Baker Mayfield won’t attend NFL draft

[teef]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

I'd go if I got the invite. 100%. And I wouldn't care if I didn't get the call until half way through day 2, but that is a personal decision and I understand someone not wanting to.  As Yolo said his mum's health may well be a significant factor here. 

 

I don't think Mayfield is going to fall.  Just like last year when at this time people we saying "there might only be one Quarterback that goes in the first round" and I was saying "three could go in the top 10" and was out by only two picks - there are going to be at least four Quarterbacks taken in the top 15 this year. As last year showed, if the teams sitting up there don't want to take them there are deals to be made now with the revisions teams have made to the trade value chart that makes it affordable and attractive to go up and get a guy knowing you have five cheap years under the existing CBA.  Missing on a Quarterback at the top of the draft doesn't kill you anymore like JaMarcus Russell did the Raiders. 

 

 

i think i would go too, just to see the fanfare.  this may sound strange, but i think it would depend on what position i was.  if i was a lineman or lb who really knew they were going to be taken in the first, i'd probably go and just enjoy myself.   more high profile positions...i'm not so sure.  

Edited February 20, 2018 by teef

[JM57]

10 hours ago, Lfod said:

So like is he gonna not show up or come in late for team practices? I'm convinced to not draft him now. He is off my board.

 

P.S. He was late for the Senior Bowl. 

His mother was (or is?) very sick and that was why he arrived late and left early from the Senior Bowl. Do a little extra reading.

[Matt_In_NH]

He is afraid he might grab his package when he gets selected?

[GunnerBill]

31 minutes ago, mattynh said:

He is afraid he might grab his package when he gets selected?

 

It will never be Joe Webb's package. Never. 

[JohnC]

11 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Yeah, I wouldn't go if I was him either.  

1. Personally I think he is the best QB prospect in this draft, but of the top 4 QB's predicted to go first, he probably has the best chance to fall given Rosen, Darnold, and Allen are all widely expected to go ahead of him with their prototypical size.  
2. There are likely only 2 QB needy teams in the top 10 this year by the time the draft gets here.  Cousins is likely signing with Jets or Broncos (with Browns, Bills and AZ as other possibilities).  Browns and then either the Jets/Broncos (whoever doesn't land Cousins) are locks for a QB.  No one else in the top 10 are, and for another QB to go in the top 10 its likely going to take a trade up.  
3. Arians raves about Lamar as top QB and being special, so good chance the Cardinals feel the same as Arians formed that opinion while scouting him as a team.  So quite possible AZ drafts Lamar. 
4. If he does drop, all the TV is going to talk about is speculation on whether its his "off field" issues, when in reality it is just because some of the QB needs would have been filled outside the draft creating less opportunities for QB's to go early.  I mean there are 6 QB's who are legit possibilities to go in the first round, yet probably only 3 or 4 do.  And if Lamar ends up as one of those 4, Baker could be the guy who falls.  

So I would skip the draft too if I was him.

 

Steve Wilks is the new Head Coach for Arizona. Arians retired. Not sure if it was of his own volition or not? Does Arians's evaluation of qbs remain the evaluation of the new regime's? Not sure? I am also a fan of Lamar Jackson and believe in time and in the right system with the right coaches he will be a good pro if not dynamic player. 

[hemma]

Family lives in Austin, so probably not that exciting for a Texas kid to drive 3 hours to Darlington.

 

If it was still in NYC, he might be tempted.

[JohnBonhamRocks]

Just goes to show what kind of character Mayfield has.

 

I mean, can we even be sure he's going to attend games?

[bigK14094]

1 hour ago, JinxedBill1 said:

I'd rather have the camera on me when I'm picked at home then over and over in the back room.

I would not allow the cameras in my home either.  They can stand outside off my property.  After the shouting is over, I would give them 5 minutes.

[frostbitmic]

How could he not want to shake Goober Goodells hand ?

 

Just for that decision I hope he drops to #21

[ddaryl]

Personally I would rather be with family and friends on this day. Not stuck in some building wearing a suit patiently waiting for a brief moment on stage and boring interview questions from the peanut galley press

[MAJBobby]

Doesnt concern me. His decision. Though makes you think about what his NFl Draft Advisory Grade was and what his agent is telling him. 

 

Better to handle a draft day tumble at home then in the green room 

[nucci]

3 hours ago, ddaryl said:

Personally I would rather be with family and friends on this day. Not stuck in some building wearing a suit patiently waiting for a brief moment on stage and boring interview questions from the peanut galley press

You don't want Deion Sanders asking you how it feels to be drafted?

[Alphadawg7]

5 hours ago, JohnC said:

Steve Wilks is the new Head Coach for Arizona. Arians retired. Not sure if it was of his own volition or not? Does Arians's evaluation of qbs remain the evaluation of the new regime's? Not sure? I am also a fan of Lamar Jackson and believe in time and in the right system with the right coaches he will be a good pro if not dynamic player. 

