Baker Mayfield’s going to have to learn to deal with the pressure of being asked to save a floundering franchise, and how to tiptoe through the land mines of a relationship with a veteran quarterback he’s eventually going to replace.
But the No. 1 overall pick also has some tangible, specific football stuff to work on too.
Mayfield spent most of this weekend’s rookie minicamp working from under center, probably more snaps than he took in college while in the shotgun formation.
“We are going to hammer that until I am good and it feels natural,” Mayfield said, via Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland. “That is the way it should be because I can play out of the ‘gun. Everybody here knows that. We are going to hammer that and we are going to work on what I need to work on so that we can go from there.”
There were a few faulty exchanges on his first day, less as the minicamp went along. It’s not remotely close to a deal-breaking concern, but it is something he’ll have to adapt to at the NFL level, and getting a clean exchange and drop-back will be important since he’s (in case you missed it) not the tallest quarterback in the draft.
It’s not that the Browns aren’t going to put him in the shotgun, but this is the time of year for learning new things, and it’s one of the ones Mayfield will have to get used to.
That, and saving a floundering franchise, of course.