rushing & receiving" tab. When you put things within context, the "not even close" becomes "not as far as I thought". Give Corral eight more games in the most superior conference in CFB (and it's not even close), and the stats become somewhat similar from a total production standpoint. If he plays those in the Big 12, the stats are even more similar. Baker had it made at OSU basically. Corral was in the tougher spot and had a rougher path to the starting role (and ultimately the NFL), and I will submit to you that iron sharpens iron. Edit: And, BTW, I researched all this before I made my bold statement, as I knew someone would bring it up. In a more general sense, I've researched Corral more than most here I'd suspect, and I've been telling y'all that he's got it for months.

Snyder is a straight up sleezeball and crook. He's also low-key meddlesome (or at least has been). It's taken years for the Washington franchise to show any kind of improvement under his tenure (and still the improvement is arguably minor at best). I can see some improvement beginning to take place by the Panthers right now. Though the beginning has been rough, mainly due to a lack of experience, I see a path towards success. Moreover, Tepper is patient. He's not given into knee-jerk reactions. That could ultimately be a good thing. The Rooneys are as patient as they come (with good result). And for all the bluster about Tepper being Jerry Jones 2.0, if I look at what he's actually done (and not done), I think that comparison is off as well. I suspect Tepper will be OK after the growing pains.

People may disagree about McAdoo's talent based upon his stint as HC, but as OC, he was pretty damned good. Some don't want to give McAdoo credit because he had OBJ (and Eli), but OBJ's best seasons (talking only the healthy ones) by an appreciable amount (of production) were under McAdoo. They were some of Eli's best as well. I suspect that some may be criminally overlooking the new OC, but I can easily see him having the most immediate, if not dramatic, impact on the 2022 season for not only what he will do for designing a game plan and making adjustments on game days, but the behind-the-scenes installation of an entirely new offense. Our passing game should benefit greatly (and apparently D.J. Moore agrees).

Did you get a gander at my earlier post with Corral at the QB competition throwing 77 yards? Yeah, it wasn't a game, but still. I would bet that Mayfield can't test better than Corral in anything pertaining to athletic ability. The 40, long jump, vertical jump, lifts, anything. And I'm being dead serious. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/video-5-star-sec-target-matt-corral-throws-77-yard-pass-opening/amp/

Corral can not only sling the ball, he can run circles around Mayfield. He's more physically gifted. I don't know why you guys are so comfortable proclaiming that Mayfield is the better physical talent. And you're acting like he isn't even in Mayfield's stratosphere. You're wrong! Not only is he more athletic--Mayfield can't run out of a paper bag--he's just as strong.

Corral can not only sling the ball

He was drafted to be our QB of the future, and I think that he deserves to be spoken of as such, regardless of potential world beaters Mayfield or Darnold. Moreover, people are already talking about drafting QBs in 2023. To that, I say, "Whatever."

He has thousands of people rooting for him. If I wasn't for the fans, he wouldn't be paid so handsomely to do a job that he loves. In one sense you can say that he doesn't owe the fans anything. In another sense, you can say he owes the fans everything. I feel that it's somewhere in between. If you do well, you have no problem accepting all the praise. If you play like sh¡t, you should be mature enough to accept constructive criticism. Just the way I see it.

Yeah, I said it. And you remember that I said it! Once Corral gets up to speed, whether it's 2022 or beyond, he'll do things that Baker or Darnold wish that they could do as far as throwing and running the rock. I'm tired of the Huddle's general disrespect for "our QB of the future."

Honestly, this is one of the things I'm talking about: some here think it's some great win to compare Baker favorably to Panthers QBs, but that's not anything great. I mean, you can't compare him to Cam really because Baker didn't have all the tools in his bag that Cam did, and Cam probably isn't even a HoFer himself (sorry, homers). When looking at Baker, compare him to the top tier QBs in the league! You're not really making your point by comparing him to lesser guys. Can he get to that top tier or even the tier of Stafford or Dak on a consistent basis? Can he be even a Romo or McNabb? That's what remains to be seen.

