Browns head coach Hue Jackson still plans for Taylor to enter Week 1 as the starting quarterback, but Jackson did seem to acknowledge the possibility that No. 1 overall draft pick Baker Mayfield could make an unexpected push for the job, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. "We have a plan and I want to work that plan as much as we can,'' Jackson said. "Now, can a player supersede that? You never know. I haven't had that happen, but right now this team is going to be led by Tyrod Taylor.''
Acquired from the Bills in exchange for a third-round draft pick, Taylor was named as the Browns' starting quarterback for the upcoming campaign shortly after the trade in mid-March, despite the universal expectation that Cleveland would select a quarterback at No. 1 overall. The team ultimately used that pick on the 23-year-old Mayfield, whose combination of collegiate experience and production is unmatched among recent quarterback prospects. The decision leaves Taylor in a more precarious spot than if the Browns had drafted Sam Darnold or Josh Allen, though the 28-year-old still should have the inside track to a starting job, with Jackson already placing Taylor atop the depth chart for the beginning of training camp. Taylor will likely assume the vast majority of first-team reps during spring practices, but it won't come as any surprise if Mayfield gets some of those opportunities in August.