 

Absolutely that is the question.  And by no means am I saying AZ is locked in on Lamar, but Arians made those comments right after he retired.  And AZ was definitely scouting QB's in this draft this past season with Carson's age, injury and retirement.  So I am just saying its pretty clear that Arians opinion of Lamar was certainly formed while they were evaluating QB's as a team.  That definitely does not mean everyone in AZ felt the same, but I think its reasonable to assume its possible that Arians wasn't the only person inside AZ that felt that way.  

 

So far, the only big public support for Lamar as a QB in this draft I have heard direct from anyone related to a team has been Arians.  But truthfully, Lamar is a guy whose draft slotting is really going to come down to the offseason showings at the combine or workouts.  If he has big impressive showings passing, he very well can move up ahead of some of the other top 4 and go earlier than people are mocking now.  

 

But given none of that has happened yet, if I look up and down the first round and try to find a place he might go, I think AZ is the first real potential spot given how much Arians gushed about him shortly after he retired when he was asked in an interview about the upcoming draft class.  

[YoloinOhio]

52 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

Doesnt concern me. His decision. Though makes you think about what his NFl Draft Advisory Grade was and what his agent is telling him. 

 

Better to handle a draft day tumble at home then in the green room 

Our local media here is convinced he’s not going in the top half of the 1st. They think he’s not a guy you take that high, not a face of the franchise type. Cited his propensity of being a Knucklehead and the track record of shorter QBs in the draft.  If you take him at some point and he’s good then you build him up from there but not someone you sell the farm for. We will see.

[JohnC]

21 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Absolutely that is the question.  And by no means am I saying AZ is locked in on Lamar, but Arians made those comments right after he retired.  And AZ was definitely scouting QB's in this draft this past season with Carson's age, injury and retirement.  So I am just saying its pretty clear that Arians opinion of Lamar was certainly formed while they were evaluating QB's as a team.  That definitely does not mean everyone in AZ felt the same, but I think its reasonable to assume its possible that Arians wasn't the only person inside AZ that felt that way.  

 

So far, the only big public support for Lamar as a QB in this draft I have heard direct from anyone related to a team has been Arians.  But truthfully, Lamar is a guy whose draft slotting is really going to come down to the offseason showings at the combine or workouts.  If he has big impressive showings passing, he very well can move up ahead of some of the other top 4 and go earlier than people are mocking now.  

 

But given none of that has happened yet, if I look up and down the first round and try to find a place he might go, I think AZ is the first real potential spot given how much Arians gushed about him shortly after he retired when he was asked in an interview about the upcoming draft class.  

My sense is that the Cardinals still believe that they can be a competitive team and quickly get back on track. I see them as much as any other team going the free agent route and pursuing a qb such as Kennum, McCarron or maybe even Bradford. I think that although Lamar has some stunning and explosive talents he is from a pro standpoint a raw prospect. In my view any team that takes him is willing to groom him for at least a couple of years without getting much immediate return from him. 

 

If the Bills stayed pat and drafted him with one of their first round picks I would have no complaints. However, I don't see that happening because he doesn't seem to fit Beane's profile for a qb. The GM has stated that he wants a qb that makes plays from the pocket. My guess is that Rudolph fits the preferred mold than Jackson does. 

[Alphadawg7]

21 minutes ago, JohnC said:

My sense is that the Cardinals still believe that they can be a competitive team and quickly get back on track. I see them as much as any other team going the free agent route and pursuing a qb such as Kennum, McCarron or maybe even Bradford. I think that although Lamar has some stunning and explosive talents he is from a pro standpoint a raw prospect. In my view any team that takes him is willing to groom him for at least a couple of years without getting much immediate return from him. 

 

If the Bills stayed pat and drafted him with one of their first round picks I would have no complaints. However, I don't see that happening because he doesn't seem to fit Beane's profile for a qb. The GM has stated that he wants a qb that makes plays from the pocket. My guess is that Rudolph fits the preferred mold than Jackson does. 

 

Totally agree with everything you said.  I would think AZ would be interested in Cousins too, but I don't know they have enough Cap flexibility to compete with a team like Jets for instance (or even us for that matter as its still possible Bills explore it).  I would think Cousins would prefer a team like Denver or AZ, especially with less media garbage to deal with, but also better overall rosters than where the Jets are starting with.  However, if the reports are true about Jets going all in on Cousins, nobody is probably going to be able to match, or even want to, the type of deal Jets can/will offer.

 

I can definitely see AZ going after a good FA QB to be at the very least a bridge while a young guy sits like you said.  All the guys you mentioned also make sense.  And if they do get one they are pretty confident in, that might take a first round QB off the board all together for AZ and instead look to add more around the team to make a win now push.  

