Are the comparisons tied to the Cleveland Browns warranted? Or have the oranges fallen off the apple tree?
The 2018 NFL Draft has come and gone, leaving a wash of comparisons and cynicism in its wake. Some Cleveland Browns fans are all for the selections, while others were deeply disturbed with how it all played out. Most, however, both like and dislike the various selections.
As comparisons go, there have been plenty. For months we have heard relentless, on and on jabberings about Baker Mayfield being “just like Johnny Manziel”.
We have heard similar statements regarding Denzel Ward and Justin Gilbert, merely because the Browns took a quarterback along with a defensive back in the first round. Cleveland fans also find themselves discussing Antonio Callaway in relation to Josh Gordon, which, perhaps, is the only of these statements that hold merit — but most of these comparisons are, as the saying goes, like apples and oranges.
Perhaps we should pick some fruit from our apple-orange tree and take a closer look.
Mayfield is nothing like that other guy. They are both deemed short and they both won the Heisman Trophy. Beyond that, there is no sugary-sustenance to any comparisons I have seen. Mayfield was a walk-on that busted his backside to earn respect, earn his job and learn his playbook.
Manziel walked away from his coach rather than take a scolding and posted pictures of his playbook on social media rather than studying it. It was, in his mind, the Browns’ responsibility to tutor him.
Let me point out as well that Mayfield learned his Oklahoma playbook in three days. I would compare that to the Super Bowl winning local hero, Bernie Kosar, who learned the Dallas Cowboys playbook in three days as a fill-in for an injured Troy Aikman.
College playbooks certainly don’t compare to those in the NFL, but the work ethic and mental capabilities are there. To compare two players based upon their size is, well, apples and oranges.
One final tidbit to compare is their pre-draft rankings. Nobody had Manziel atop their draft boards. Yet many have recently reported that, in fact, several teams had Mayfield atop theirs. Should I mention Manziel’s violent history toward his girlfriend, or issues with substance abuse as well? Compared to Mayfield, who infamously tried to run away from the police…you get it.
Let us move on to the Ward and Gilbert comparison. They are both defensive backs. They were both selected in the first round and quarterbacks were also taken in those same first rounds. A coincidence does not a comparison make. I am not alone with my own comparison for Denzel Ward being the next Joe Haden. They are apples and oranges in size by the way, give or take 10 pounds.
Perhaps what we should be mentioning is that we would not need to take a quarterback and defensive back in the first round if our 2014 first-rounders were still in the league. I am not going to waste our time comparing John Dorsey to 2014 general manager Ray Farmer, although some would.
Lastly, the only comp in the bunch that holds any sort of validity is putting Josh Gordon and Antonio Callaway in the same context.
To be fair, Callaway’s off field concerns are not as extreme as fans have been led lo believe. He was cleared of the sexual assault allegations. His “failed” drug test at the NFL Combine was a dilluted sample rather than a positive result, although he did admit to having smoked six weeks prior. The Browns wide receiver room is concerning nonetheless. I would like to think that Gordon has earned so much trust in his recovery that he can now mentor, even sponsor, the hopefully-sober Callaway.
Next: NFL Draft 2018: Grades for each first-round pick
It is likely that Dorsey is simply willing to give the guy a shot. It is a cheap gamble to sacrifice a fourth and seventh round pick on a guy that could be great. The franchise has wasted higher picks, after all.
There are a few comparisons worth mentioning that certainly hold weight with all of our troubled receivers, Corey Coleman included. Rotten apples are indeed much like rotten oranges. One bad move should equal one lost job and both apples, and oranges, will roll out the door just fine with a toss.