QB Baker Mayfield (7.25.19)
QB Baker Mayfield:
On being back on the football field:
“Great to be back out there. It feels good to be back out here with everybody. The whole team is here. A great time.”
On connecting with WR Odell Beckham Jr. multiple times to start the 11-on-11 drills:
“It is kind of a security blanket. The one throw on my left, it looked like he kind of double jumped – he had another jump in the air. We talked about it in the spring – he is just a special individual who can do things like that.”
On the difference of opening camp this year compared to his rookie year:
“A lot better, I can say that. Everything is not moving as fast. Just trying to get settled in a little more, handling the little things and getting the team together because that is what is important is making sure we are on the same page and fine tuning things. We are not going to be perfect, but as long as we communicate and we get on the same page, we will be able to work on that moving forward.”
On married life:
“It is good to see you, Tony (Grossi). It has been a long time since I have seen you. [Married life] is good so far.”
On individual goals for training camp:
“Take care of the ball more. Get ball out so no sacks. I just sounded like a caveman – get ball out (laughter). Work on the little things like I said but just get better each day. Find one thing to work on each day and get better at that.”
On difference working with the first team offense compared to the second team last year, given Head Coach Freddie Kitchens’ comments on the significance:
“I would have agree. It is just that. Being able to get more reps and more experience with them is very important. Just getting the timing down and getting on the same page, as well.”
On his relationship with RB Duke Johnson Jr. now, given the two were seen laughing together:
“We addressed it. Freddie talked about it yesterday. We are good. If we are out there smiling… We are here to do our job. He is here, and like I said when it all came out, we want people who want to be here, and he is here right now. That is important. I think that shows that we are here to win.”
On if he felt a need to talk with Johnson after veteran minicamp:
“No. We are going to handle it like professionals. It is what it is.”
On if he felt a different energy from Browns fans when taking the field today:
“More excitement. There are more people who they are excited to watch play. It is good to have that energy. It will be vital for them to have that same energy later on in camp when guys aren’t as fresh and you are not running on adrenaline as much. It is great to see.”
On the next level of his game that he is attempting to reach:
“Like I said from the difference of first year to second year, camp moves really fast for you [the first year], especially at the quarterback position. There are a lot of things flying. You have to be able to compartmentalize, learn from the day and then move onto the next and start fresh. If you harp on one [bad] day, you can have a couple in a row. It is like a domino effect. The big thing is now it is slowing down and to be able to build on that, have that solid foundation and get better at something every day.”
On new experiences this year, despite being in high profile situations in the past:
“I don’t know. The hype around it, everything is something that I am used to. We had those expectations in high school. We had them at Oklahoma. I get it, now it is a bigger platform so I would say that is the biggest difference is there are more media around it.”
On Kitchens saying the team’s goal every year should be to reach the Super Bowl and expectations around the team:
“That absolutely should be the goal every year. We want guys who want to win. We want guys who want to be here to work with each other. The goals should absolutely be that high. We know and we have to emphasize that to get there, you have to take it one week at a time and one game at a time. Right now, it is training camp and we have to take it one day at a time. Just work on the little things right now to get to that ultimate goal.”
On Browns players’ independent workouts in Los Angeles:
“It was great getting out there and enjoying some good weather. A little downtime. Guys getting to just work and then enjoyed. It is vital to get together so you are not taking that much time off because the timing of everything is very important and being on the same page – how we want to run the routes or the timing of it, that all goes hand in hand.”
On how the Browns’ improved defensive line will help him, particularly as it relates to getting the ball out more quickly:
“The goal of training camp is to compete every day and make each other better. Having those guys up front being able to rush the passer pretty well is good for us. Getting the ball out quickly, that is a thing that I need to work on right now because last year early on, we were one of the worst teams getting the ball out. We had way too many sacks. Right now, that needs to be a goal, and taking care of the ball and no negative plays. They are making us better, and that is great for us.”
On DE Myles Garrett batting down a pass:
“Myles got his hand on one. He should have caught it, and then I think either (DT) Sheldon (Richardson) or (DT) Larry (Ogunjobi) got his hand on another one.”
On today’s practice seem to extend longer while last year’s first practice seemed to end earlier and if that is due to different scheme, coach or other factors:
“All of the obvious things – scheme, coach. The scheme, we have a lot of things that are similar, but it is his twist on it kind of like what we were doing toward the end of the year last year. I think everybody is just so locked in on what we want to accomplish. That is the kind of focus that we need to have every day. We are not just out there for a certain amount of time trying to get through everything. We need to work on it until we get it right. That is a great mindset.”
