COURTESY OF CLEVELAND BROWNS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
On his perception of QB Baker Mayfield coming in and his impressions of Mayfield thus far:
“Yeah, I have known Baker a little bit. Obviously, we played against each other in 2018. He came there to Denver and got the better of us then. I have known he is a gamer and can make some big-time plays and some big-time throws. I was really excited to work with him, and being here, it is impressive to see. I was telling somebody yesterday, he has a lot stronger arm in person than he does on film, and he made some really good throws on film. It has been fun to get to know him first and then see him work, see him operate and see how he interacts with teammates. I am very impressed.”
On the new offense and how the scheme can help Mayfield:
“We are all learning. There are some similarities with a lot of things with the offense, but it is new. It is 2020 Browns. I think we are all learning. We are all growing. We all bring different things to the table, but this is a new year, a new team. I am excited. I think it is a very quarterback-friendly offense from just the things I have seen in the past from the way (Head Coach) Kevin (Stefanski) and AVP (offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) present it. It is very black and white for the quarterback in a lot of reads a lot of situations. From what we have done so far, it has been really good.
On how Mayfield is adapting to new footwork, particularly in shotgun formation, and if he also had to learn the new footwork:
“Like the verbiage of this offense, I think some of the footwork I had some similarities with. There are some differences, too. It is learning a lot of new things, including just the operation of calling plays. I have heard a lot of these plays before or at least called them certain things, but I think Baker is doing a tremendous job because he some of this he is coming in cold and he is operating getting in and out of the huddle, has great feet and great tempo. He is even able to speed up or kind of tempo slow down his drop at certain times, too, depending on the concept and where it is down the field. I have been very impressed with how quickly he has picked it up, especially with not having a spring together. We were all working virtually trying to send our footwork in so to do that in such a short time, it has been very impressive.”
On if learning the new offensive scheme has been tough for players, particularly following a virtual offseason program:
“Yeah, it is a challenge. Playing in the NFL is a challenge. Playing quarterback, I think is one of the toughest jobs that there is. It is probably one of the only jobs I have had, but I am a little bit biased. It is tough on everybody. There is a lot demanded of us, a lot asked of us. Kevin, AVP and those guys put a lot in installs and presented it all during meetings, but we are required to go out there and execute at a very high level. That is the NFL. That is our job. That is what we are paid to do. I think guys are responding. Nobody is perfect. I am not perfect. We are making mistakes, but we are learning from them. We are learning from each other’s mistakes, too. That is one thing, the reps in the NFL in general most years are limited, and they are even more limited now so we are having to learn not just from my own mistakes from other people’s mistakes. as well.”
On if he feels that Browns players on last year’s team have put last season behind them:
“I think so. I do not want to speak for other guys, but yeah, I think there is a lot of good talk around the locker room with guys that say the feeling is a little bit different this year and there is a different atmosphere around the ball club. Again, I do not want to speak for other people, but from my perspective, I think it has been really good. Like I said, we have not been perfect, but we are growing and we are getting better every day, and I think that is all you can do.”
On the discussions and questions when watching practice film in the QB room:
“It is everything. It is new every day. There are critiques on every play. You can talk about your critique on every play. You can go through situations on every play about every little thing. I think AVP, Kevin, (offensive assistant) T.C. (McCartney), the guys in the room, I think it has been good discussion about all different types of things from reads to footwork mechanics to operation to philosophy. Kevin has done a good job of putting us in situations during certain periods where our point of emphasis today is you X so we are going to work on sudden change, we are going to work on second and short and we are going to work on all different things. I think it has been good. It has been a good training camp so far.”
On if he feels he is ahead of other Browns QBs and if they are asking him many questions because he has played with Stefanski before:
“It is a good discussion. We are going through everybody from AVP, T.C., to Baker, myself and (QB) Garrett (Gilbert), there is a lot of discussion in there. I think you want to bring your past to you and learn from it, but like I said, this is this is our team now. This is this is the 2020 Browns, and we are all looking forward.”
On how much Mayfield is picking his brain about adjusting to the offensive system:
“We have some great coaches, and they are doing a great job. I do not want to put too much out there in certain situations, but Baker and I have had some great discussions about plays. Baker has a lot of experience, too, with a lot of similar plays, and he has more experience with these receivers. It is kind of a good give and take because I like to talk to him about, ‘Hey, how does this guy run this route? What experience do you have with him?’ and how he sees this. It has been good both ways, and I am learning from him. I hope he is learning from me, but I have definitely learned a lot from him.”
On if he has learned anything new about Stefanski in his new role as head coaching:
“Yeah, there is one thing about Kevin that was not there. I always say I do not like to see a guy change very much from being a position coach to head coach, and he said he has a lot more gray in his beard (laughter). I am trying to catch him a little bit and mine are catching up here. He has a lot more salt than pepper in his beard these days (laughter).”
On the importance of having a strong bond in the QB room:
“I think it is very important when we spend a lot of time together. Especially now with how things are with COVID, it is kind of spread out with position groups and in smaller groups so we are spending a lot of time together. It helps that we like each other. We respect each other. We get along, and I think our wives get along, which is great. Nothing else really matters if the wives get along (laughter). I think we have had some great discussions. Like I said, it has been good quarterback meeting room time, and we have had a lot of it. I think you learn from each other in a lot of different ways. Like I said with the reps, we are all standing back there watching the quarterback who is in – whoever is in. Whatever they are doing, we are going through the same reads, trying to operate the same way and trying to see the defense through all the same set of eyes. That is with AVP, with Kevin and those guys, all being on the same page is very important.”
On what he learned about offensive line coach Bill Callahan during their time in Washington:
“I learned a lot about Bill. He was a big reason I was excited to come work here. Just the protection game, the run game and the way he coaches that up, it is nice to have some continuity with that and being able to operate with some familiarity, some terms and different things. He has changed up a lot, but he has kept a lot the same, too, at the same time. I am excited to work with him again and not just have one year. He been in this league a long time, he has coached a lot of ball and he knows a lot of ball, not just O line stuff, so it has been really good working with him.”
On if the Browns defense is ahead of the offense early in training camp, which feels typical, and if he has played with teams where the offense was ahead of the defense early in training camp:
“Who is keeping score? I do not know. I think we are all growing. We are both growing. I think we are trading punches, if you will. I think we are competing. We are going at it. I think the defense has made some big plays, for sure. I think we have made some big plays, too. We have left some football out there, but we are learning and growing. I think both sides are doing a great job.”
On if the Browns offense is different than when he played with Stefanski in Minnesota:
“Oh, yeah, there is a little bit of everything. Like I said, there is only one way to describe it, and that is 2020 Browns. Hopefully, it will be on full display come weekends in the fall.”