Baker Mayfield's Browns Future Could Be in Jeopardy After John Dorsey's Departure

If you thought that John Dorsey being relieved of his duties was rock bottom for the Cleveland Browns, well, you haven't been paying much attention lately.

Dorsey's dismissal could mark a murky future for Baker Mayfield, a guy that many pundits penciled in as the franchise's cornerstone and signal caller of the future after an impressive rookie campaign.

However, Mayfield endured a forgettable sophomore season, and his ceiling as an NFL gunslinger is rightfully being deliberated on sports talk shows throughout the country.

The clock could very well be ticking on Baker Mayfield’s future now. 2020 is now a prove-it year. The big question is whether you disqualify a candidate who isn’t big on Baker. And those are questions that absolutely get asked in an interview.
— Anthony Lima (@SportsBoyTony) December 31, 2019

Let's remember that it was Dorsey who selected Mayfield with the No.1 overall pick of the 2018 Draft. Should the Browns' merely dismiss a GM candidate who isn't a Baker-believer, regardless of his interview potentially sweeping Cleveland off their feet?

Mayfield's future in The Land isn't, by any stretch of the imagination, solidified following Dorsey's departure.

For the season, the Oklahoma product completed just 59.4% of his passes for 3,827 yards, 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, while leading the Browns to a 6-10 record. There's a distinct difference between sophomore slump and a sheer nose-dive, and Baker undoubtedly personified the latter in 2019.

The #Browns and GM John Dorsey are parting ways, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. Not a surprise given the events of the this morning.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 31, 2019

That's to say nothing of his questionable-at best maturity. We hate to preach Colin Cowherd's gospel here, but it's virtually impossible to admit that Mayfield couldn't use a significant upgrade in that department.

Next season just became make or break for Baker.