Browns’ injuries cloud ability to make decision on Mayfield’s contract extension | You Pod to Win the Game
Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson and Frank Schwab discuss the injuries facing the Cleveland Browns, and how they make it so difficult for the front office to make a clear decision on the future of their quarterback.
Hear the full conversation on the You Pod to Win the Game podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
FRANK SCHWAB: Baker looked really hurt for a while. I think he's-- you know, he obviously hurt the left shoulder making a tackle in week three, I think it was. And he's kind of brushed it off and said you know, oh, it doesn't matter. I don't throw with that arm. But it's clearly affecting him. He's not the same quarterback he's been, and this isn't going to make things better.
I think I saw that his shoulder dislocated, and it's just-- I know it's not his throwing shoulder, but you've got to assume it's affecting him in some way.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Well, and not only that. I mean, there is a bigger picture here that the Browns have to look at, and I think what's interesting is now we're starting to see parts of the roster where you're like, there needs to be some more work done at wide receiver, which I think we kind of knew. I knew going out of this season they're going to kick tires on wide receivers and try to enhance that group.
I think the tight-end spot, you know, look, you got to start to look at some of these guys. Austin Hooper, you've got to be like, OK, what are we going to get out of you? Like, where are we going to get-- in terms of consistency, for what we're paying you for, you know, what's the production going to be? Njoku, I don't-- you know, he's up and down. You know, there are times when you watch him and you're like--
FRANK SCHWAB: [INAUDIBLE]
CHARLES ROBINSON: Yeah. You're like, oh, he looks amazing. And then next time you're like, oh my God. He's dropping everything. He looks like a complete liability. You know, the offensive line you want to be healthy.
But I just keep thinking in my mind the biggest thing that matters right now in terms of future is sitting there staring at that Baker contract and going, OK, we wanted to run through this season and kind of figure out what we got here. And I feel like partially because of injuries, partially because of injury to the wide receivers, and then partially to the mix up front in the line, I don't know what kind of real read you're going to get on the Baker Mayfield extension right now just because I don't know how to measure it. I don't know where-- you know, what would this Baker look like versus a fully healthy Baker with a fully healthy set of receivers with a fully healthy offensive line?
Like, it's just-- it's almost immeasurable right now, and it makes me wonder if this is what happens the remainder of the season, are you going to have to go into his-- you're going to potentially look at going into this guy's fifth year and going that's going to-- we're going to do a Dak, you know, performance measurement, and it's going to be that kind of a situation.
But definitely concerning, I think, in terms of just sort of the long-term build of that team.