I can't give Baker a pass for last year because he chose to play. They had a higher end backup who may have given them a better chance than a hurt Baker. I'm a harder task master, so I'd say that he had a decent year, a so-so (leaning toward bad) year, a good year, and a terrible year (in which he was playing hurt). I haven't thought that any of our QBs were consistently top tier (which is what I want). Cam excelled due to his extraordinary running ability, but his decision-making was consistently suspect in my opinion (like Baker's), and his touch on the ball, particularly outside of the pocket and in motion, was highly suspect (like Baker's), and reads were mediocre (akin to Baker's). If Baker keeps throwing double digit interceptions at the rate that he has been (assuming he is a starter), he's going to pass many QBs by a wide margin, including Cam and Jake. Beuerlein has a similar passer rating as a Panther as Mayfield (87.5 vs 87.8), but higher TD percentage, lower INT percentage, but a slightly better average per reception. Now, I can see saying that maybe he's in the discussion as the second best QB to to ever don a Panthers uniform, but he's going to have to accrue a few years and earn and prove his ranking as a Panther to be considered the second best Panthers QB. He may have the arm talent to get there, but it's hardly a guarantee.

Nah. He has a long way to go. Baker has been as inconsistent as any QB in the league, and that doesn't make for a franchise QB. If he stops turning the ball over on a consistent basis, then we can begin talking about him, but it' going to take several more seasons of him taking care of the ball. Talent, TDs and yardage begins to be secondary when you're consistently throwing it to the opposition; just ask Jameis.

Sure, but Newton did care what the fans thought. I suspect Baker does also. The big difference--kind of of off note--may be that Newton was willing to take responsibility for his failings and the team's failings (even when he wasn't necessarily responsible).

I suspect that he has a serious problem with criticism though based upon his responses about only caring what people in the building think.

Yeah, I like him more.

The thing that I zeroed in on was Baker apparently believing (or knowing) that he will have more "freedom" at the line to audible and counterpunch based upon what the opposition is trying to do.

I concur.

Yes, they are. They're already presuming that he's the starter, calling him the QB with the best arm talent that we have (notwithstanding he has flat out missed a lot of important throws) and even one of the best in the league, referring to him as the second best QB in Panthers' history and simply getting overly giddy at him being here. I kinda get the excitement, but you'd think from looking at some of these posts that Baker was one of the most sought after QBs of the 2022 offseason, and he was anything but. Teams that could have really used him did not get into the fray because they don't value him like that, and that should at least be a caution flag to fans here. I have been on record saying that it was an excellent bet, but Baker is going to have to show me more than he showed in Cleveland for me to hit the throttle. Being better than Sam Darnold is not good enough. That's a low bar. It's really a joke. Being Browns' Baker is fine, but I don't believe that it gets us to where we want to be. We need a better Baker. What we really need is for Matt Corral to ultimately be much better than what we've seen from Darnold or Mayfield, and that's what I'm placing my hope in. It may not come in 2022, but it's coming.

My thing is, even if the locker room stuff was just drummed-up media manipulation by the Browns FO, the fact is is that his on-field play particularly in crunch time has been suspect. He has missed some important throws and open reads on a consistent basis unfortunately, regardless of whether Mayfield fanboys want to admit it or not. Another player acknowledged that when they were asked if they had seen the vid that OBJ's father retweeted, they responded, "Why would I watch the video? I see it everyday in practice." That aside, I guess his behavior just rubbed the Browns' brass the wrong way. Between his personality and seeming refusal to take responsibility for his bad play, he wore out his welcome. There were reports back in February that the Browns informed Mayfield that they'd be exploring options such as A-Rod and Russel Wilson (however improbable a potential move would ever come to be), so it's not like they were satisfied with Baker. They may have been resigned to the fact that he was their best option at the moment, sans Watson, but I kinda doubt they were going to give him the long term contract or big payday that he wanted based upon all of their actions that led up to the Watson trade. He was like their default short term security, not their longer term answer at the position.