AP

The Browns drafted Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick in this year’s draft and Tyrod Taylor is set to be a free agent after this season, which has led just about everyone to assume that Taylor will be playing quarterback somewhere other than Cleveland in 2019.

General Manager John Dorsey apparently isn’t making that assumption. Dorsey suggested that things could align in a way that leads to a contract extension for Taylor.

“I just want to see Tyrod do what he’s done in the past,” Dorsey told Kevin Clark of The Ringer. “He’s a natural born leader. He’s had an excellent camp so far. I want to see it unfold. There may come a point here where I call his representatives in October and say, ‘Let’s strike something up,'”

Clark asked if such a conversation with Taylor’s agent would mean that the team wasn’t convinced Mayfield was ready to take over the job anytime soon. Dorsey said his approach was to “deal with it when it happens,” although it would be hard to blame anyone who drew that conclusion in the event that the Browns do extend their relationship with Taylor before Mayfield hits the field.