The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Take Allen and end QB misery
This, as the saying goes, is why John Dorsey is paid the big bucks and why, if the Browns general manager says, “Trust me on this one,” fans should get behind the decision.
By 8:15 p.m. or so on April 26, the suspense will finally end when the Browns make the first pick in the NFL draft. By all indications, it will come down to quarterback Sam Darnold of Southern Cal or quarterback Josh Allen of Wyoming.
After switching back and forth the past few days, I’m giving Allen to the Browns in my mock draft.
Allen’s 56.2 percent completion
percentage at Wyoming is a true concern, but he wouldn’t be the first quarterback to have accuracy issues in college and then turn into an NFL success.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan had a career completion percentage of 59.9 at Boston College. He completed 64.7 percent of his passes with the Falcons last year and 69.9 percent in 2016.
Dorsey might have given a clue to his plans when he said he prefers quarterbacks with big hands. Allen wins that battle. His hand measured 10-1/8 at the NFL Scouting Combine. Darnold’s measured 9-3/8, which might account for Darnold’s biggest flaw.
Darnold threw 13 interceptions and lost nine fumbles last season. He was overwhelmed by Ohio State’s swarming defense in the Cotton Bowl. He fumbled twice, threw an interception that Damon
Webb returned 23 yards for a touchdown, and was sacked eight times.
“We all know that the elements in Cleveland play a role,” Dorsey said. “We all say it and you all laugh at me when I say it, but I think hand size is important. With that being said, hand size in November and December in the elements when it’s snowing, when it’s raining, it’s muddy, the hand size.
“That’s what you were talking about in terms of the fumbles of Darnold. You’re worried about that sometimes. So hand size.”
Browns coach Hue Jackson would not answer the question last week when asked which is easier to fix, turnovers or inaccuracy. Neither would Dorsey.
Darnold worked on keeping both hands on the ball while in the pocket in the buildup to the draft.
Allen, who like Darnold worked with quarterback tutor Jordan Palmer, concentrated on footwork to improve his accuracy.
Both flaws are easier to correct when an opposing
defense isn’t involved. Allen would have a year to work on his accuracy issues if Jackson holds to his plan of making Tyrod Taylor the starting quarterback in 2018.
Allen would give the Browns the big (6-foot-5) quarterback the Steelers have in Ben Roethlisberger and the Ravens have in Joe Flacco. They can throw a football through a tornado. So can Allen.
I have long been suspicious of USC quarterbacks in the NFL. None has ever led a team to a Super Bowl and most have been outright busts. Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez, and Todd Marinovich were all firstround flops. The Browns have their own experience with USC failures. Paul McDonald was a fourthround pick in 1980. Cody Kessler was a third-round pick in 2016.
Whoever Dorsey thinks is better, it is essential he uses the first pick on the quarterback. He could get cute and choose running back Saquon Barkley or defensive end Bradley Chubb first, let the Giants and Jets have their pick at
quarterback and still get a good quarterback with the fourth pick — Josh Rosen or Baker Mayfield. Darnold or Allen would still be there at four if the Browns took Chubb and the Giants took Barkley.
Picking the quarterback first sends the clear message to the players, the coaches, the front office, fans — everyone: “This is the guy we are counting on to take us to the playoffs and to a Super Bowl someday.”
The Eagles traded up with the Browns in 2016 to get their quarterback in Carson Wentz. A year later, the Texans traded up with the Browns to get their quarterback in Deshaun Watson.
Dorsey doesn’t have to trade to get his quarterback.
After 19 years of failure and 28 starting quarterbacks since 1999, a safe pick seems the logical pick. That would be Darnold. But if Dorsey is convinced Allen can be the next Roethlisberger, then fans and players should get behind the pick.