Browns’ Mayfield says he ‘cannot believe’ Giants drafted Jones
EAST RUTHERFORD >> Another day, another backhanded jab from Cleveland.
Only this time, it wasn’t just Odell Beckham Jr. doing the talking.
Baker Mayfield added his name to the list of Daniel Jones critics when he told GQ in an interview published Tuesday he “cannot believe” the Giants selected the former Duke quarterback sixth overall in April’s NFL Draft.
“Blows my mind,” Mayfield said. “Some people overthink it. That’s where people go wrong. They forget you’ve gotta win.”
Presumably, the Browns quarterback was referring to the fact that Jones’ teams went 17-19 at Duke. Mayfield went 34-6 at Oklahoma before becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft.
Jones said Tuesday after Giants practice that he’s never spoken to Mayfield before.
“I try not to listen to much that’s said,” Jones said of Mayfield comments. “I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that. I heard that before. I kind of have the same mindset, I certainly have a lot to focus on here, I have a lot to worry about here and I’m focused on that.”
Baker attempted to clarify his comments later in the day with an Instagram post.
“This is not what I said ... just so we’re clear,” Mayfield said. “I also said I was surprised I got drafted number one. Then was talking about the flaws in evaluating QB’s. Where I brought up winning being important. Reporters and media will do anything to come up with a click bait story. Heard nothing but good things and wish nothing but the best for Daniel.”
Regardless of how GQ may have used Mayfield’s comments out of context, criticism of where New York selected Jones is nothing new. Several pundits rated Jones as the fourth or fifth best quarterback prospect and felt the Giants reached by taking him sixth overall rather than waiting until their second pick at No. 17.
“That’s not original commentary, is it?” Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said. “We had a reason for why we did (draft Daniel), and we do feel like he helped his team win. We have a lot of reasons why Daniel is our quarterback. Beyond that, I don’t have much response.”
Shurmur also appeared fed up when asked again about Beckham, the star receiver whom the Giants traded to the Browns in March. Beckham has been outspoken in the past regarding the Giants’ communication with him regarding the trade, and in a new Sports Illustrated story published Tuesday, he was quoted as saying, “This wasn’t no business move. This was personal. They thought they’d send me here to die.”
Beckham told Sports Illustrated that the Giants never discussed his preferred trade destinations, and that the team held better offers from other teams.
“Quite frankly, on our list of issues of the day, it really doesn’t matter what Odell or Baker said,” Shurmur said. “There are many other things that we should probably be discussing.”
Jones went a similar route when asked if Mayfield’s jab motivates him more to prove the doubters wrong.
“I think there is a lot of things before that that motivate me, to be honest,” Jones said.