Baker Mayfield says he's in 'no rush' to sign a contract extension. The Browns might have other thoughts. (Rob Lorenzo/TLOD)
Baker Mayfield’s extension tops the list of Andrew Berry’s ‘things to do this summer’
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Takeaways from the second day of Browns minicamp and interviews …
Coach Kevin Stefanski releases his players to summer recess after Thursday’s abbreviated final practice of minicamp. And with it comes a symbolical passing of the baton to GM Andrew Berry.
It’s contract extension season.
Berry has a full docket of business to explore, namely decisions on contract extensions for quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Nick Chubb and cornerback Denzel Ward. Chubb (in his final year) and Ward (who’s eligible but is signed through 2022) each said his agent has had preliminary talks with the Browns about new deals.
Like Ward, Mayfield’s fifth-year option picked up on May 1 binds him through 2022. It is economically advantageous for the Browns to pursue a new deal now than to wait another year.
Mayfield wouldn’t confirm talks have begun, but it’s safe to assume his agents, Jack Mills and son Tom, have engaged in conversations about his inevitable extension.
The other successful quarterbacks of the 2018 draft – Josh Allen of Buffalo and Lamar Jackson of Baltimore – are talking with their teams, too. Regardless of their individual statistics, the bottom line is this: Allen is 2-2 in postseason, Mayfield is 1-1 and Jackson 1-3.
Having three franchise QBs vying for new contracts at the same time creates a dynamic that could affect negotiations. If you’re the Browns, you want to sign Mayfield before the others because the price of quarterbacks goes up with each new contract. The price does not go down. Each of these quarterbacks are expected to have $40 million-a-year averages in their sights. If you’re Mayfield, you’d like to see what Allen or Jackson get first.
Thus, it was no surprise when Mayfield said, “I am in no rush.”
He added, “I am just trying to win games … it will handle itself. I am sure Tom and Jack Mills are handling that. I do not try and feed too much into that because that is wasting my time and energy and thought process on stuff that I am not in control of right now. I am going to handle what I can control.
“I think everything happens for a reason. I think the chips will fall where they are supposed to.”
Berry has reserved about $20.6 million in 2021 salary cap room. About $3 million of that will be eaten up by contracts given to unsigned draft picks Greg Newsome and Anthony Schwartz. Of the remaining $17.6 million, Berry might save about $5 million as a rainy day fund in case he needs some emergency signings during the season. That would leave about $12.6 million available to devote to the 2021 pro-rated portion of possible contract extensions.
In Mayfield’s case, if he agrees to a four-year extension taking effect in 2023, the Browns could lower the yearly salary cap numbers by dividing the signing bonus over six years – beginning in 2021. That’s another incentive for the Browns to get it done now.
While Berry has consistently sidestepped questions about a Mayfield extension, he has dropped clues that he wants to get it done. In January, he made reference to the $125 million/five-year extension given to Myles Garrett just before the 2020 training camp.
“We are really happy with Baker,” Berry said in January. “We would not be where we were without his performance this year. It was really the same trajectory with Myles. Obviously, we did his deal in the summer, but it is not something that I really felt comfortable talking through really into the offseason. I just do not think it is the right forum. We are very pleased with Baker.”
Clowney happy
Jadeveon Clowney has made a big impression in only two days with his new teammates. He’s been engaging and doing everything on the field to prove he’s totally over surgery last year to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
“He loves this game,” Stefanski said. “You watch how he plays and throws his body around, you know he loves this game. It does not surprise me seeing him around his teammates, and they have obviously welcomed him into this family. I think he is excited to be a part of it.”
Clowney was extremely personable on a Zoom interview with media on Wednesday.
* On seeing the freak athleticism of Garrett up close on the practice field: “It is funny, I have not run into too many guys like that in the National Football League yet. Took me eight years to get here and find another one like that on defense, anyways. It is great. I just know he is going to go out there and do his thing. Knowing the type of guy I am looking at, I know he is going to ball and is going to do his thing so I am excited about that.”
* On thriving in a 4-3 defense v. a 3-4: “I thrive in moving around, but I thrive in going forward. You get that? Basically the 4-3 has been better for me in my rushes over the years. Even in Seattle, I probably had one of my highest rushing-percentage rate when I was going forward the whole game and was not thinking that much. Then in the 3-4, it is a lot more thinking in the 3-4 for the outside linebacker that is in coverage and what is going on around all of the receivers and stuff. Playing upfront, hand in the ground is a lot easier and less thinking.”
* On the talent he’s seen in the Browns’ defensive line room: “It reminds me of when I watch San Francisco, the same team a couple of years ago that went to the Super Bowl and that defense. I am thinking we can do that up front in ways, rotate guys and guys come in and play well.”
* On the positive vibe he’s received from a team he declined to join a year ago: “Definitely. This is a good team, and this group of guys they enjoy their self. They are having a good time. They are fun to be around. Everybody is flying around. Everybody is smiling. It is a young team so you all kind of get the idea of what I mean by everybody having a good time and having fun. It is not like work to us here. We like the job.”
Brownie bits
* Teams are striving to have at least 85 percent of their players with the COVID-19 vaccination by the start of training camp. Stefanski would only admit the Browns are higher than 51 percent at this time. “We are going to make sure we continue to educate our guys on how this can help themselves and their families,” he said. “We have talked about how it is a competitive advantage. We want to make sure that they have a ton of information as they make their choice, but I am not going to get into the specifics of who is vaccinated and who is unvaccinated.” Players who are not vaccinated have to wear masks in the facility, can’t eat with their teammates and must be tested every day – like last year …
* Safety Grant Delpit, receiver Rashard Higgins and return specialist JoJo Natson did not practice on Wednesday, along with the four players who were also out on Tuesday – receiver Anthony Schwartz, offensive lineman Chris Hubbard, defensive lineman Malik McDowell and linebacker Tony Fields …
* The Browns did more work on Wednesday in 7-on-7 drills, which was probably the highest tempo of the day. The No. 1 defense in 7-on-7s on Tuesday (minus linemen) included linebackers Anthony Walker, Sione Takitaki and Mack Wilson, cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome, and safeties John Johnson and Ronnie Harrison.