 

But since FA hasn't happened yet nor has any off season workouts or combine, AZ is the place I still lightly pencil in Lamar.  Like you, I would be great with us staying put and taking him at 21 and would prefer it over Mason personally.  I wouldn't hate drafting Mason, but I think Lamar has a higher upside.  Here is my actual preference of the QB's I want in order in this draft (keep in mind, this can and will change as we go through combines and workouts)

 

1. Baker
2. Rosen
3. Darnold
4. Lamar (but I have him REAL close to Darnold who I have used to love but lost a lot of allure with him this season)
5. Allen
6. Mason

I think Baker is the best QB prospect in this draft personally.  I also used to love Darnold, but man it was maddening watching him every week.  I found myself always trying to make excuses to validate so many of his mistakes every week.  I am quite intrigued by Lamar and think he is a better passer than he is given credit for.  But his offseason will either move him up my list or down...right now I have him at 4 closely behind Darnold.  

 

All that being said, I would excited to get any of these guys, some more than others.  I wouldn't hate picking any of them in terms of them as a prospect.  If we make a big trade up, its possible I won't like what we give up if we over pay, but I will still be excited about the QB prospect none the less.

[H2o]

19 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

Interesting decision... 

 

 

A lot of guys don't attend the draft now. Joe Thomas, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, there are many notable players who weren't there when their name was called. 

[JohnC]

8 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Totally agree with everything you said.  I would think AZ would be interested in Cousins too, but I don't know they have enough Cap flexibility to compete with a team like Jets for instance (or even us for that matter as its still possible Bills explore it).  I would think Cousins would prefer a team like Denver or AZ, especially with less media garbage to deal with, but also better overall rosters than where the Jets are starting with.  However, if the reports are true about Jets going all in on Cousins, nobody is probably going to be able to match, or even want to, the type of deal Jets can/will offer.

 

I can definitely see AZ going after a good FA QB to be at the very least a bridge while a young guy sits like you said.  All the guys you mentioned also make sense.  And if they do get one they are pretty confident in, that might take a first round QB off the board all together for AZ and instead look to add more around the team to make a win now push.  

 

But since FA hasn't happened yet nor has any off season workouts or combine, AZ is the place I still lightly pencil in Lamar.  Like you, I would be great with us staying put and taking him at 21 and would prefer it over Mason personally.  I wouldn't hate drafting Mason, but I think Lamar has a higher upside.  Here is my actual preference of the QB's I want in order in this draft (keep in mind, this can and will change as we go through combines and workouts)

 

1. Baker
2. Rosen
3. Darnold
4. Lamar (but I have him REAL close to Darnold who I have used to love but lost a lot of allure with him this season)
5. Allen
6. Mason

I think Baker is the best QB prospect in this draft personally.  I also used to love Darnold, but man it was maddening watching him every week.  I found myself always trying to make excuses to validate so many of his mistakes every week.  I am quite intrigued by Lamar and think he is a better passer than he is given credit for.  But his offseason will either move him up my list or down...right now I have him at 4 closely behind Darnold.  

 

All that being said, I would excited to get any of these guys, some more than others.  I wouldn't hate picking any of them in terms of them as a prospect.  If we make a big trade up, its possible I won't like what we give up if we over pay, but I will still be excited about thQB prospect none the less.

Good post. If the Bills move up I have no problem with them taking any of the top three rated qbs. From what I have seen of Darnold I think it would be a big mistake to make his an immediate starter. I wouldn't hesitate to immediately start either Baker or Rosen. 

 

As you noted there is a maddeningly erratic nature to Darnold's game. He struggles and then there is a flourish of great plays. That type of inconsistency is not going to work well in the pros. The one special trait that Darnold has is his stoicism . He is able to handle his struggling sequences without getting down on himself. There is a resiliency about him that makes him unique. He must be a fan of Star Trek and Commander Spock with his stoic persona. 

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

18 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Geno Smith having to wait until the 2nd round had to be the funniest.  A real punch to the jaw.

 

I see what you did there

 

I honestly felt bad for him. At the time, he was considered a lock for the first round, and they kept cutting back to him. And of course, over the course of many hours, as you anxiously wait about your future, you don't feel great.

 

Now, I loved pounding him as a Jet, but until he got taken, I couldn't hate on him too much. It's just a sad monkey's paw wish I got when I hoped EJ would be better than him.

[Da webster guy]

Hey as long as the stupid GM's stop calling these poor kids right when they're being drafted and keeping them on the telephone so they miss the best moment of their lives I'll be happy.   It's such a Roger Goodell type of thing to do, shows you're out of touch with reality and that the GM or Coach who calls the kid cares more about themselves than anyone else.

 

I'd turn my phone off and hang out in a local bar with my friends and family.   You'll have plenty of time to speak with your new coach afterwards.