Cleveland Browns wanted Nick Foles, Tyrod Taylor was 2nd choice
Before trading for Tyrod Taylor, the Cleveland Browns first tried to swing a trade for Philadelphia Eagles QB Nick Foles.
New Cleveland Browns’ GM John Dorsey knew he needed a veteran quarterback to bring his 0-16 team some credibility.
He responded by trading the 65th overall pick in the draft for Tyrod Taylor, a player who had just led the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs.
It turns out, Taylor wasn’t Dorsey’s first choice.
Cleveland tried to swing a trade for Eagles backup quarterback Nick Foles, but the Super Bowl winning quarterback didn’t want to leave his comfort zone of Philadelphia for the Factory of Sadness.
NFL.com’s Michael Silver wrote:
"“Before rejecting the deal, two sources said, the Eagles ran the scenario by Foles, who said he preferred to remain in Philadelphia.”"
Philadelphia would’ve received the 35th overall pick in the draft, a pretty sweet return for a backup quarterback. The Browns ended up using this selection on Georgia running back Nick Chubb.
With Carson Wentz still working his way back from ACL surgery, the Eagles probably want to make sure their franchise quarterback is healthy enough to start the year before they deal his backup.
Philadelphia will still be able to trade Foles, but his stock probably won’t ever be as high as it was this winter. Teams get desperate for quarterbacks though, and you never know what a desperate team might throw there way.
As for Taylor, this news may add yet another chip to the shoulder of a player who’s been slighted his whole career.
He was the 11th quarterback selected in the 2011 draft, and now, he’s only one of three who remain. That list contains Came Newton, Andy Dalton, and Taylor.
Taylor got benched last season, but then re-installed as the starter in Buffalo, breaking the Bills’ playoff drought.
He’s making $16 million and is in the final year of a contract. Nobody has more to play for than Taylor, who will be seeking a multi-year contract after this season.
What about Baker
I do wonder how this impacts the Browns’ decision to play Baker Mayfield.
Hue Jackson has been pretty adamant that Taylor will start. But if things don’t go smoothly in the first month, and Mayfield impresses in practice, a switch seems a heck-of-a lot more likely , knowing Taylor was Dorsey’s second choice.
There’s a lot of moving parts here, worth considering, though. Hue Jackson needs to win to keep his job. He suffered with a rookie quarterback in 2017. Would he be inclined to stick with his veteran, even if things get off to a rough start.
And then there’s Dorsey.
He doesn’t seem to be the type to go full-blown Ray Farmer, texting the sideline to get the coaches to put his guy in, but Dorsey doesn’t have any allegiances to Hue.
Taylor, of course, puts all of this talk to rest by playing well and wining some games early on.
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Easier said than done though, as the Browns have the second-toughest schedule in the NFL this season.