Getty Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield
Urban Meyer had to face Baker Mayfield twice while he was the head coach at Ohio State University, and in those two games, the now-Cleveland Browns QB made an impression on the Buckeyes skipper.
While Meyer had some good things to say about Mayfield on the The Herd with Colin Cowherd, he also brought up a concern about the former Oklahoma Heisman-winning QB that, for the most part, has already been proven invalid.
“I coached against Baker two years in a row,” Meyer said. “We beat them in Oklahoma and he beat us in Columbus. He’s one of my favorite players of all time. I know he planted a flag, I think, in the middle of the horseshoe when they beat us but he’s competitive. He raises the level of play around him, but there’s legitimate issues when your offensive linemen are 6-foot-8 and these big defensive linemen try to tear your throat out coming at you and you can’t see.”
Mayfield Proved Critics Wrong With Huge Rookie Season
Meyer is really still hung up on the issue of Mayfield’s height, even after a year where the No. 1 overall pick broke the rookie touchdown record, previously held by Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson.
“I think it’s a concern, but Russell Wilson has done a great job,” Meyer said, addressing Mayfield’s height. “Drew Brees has done a great job. I don’t know about the player Kyler Murray. I met him at the Heisman (ceremony) this year and I was a little bit taken aback. He is short, but he’s dynamic. To say you’re going to run traditional drop back pass with those players, I don’t think you can do it.”
In just 13 starts, Mayfield threw for 3,725 yards and 27 touchdowns last season. The Browns finished 7-8-1, winning five of their final seven games, just missing the playoffs but giving fans hope about what was to come.
Meyer stepped down as the head coach at Ohio State after last season and is now part of FOX Sports as a college football studio analyst.
Browns Are Letting Baker Mayfield Be Himself
Mayfield has seen a lot of growth this offseason both on and off the field, getting married to his wife Emily, while also trying to get acquainted with his new teammate and No. 1 receiver, Odell Beckham Jr.
With 13 starts under his belt and a full offseason as the team’s top QB, Mayfield is starting to see things slow down in the pocket.
“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,” Mayfield told reporters. “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.”
Mayfield plays the game with passion, much like Beckham. He’s had his incidents where sometimes it’s too much passion, but Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens doesn’t want Mayfield to change one bit.
“Baker is going to be himself. He is not going to change for anyone. It does not matter, he is always going to tell you the truth. He is going to speak the truth,” Kitchens said in his press conference before training camp. “That is what I like about him. Everybody around him is going to know where they stand. I want all of our players to be themselves because if try to start being somebody you are not, you do not never know who you are. I want them be themselves.”
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