Three years after being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Baker Mayfield and the Browns are right where they need to be

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.

Takeaways from Baker Mayfield’s first Zoom interview since the 2020 season ended …

Baker Mayfield took note of the three-year anniversary of the day he was drafted first overall by the Browns.

“It has been a roller coaster … the past three years,” Mayfield said. “A lot of new faces, but I think the time we put in for not just things on the field but culture-wise and setting a standard is finally coming into fruition to where you can start to see it and the bigger picture play out.”

The roller coaster has gone like this:

• Lit up the city in relief of Tyrod Taylor in Game 3 of 2018 and ended a franchise-record 19-game winless skein.
• Suffered his first head coach firing after Game 8, along with the dismissal of his first offensive coordinator.
• Picked up the pieces under an interim head coach and coordinator and won five of his last eight starts to conclude 2018.
• Granted his wish to have interim coordinator Freddie Kitchens elevated to head coach. Kitchens brought in another coordinator, Todd Monken, with whom he had never worked.
• Spoke into existence a trade for receiver Odell Beckham Jr., ratcheting expectations for a Super Bowl run.
• Crashed and burned in his worst season at any level, resulting in another firing of head coach and coordinator and the firing of GM John Dorsey, his greatest advocate.
• Put on notice by a new football regime – GM Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski – to improve mechanics and conditioning and forced to learn a third new offense in three years.
• Learned to manage games in the second half while team won, then watched Beckham suffer a season-ending knee injury chasing an interception runback after an underthrown ball.
• After a soul-searching bye week, blossomed in the Stefanski system and produced a 20-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio as team matured through adversity and won seven of its last 10 games, including its first triumph in Pittsburgh in 18 years and first playoff win on the road since 1969.

For the first time in their expansion history, the Browns returned every single coach and did not change offensive or defensive systems. Further, after an eventful transaction season, the Browns returned their top 15 players on offense.

“That is why I am excited about the guys who we have coming back,” Mayfield said. “This is the first time ever in my career that you have 11 guys who at one point started on this offense all coming back. I think that is truly pretty special.”

And so, after many ups and downs, the Browns and Mayfield are right on schedule as they approach their fourth year together – a legit contender to win the AFC North for the first time and compete for their first Super Bowl.

“When it comes into terms of looking back three years ago to this day, a life-changing moment for me, my family, friends and being surrounded by a lot of teammates and lifelong friends now, I think it has been a good journey,” Mayfield said. “But it is nowhere close to being done. I think that is the best part.”

Extension pending

As pundits and fans debate the prudence of the Browns pursuing a long-term mega-deal with Mayfield now or waiting (for what?) – I’m on record that it will happen – Mayfield is wise to leave the business side to his agents, Jack and son Tom Mills.

The estimable Jack Mills, 83, is in his 54th year as an NFL agent and has been universally respected by GMs, clients and other agents throughout his long career.

Mills was a surprise choice of the Mayfield clan in the agent community. He won the account with his reputation, his homespun character, and with referrals from former Oklahoma University greats. Mills is an Oklahoma alum and repped Steve Owens, perhaps the most famous Sooner for generations.

Mayfield was Mills’ third overall No. 1 draft pick, following running back George Rogers in 1981 and receiver Irving Fryar in 1984.

Mills’ son, Tom, joined his father’s business in 1996.

With the Millses working behind the scenes with Berry and Chris Cooper, Browns vice president/administration and chief contract negotiator, this should be a seamless negotiation in the quiet months between the draft and training camp. Picking up the fifth-year option of Mayfield’s rookie contract last week afforded Berry the opportunity to signal to the Mills, “We’ll be talking after the draft.”

“Whatever happens, happens, but it really is out of my control at this point,” Mayfield said. “The fifth-year option just happened, so a long-term deal is a little bit on the back burner for me. I am not worried about it. I want to go out and win games. I think everything happens for a reason, so we will see what happens.”

Baker bits

-- Although the NFLPA has recommended players not hold private throwing sessions prior to training camp, Mayfield said he anticipates hosting a get-together with offensive teammates in Austin, TX, as he did a year ago. “I do not think there is anything wrong with that,” he said. “Yeah, we will eventually get together, there is no doubt about that. We are going to try to do everything that we can and do it as safely as possible, but we know we have to put the work in right now to start fast and hit the ground running come fall.”

-- While Berry has added six significant players on defense in free agency, Mayfield is happy the offensive team is returning intact, along with the coaches. “When it comes in terms of looking at teams that have been successful – not just teams, any business model or any organization – when it comes to continuity, everybody being on the same page and having the same goals, that is so important,” he said. “For me going into it, this is the first time since having [former Oklahoma head football coach Bob] Stoops from 2015-2016 as the same head coach that it is the first time it has happened for me, and I am obviously looking forward to it and continuing to build on what we had started last year. Like I said, it is nowhere near being over. We were not satisfied when it came to just making it into the playoffs, winning one game and then losing in the next round. That is the great part about what we have coming back is everybody got a little taste of that and some guys who have made it further, everybody is hungry for more.”

-- On the obligatory subject of Beckham, Mayfield said, “I have talked to Odell. He is very happy with where he is in the rehab process. I am happy for him. He looks good. He feels good. I am looking forward to starting where we should.”