First NFL team schedules meeting with Baker Mayfield
‘Tis the season of misdirection in the NFL.
The Super Bowl has come and gone, the scouting combine is coming up next week leading into the April draft, and the one thing we know about NFL teams is that we don’t really know anything.
At this time of the year, you can’t get coaches and general managers to admit what day it is, let alone their team’s plans.
With that as the backdrop, we share a Miami Herald report that the Dolphins have scheduled a meeting with Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield ahead of his pro day on March 14.
The Herald’s Barry Jackson wrote that the team is “taking steps to get to know him very well so they can make an educated decision if he’s surprisingly on the board when they pick.”
This may seem a bit strange, since Miami signed starter Ryan Tannehill to a four-year contract extension in May 2015 worth $96 million ($45 million guaranteed).
That was, of course, before Tannehill tore his ACL, and the team lured Jay Cutler out of the Fox Sports broadcast booth for last season.
Cutler led the Fish to a 6-10 record, throwing 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
With Tannehill scheduled to make a full recovery, and the dependable Matt Moore as his backup, why the interest in Mayfield?
Coach Adam Gase isn’t saying, but Mayfield did create a bit of a media storm last month by using the hashtag “#GetMeToMiami” in a tweet.
Mayfield said he was just supporting fellow Sooner Kenny Stills, a Dolphins receiver.
“Just so everybody knows … I commented about playing for Miami because I was talking to a former Sooner in Kenny Stills,” he said. “Everybody can relax, I will play anywhere that gives me a chance. I’m not picky, I will go anywhere and strive to uplift a franchise and win ball games.”
Many draft experts think a meeting with Miami is a moot point — they don’t expect him to be available when the Dolphins make the 11th overall pick, especially with the quarterback-needy Broncos sitting at No. 5.
This year’s NFL draft is expected to be front loaded with quarterbacks: USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen and Mayfield are all expected to go in the first round, most likely in the top 15 picks.
Mayfield has announced he won’t be attending the draft, following the lead of last year’s top pick, Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns.
Baker Mayfield told me he will NOT be coming to Arlington’s AT&T Stadium for the @NFL draft in April. @daveyobrien #OU pic.twitter.com/SLFR6daRyX
— Newy Scruggs (@newyscruggs) February 20, 2018
The NFL Draft will be held at AT&T Stadium in Texas starting April 26.
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