Promotion of Mayfield to No. 2 coming at right time
Browns walk fine line between development and discouragement.
Hue Jackson proCLEVELAND — moted Baker Mayfield from thirdteam quarterback to second in the final week of OTAs last week, and the timing couldn’t have been better.
The move came just before the start of mandatory full squad minicamp (today through Thursday), after which the players disperse until training camp begins in July. Jackson, who’s worked hard to keep Mayfield Mania in check, has downplayed the move, but it’s significant. It means that the No. 1 pick is making good progress and that coaches are ready to see him with and against better competition.
Working overtime on and off the field to learn his craft, Mayfield has earned the right to back up Tyrod Taylor and increase his workload in preparation for the season.
Here are five reasons it makes sense for Mayfield to be working with the twos, and why he should continue to do so.
1. He’ll work with better skill players
Going second in the rotation gives Mayfield a chance to work with better receivers and for the coaches to evaluate him with a quality supporting cast. With the second team, he won’t always be throwing to Josh Gordon and Jarvis Landry, but they will mix and match the first and second-team throughout camp, and he’ll have many more opportunities to work with the starters than third-teamer Drew Stanton will.
In addition to Mayfield being able to better showcase his talent, he’ll be able to develop vitally important timing and chemistry with the starters. In practice on Tuesday, he threw a touchdown pass to Corey Coleman, and that wouldn’t have happened on the third team.
At some point this season, Mayfield will be pressed into service, and reps with the starters will be hard to come by during the season. He’ll mostly be running the scout team offense, and Stanton will barely be getting any reps.
2. He’ll face better defenders
As the backup QB, Mayfield
will have more opportunities to face the first- and sec- ond-team defense, which is invaluable at this stage of his development. On several occasions last week, he held onto the ball too long and would’ve been sacked. Mayfield needs to get a feel for the speed of the game, and this will only happen if he’s got Myles Garrett, Emmanuel Ogbah and other top defend- ers swarming him.
He’s also still learning how to operate under cen- ter, and he needs to do it under the extreme pressure of an attacking front.
“He’s really improved (under center),’’ Jackson said Friday on ESPN’s NFL Live. “When we go way back to the rookie minicamp we had right after the draft, that was different for him but he worked extremely hard at it. It’s not an issue anymore. I knew he would cure that problem pretty quickly and he’s done that.’’
3. It will boost his confidence
Mayfield admitted this week he hasn’t been happy with his progress, and the bump up to No. 2 is a muchneeded vote of confidence.
Un l ike Johnny Manziel, Mayfield is working extremely hard, and has earned the promotion. The Browns have to work hard to make sure they strike the proper balance between slow-playing it and not letting him get discouraged. It’s tough to go from winning the Heisman Trophy and playing in the final four to riding the bench in the pros.
4. Drew Stanton doesn’t need the reps
Stanton has started 17 games in his 11-year NFL career, and he doesn’t need the extra reps. He’s been around long enough, as a backup with the Lions, Colts and Cardinals, to get thrown into a game and excel.
In his four seasons with the Cardinals, he went 9-4, including 3-1 last season. If Stanton plays at all this season, it would likely be early on for an injured Taylor before Mayfield is ready. If the Browns are clearly out of it down the stretch, they will likely want to give their top pick some playing time. 5. It doesn’t mean he’s close to beating out Taylor
The advancement doesn’t mean that Mayfield is close to catching Taylor. He’s not. Taylor is still significantly ahead and on track to start the season.
“Obviously Tyrod’s our starting quarterback,’’ Jack- son said Friday. “He’s had a really, really good camp this spring. He’s been outstanding and obviously Baker’s done some really good things, too. I’m really excited about his future.
“(Mayfield) was the first player drafted and he’s shown that in practice. He has tremendous arm talent, he does a lot of things well, but again he’s a young player and he’s trying to find his way . ... I think we’re very fortunate and blessed to have Tyrod here because Tyrod is going to do some great things.”
The promotion is the logical next step for Mayfield, and there’s no reason to reverse it now, even though Jackson continues to down- play it.