DAYS SEEM BRIGHTER
The arrival of quarterback Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick, gives Browns fans hope
So the No. 1 pick, a quarterback designated the savior of a struggling franchise, rolled up to training camp in some new wheels. Big deal. In Cleveland, it was. Because Baker Mayfield’s styling new ride is a retiree’s dream, a fully-equipped motor home called a Sunseeker — appropriate for a club in search of a ray of hope after going 1-31 the last two seasons.
“The RV started back in the spring when we had the rules committee for Baker on Day 1, and one of them was he needed to get an RV,” reserve quarterback Drew Stanton told reporters this summer.
“It was an idea that Shaun Hill implemented with Matthew Stafford when we were in Detroit. We did training camp at the facility. It’s parked in the back.”
Basically, it’s a quarterback room on wheels, as detailed extensively on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
“It’s just someplace that you can go,” Stanton continued. “You can get out of these four walls that start to close in on you after a period of time. There’s no secret meetings or anything going on. It’s not like excluding anybody. Everybody’s welcome. It’s just a place to go to unwind, get away from here for the time period that we have off, and just nothing more, nothing less.”
There’s no question that Mayfield is the Browns’ big wheel for the long haul, but he’s not necessarily in the driver’s seat. He’s learning at the elbow of Tyrod Taylor, acquired in March in a trade with Buffalo.
Taylor started 42 games for the Bills over the last three seasons, going 22-20 during that span.
For the Browns, who had the first and fourth picks of the draft, he’s a bridge veteran who can help them make the transition to Mayfield. It’s a reboot from last year when rookie DeShone Kizer, a second-round pick, started 15 games of a winless season. He struggled with his accuracy throughout the season and ended with a league-high 22 interceptions. The Browns wound up trading him to Green Bay for defensive back Damarious Randall.
Since re-forming as a franchise in 1999, the Browns have had 28 starting quarterbacks. That makes the rest of the AFC North look like the Rock of Gibraltar, with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, Joe Flacco in Baltimore and Andy Dalton in Cincinnati.
It’s not as if those situations are perfect, though. Roethlisberger, who entered the league in 2004, has taken a beating over the years, and last season struggled to connect on deep balls, traditionally his strength.
Flacco, who was surrounded by a weak supporting cast, is coming off a season in which his career-low yards per attempt (5.7) only reinforced the nickname “Checkdown Joe.” He was banged up and threw for more than 250 yards in only four of 16 games last season. The Ravens traded back into the first round to select Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, making it obvious they are low on patience and long on expectations.
Two years after putting together an MVP-worthy fall, Dalton has tumbled back to earth in Cincinnati, where the Bengals have gone 6-9-1 and 7-9. He had some horrible stretches last season, and the Bengals failed to score a touchdown in their first two games, leading to the firing of their offensive coordinator.
In Cleveland, of all places, there’s hope. At least now.
“It’s a dream job,” Mayfield told reporters. “Yeah, I’m working hard, but it’s a dream job for me.
“It’s something I’ve dreamt of for a long time, so when you go out there and you have a chance to do it, why not make the most of it? Why not put everything you have into it? When you have some success, football’s hard, so you better enjoy it. It doesn’t come easy. It’s a lot of work, so you’ve got to be able to enjoy it with the guys.”
He’s a guy who looks for the bright side. A sun seeker.