On having WRs like Beckham and WR Jarvis Landry who have large catch radii and strong hands:
“It makes my job easy, that is for sure. Including the other weapons we have right now, the competition level is great for us. It is making those other guys show up, compete and get better, forcing each other to get better. They make my job easy.”
On the keys to developing chemistry with the talent on the roster:
“It starts with timing but also being on the same page and having the same goal and working towards it. You are not going to be perfect. Also, testing some things out on where we can throw balls with certain guys. You have to learn your receivers and you have to learn what they are good at. That just takes time. It takes watching film, seeing how they run the routes and taking the extra time to talk to them.”
On Kitchens’ comment that he is more mature than the average 24-year old:
“I will take that because he is not as mature as his age (laughter). I think I had to grow up fast, just being in the spotlight, having to play early in college and then also just having to deal with media early on. I think you learn how you need to conduct yourself – not that I have been perfect by any means; I am definitely not saying that – having to deal with it early on.”
On TE David Njoku’s potential this year as he continues to grow:
“I think as we continue to go and he continues to be coached, just for him to be comfortable and hear the same thing over and over again because consistency is key for David, who hasn’t had a lot of coaching and hasn’t been playing football for that long. The consistency of what we want to accomplish is important to David. How athletic he is and how talented he is, the sky is the limit for him. Being able to include him within our offense is great.”
On if there is a lot to learn in the new offense with offensive coordinator Todd Monken:
“He has his twists on it, but it is definitely not a whole new playbook. That is for sure.”
On how being settled and married this year changes training camp and his life this upcoming season:
“I can tell you what, I am definitely more excited and more comfortable now than I was last year – a lot more anxiety not knowing what was coming. I still don’t know how the season is going to go, but I know how I am going to work and how I am going to handle it. It is just being comfortable and knowing I have a place that I can call home and know that.”
On if the Browns have a different attitude or confidence level this year:
“Absolutely, I think just the extra pieces we added, but also the guys who we had last year, we built a little bit in the second half of the year and just knowing what we are capable of. We added more talent. We added some great coaches. Everybody can kind of feel that within the building. It is a good atmosphere.”
On if the Browns defense is being overlooked, given all the attention paid to the Browns offense, and if the Browns defense has potential to be a big time defense
“Thank you for being responsible and accountable (laughter). I think [it does have the potential]. How many turnovers we had early in the year last year was a huge benefit for us. Even though we weren’t winning, they were playing great. We need to keep getting better and keep competing, but them being as good as they are and as good as they can be is going to be great for us. It is going to make us better as an offense. They are kind of an undervalued part of this team that we are excited to see once they get out there.”
On Kitchens’ demeanor and personality as a perfect balance to the high-profile nature of many Browns players:
“With the amount of guys we have on our team and how real everybody wants to be, they just want to be told the truth, just have facts and just be handled like a professional. Freddie is that guy. He is going to be himself. He is not going to BS around. He is going to speak it like it is and how he wants it done. That is important. Everybody does it differently, but the best pro teams, everybody knows what needs to get accomplished, what the standard is and what is expected. Freddie makes that clear.”
On Beckham making challenging catches, including one as he Beckham to his knees:
“That is a good catch. It is a security blanket being able to throw it in places that not a lot of receivers could go get it and he comes down with it with a guy draped all over him. It is unique. It is good.”
On if he had to pay for the QB RV again this year:
“No, thank God I didn’t have to pay this year. I had to pay a lot last year and they got free marketing. Not this year. That is called growing up, maturing and learning how to work it (laughter). I have a little surprise when we get to Indy so we will see.”
On the QB RV as a potential tradition, given QB Drew Stanton typically had one with his past teams:
“It is one of those rookie duties that I will look back on and be very thankful for. I don’t think I will ever go another training camp without an RV. It is great.”
On the QB RV not being specifically due to Hard Knocks:
“It was great to have none of [the media] in there and to be able to escape and have it as a QB RV. It is good just to get away and have somewhere – everybody is in this building – to be able to relax and unwind a little bit in your downtime.”
On Browns fans’ excitement and comments that this is the type of team ‘Cleveland deserves’:
“It makes it all the more exciting for us feeling the energy. It is like I said last year when we won the first couple of games – everybody was so excited – that we need to set the standard. This is a tradition-rich franchise that needs to have that standard every year. It is just getting back to that base line, setting that foundation for everybody else and just for them to realize this is what they should expect every year. That is how you build a great culture and a great winning culture. They do deserve that, and that is how it needs to be.”
On his most important lesson from college to prepare for pro football:
“Don’t run from the cops (laughter).”
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