Baker Mayfield criticism of Daniel Jones not needed

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield might not have been wrong in his Daniel Jones criticism, but he probably should have said nothing this time

Baker Mayfield is his own man and nothing will ever change that. The Cleveland Browns understood this when they took him first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft and they can’t exactly ask him to change now — nor should they.

His personality is part of what makes him great. That doesn’t mean there won’t be some times where the team wishes he would have held back just a little.

One example of such a time just surfaced as Mayfield made a rather interesting comment about Daniel Jones of the New York Giants. While speaking with GQ, Mayfield started talking about how surprised he was the former Duke signal-caller went so early during this past NFL Draft.

More from Dawg Pound Daily

• How the Browns could maximize Nick Chubb in 2023
• Can Deshaun Watson get to Patrick Mahomes level for Cleveland Browns?
• 3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role in 2023 and 1 who should not
• Is Marcus Davenport on the Browns radar in 2023?
• 5 Free agents from Super Bowl LVII Cleveland Browns should target

"“I cannot believe the Giants took Daniel Jones,” Mayfield said via Clay Skipper of GQ. “Blows my mind.”"

When asked why teams make mistakes at the position, Mayfield offered that they simply overthink it. He then said all you need is a guy who wins, which surely was a reference to Mayfield winning in college yet still having a ton of questions surrounding him.

Mayfield proved his critics wrong, and Jones now has many of his own to worry about. And there have been many who share Baker’s take on the selection saying the Giants reached.

However, Mayfield really didn’t need to wade into these waters because he has nothing to gain. This isn’t to say he needs to be a cookie-cutter quarterback and have rehearsed answers, but he also doesn’t need to take shots at a team that really doesn’t matter to the Browns.

Jones and the Giants aren’t in their division meaning they play just one regular season game every four years. There’s also not much of a chance to see them in a Super Bowl any time soon, so this comment only serves as ammunition for those who already didn’t like Mayfield.

Had Mayfield ripped someone from the Ravens, Steelers, or Bengals it would have been different. They should be in the crosshairs and upsetting people over them is fine because these teams matter to the Browns simply by being in their division. Getting people fired up over a comment about Ben Roethlisberger would be better because the fans want a reason to rip the Steelers whereas Daniel Jones might as well be in another world.

On top of the Giants not being a team for Cleveland to concern themselves with, Mayfield made this claim completely unprovoked. He wasn’t asked about Jones but instead gave us his insight.

The good news is, this will likely blow over soon and really isn’t a big deal at all. Having sa