Browns Veterans Express Displeasure to Baker Mayfield for Critical Comments About Teammate
By Bobby Burack
Michael Silver is reporting that several veterans on the Cleveland Browns expressed their displeasure to Baker Mayfield over his critical comments about Duke Johnson.
As I just stated on @nflnetwork: According to multiple sources, several veteran Browns players approached Baker Mayfield in the locker room after the young QB's critical comments about RB Duke Johnson to register their displeasure, and they hashed out their differences.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) June 13, 2019
The comments in question regard Mayfield voicing his displeasure to the media about Johnson requesting a trade a week and a half ago. When asked about the situation after an OTA session, Mayfield said, “It’s self-inflicted. It is what it is. It’s not awkward for anyone else in this building. He’s gotta do his job. He said he was a professional. I hope he does his job.”
Baker Mayfield didn’t mince words when addressing the Duke Johnson trade request. #Browns pic.twitter.com/BsRkrdvjxD
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) June 4, 2019
Mayfield wasn’t done just yet, adding: “You’re either on this train or you’re not.”
It’s concerning to see a player be that open and critical about a teammate’s personal wishes publicly. Yet not that surprising, as Mayfield is no stranger to controversy; his actions and choice of words have been a topic of discussion around the league since he was drafted.
This isn’t the only issue brewing in Cleveland, either. Silver is also reporting the Browns are having problems transitioning to their new offensive coordinator Todd Monken:
"“I also reported that the transition to new OC Todd Monken has not gone as smoothly as planned, resulting in HC Freddie Kitchens playing a greater role in spearheading the offense than originally intended. We’ll keep an eye on this as the season approaches.”"
No team and no player in the NFL is going to receive more attention this season than the Browns and Baker Mayfield. Unfortunately, that is going to be the case regardless of how much success they have on the field. They have the talent to win a lot of games, but there are all sorts of egos inside that locker room and right now things seem far from ideal, even if it is still June.