Landry calls Mayfield’s comments ‘a nonissue’

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO — Jarvis Landry doesn’t see trouble brewing in the Browns locker room between Baker Mayfield and Duke Johnson.

“It’s a nonissue,” Landry, a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, said Friday during his youth football camp at Shaker Heights High School.

On Thursday, NFL Network’s Michael Silver reported several veteran players approached Mayfield in the locker room last week to express displeasure over his comments about how Johnson has handled his trade request. Mayfield may not have agreed with those veterans, but he heard them, and they hashed out their differences, Silver reported.

Landry said he doesn’t believe Mayfield and Johnson would have a problem working together after the quarterback took exception to the running back’s stated desire to leave the Browns.

“I don’t think it would be difficult at all,” Landry said. “I say to you it’s a non-issue, and it’s not one that we are feeling any particular way about. It’s something that is being blown up from (the media) more than it really is. No offense (to reporters who cover the Browns). I didn’t mean it like that.”

Johnson’s agent requested a trade in March, and the player skipped the Browns’ entire voluntary offseason workout program. Upon arriving at mandatory minicamp, Johnson said June 4 he still wanted to be traded and nothing would change his mind. His request, he said, stems from the Browns putting him on the trading block a month before he asked out. Johnson said he views the organization shopping him as disloyalty.

Mayfield addressed the media minutes after Johnson did the same and made it clear he was less than thrilled with his teammate’s approach.

“That’s something that we’ve been dealing with for a while,” Mayfield said last week. “If we have guys that want to be here, they’ll show that, they’ll voice that. Obviously, he’s going to handle his stuff how he wants, but you’re either on this train or you’re not. It’s moving. You can get out of the way or you can join us. So it is what it is.”

Mayfield even disagreed with a reporter who asked a question about Johnson being in an awkward spot.

“It’s not awkward,” Mayfield said. “It’s self-inflicted. It is what it is. It’s not awkward for anybody else in this building.

“He’s got to do his job. He said he’s a professional. I hope he does his job.”

Landry took the opposite stance about Johnson’s situation last week.

“I hope he understands and feels that guys are here for him, whether he is here or not, that the relationship goes beyond the player, the person as well,” Landry said. “So I definitely hope he understands that and knows that there are guys that are here for him.”

Silver also reported the transition to new offensive coordinator Todd Monken has not gone as smoothly as planned, so coach Freddie Kitchens, the offense’s play caller, has been playing a greater role in spearheading the offense than originally expected.

“I have no idea about that, but I will say that Freddie has done a great job of monitoring, stepping in when he needs to step in,” Landry said. “It’s a new offense, so there’s a lot to learn. There’s a lot of moving parts, so it takes some time. Not everything goes smoothly, I mean, (Monken has) only been there what, a month?”