How Baker's Comments Reaffirms the Unearned Hostility Many Have Towards the Cleveland Browns
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In a recent interview by Complex Magazine, Baker Mayfield said that many media members and NFL fans want to see the Browns lose simply because of the talented players that they have gained in the 2018-2019 off-season. Even though some media members try to deny it, one can argue that Baker Mayfield is 100% spot-on in his assessment of the situation. It sounds corny, but one could venture to say that there are a lot of NFL fans and pundits that straight-up Browns haters. The reason why is because of the common talking points against the Browns being successful that sound great on the surface, but lack any real substance when one takes a panoramic view around the NFL landscape.
Common Arguments as to why the Browns Will Fail
1) "They Haven't Won Anything in 20 Years!"
Why it Doesn't Make Sense:
There have been several examples of teams just within the last decade of the NFL who have become overnight successes. Remember when the Rams were trash for more than a decade? Remember when Jared Goff was considered a draft bust? Remember when the Eagles were known for choking in the playoffs and for fielding subpar teams? Remember when the Seahawks were known for being the worst team that ever made the playoffs? Remember when the Jaguars were a complete laughingstock of a franchise for more than a decade? Remember when Saints were labeled as the "Aint's"?
If all of the teams listed can become playoff contenders over the course of the last decade, why is it such a stretch to think that the Browns with this current roster of
2) "Freddie Kitchens is a Rookie Head Coach"
Why it Doesn't Make Sense:
If you also look at recent NFL history, say, the last 15 years or so, you will also notice a peculiar trend; and that's "inexperienced" rookie head coaches having seemingly overnight success despite having no prior experience coaching a team professionally. Examples include:
Sean Payton for the Saints in 2006 (Finished 10-6)
Mike Tomlin for the Steelers in 2007 (Finished 10-6)
John Harbaugh for the Ravens in 2008 (Finished 11-5)
Jim Caldwell for the Colts in 2009 (Finished 14-2)
Jim Harbaugh for the 49ers in 2011 (Finished 13-3)
Chuck Pagano for the Colts in 2012 (Finished 11-5)
Sean McVay for the Rams in 2017 (Finished 11-5; currently the youngest head coach in NFL history)
Franck Reich for the Colts in 2018 (Finished 10-6)
Matt Naggy for the the Bears in 2018 (Finished 12-4)
And you wanna know what they ALL had in common? They had extremely talented rosters, just like DA BROWNS! (gasp!) If anything, history has shown that guys in Freddie Kitchens position will be very successful.
3) "Too Many Big Personalities in the Locker Room...."
Why it Doesn't Make Sense:
Many of the people in the mainstream media, as well as many people who attempt to "tamper expectations for" (read: "hate" on) this upgraded Browns roster like to point to how the Browns locker room is filled with "divas" and "big personalities" that "will explode once adversity hits". All of this makes for great hot-takes in sports media, but if you look even mildly beyond the surface, you realize that this narrative is a five ton pile of horseshit. For one, many people who talk about OBJ being a "problem" in the locker room tend to overlook the fact that this the exact same OBJ whom several teammates from both the Giants AND Browns have come out publicly and vouched for him being a great teammate.
"He’s a great leader, he’s a passionate player, and you thrive off that, especially me,"
-Giants RB Saquon Barkley
“He was a great teammate, like one of the best teammates you could ever ask for....Especially for somebody of his caliber. We’re talking about one of the modern-day rock stars. He was of a different caliber. But for someone of his status, he was very approachable in the locker room.”
-Giants Safety Michael Thomas
“We loved him,” Collins said. “Odell is my brother. He is not that kind of guy, or what people think he is about or what the organization did. I don’t know why."
-Former Giants Safety Landon Collins (reacting to the OBJ trade)
"Odell is just a smart, super-smart guy. He's always trying to help us, and we're trying to help him. He's just a natural leader. He takes accountability for everyone, he shows up on time, and he kind of leads by example. Sometimes he doesn't even talk that much, but he's definitely a good guy."
-Giants player Hunter Sharp
"He gets a bad rap, I don't know where the hell they got that from. If you never met the guy, don't know the guy, just keep your mouth shut. I played with the guy 3 yrs, now going on my 4th yr, he's a great teammate, great person"
-Former Giants and current Browns DE Olivier Vernon
“Phenomenal, really.....He’s a great teammate and a great person. We all know what he brings to the table. He makes crazy plays and we’re excited to have him on the team. I actually knew him prior to him getting traded . . . same old dude."
-Browns TE David Njoku
Yep. Definitely sounds like a locker room problem. What about Baker Mayfield?
"If that’s your kind of player, I don’t think people would get too obsessed by it, but if people are upset by that style at times, maybe they wouldn’t like it as much. But obviously as the quarterback of our team, we all love it. We love his competitive fire. He brings a lot of good stuff to the table."
-Browns LB Joe Schobert
"It honestly fires up the defense, the special teams, the receivers, everybody else. I think the O-line is the most even-keeled position group on the team, so we’re just going to try and do our job and keep him upright. If he talks a little bit more or has a little bit of swagger to him, that’s what makes him special and we’re going to roll with that."
-Browns OL Joel Bitonio
"There's two people that come to mind as the best teammates I have ever had. One is Joe Mixon, and the second is Baker Mayfield......[Mayfield] is one of my best friends, but an incredible teammate. Someone that you'll run through a brick wall for, and there aren't many people like that. He's family. He loves to compete, and he loves football. You can't ask for anything else in a teammate. Incredible guy."
-Former Sooners TE Mark Andrews
As you can see, this right here is unquestionable proof that guys like Baker and OBJ will be a problem in the locker room as the season progresses. Same thing goes for the people that claim that Kareem Hunt is a "toxic teammate" for "assaulting" a woman in a hotel in 2018. Those same people who make those claims conveniently overlook the fact that that the "innocent" (read: White) woman whom Kareem Hunt had kicked had gotten drunk and picked a fight with him by calling him and his friend the n-word. (Psst! Why do you think she didn't press charges? 'Cause she knew she was even more in the wrong than he was.) Speaking of Kareem Hunt:
"Kareem has been nothing but a good friend and a good teammate...He’s been in the community trying to make a difference in other people’s lives. That’s what’s real. Everyone has things that go wrong in their lives. It’s how you come out of those situations that determine your true character. I think I’ll just leave it as that. What we said [to Mayfield] is true. Kareem, I hope he makes the best of his situation."
-Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (after Hunt signed with Browns)
Remember when Baker was supposedly being "called out" by "veterans" on the team for making comments on Duke Johnson requesting a trade? Well guess what? One of the "veterans", Jarvis Landry, came out publicly and declared it to be a "non-issue". When also pressed about negative comments regarding Todd Monken, Jarvis himself questioned the legitimacy of the sources. Turns out the "report" was made by Michael Silver, a close associate with Hue Jackson (yes, the same Hue Jackson that was the worst NFL coach ever AND had planned to bench both Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb as rookies had he still been there).
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Overall, because of the Browns history of having incompetent front office management and QB play, despite their overhaul in talent on their roster, they are still not fully respected as an elite NFL team. All it takes is for things to change is for them to rack up 10+ wins, with four of them coming against a supposedly "tough" teams. Don't be surprised if one sees all of these talking points magically evaporate from the media by the end of Week 10.
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