Cleveland Browns using creative tool to improve Baker Mayfield’s footwork

The Cleveland Browns new coaching staff wanted to work on Baker Mayfield’s footwork this offseason, and they are using a creative tool to do so.

Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt quickly made it known during his introductory press conference in February he wanted Baker Mayfield to make changes to his footwork during the offseason.

Van Pelt stressed that he wanted Mayfield to be smoother with his feet during his dropbacks to help move through his progressions, as well as improving his accuracy. Van Pelt claimed the improved footwork will help Mayfield reach a 64 percent completion percentage, which he believes is the “benchmark for an effective passer.”

Mayfield has had tendencies to get slightly erratic with his footwork, which has caused him to sail throws high. Overthrows were an issue for Mayfield in 2019, which played a role in Mayfield having a 59.4 completion percentage in 2019 after completing 63.8 percent of his passes during his rookie season.

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down team facilities for most of the offseason, Van Pelt has been unable to work with Mayfield in person. With all of the team meetings virtually, Van Pelt has had to get creative in order to help Mayfield with his footwork this offseason.

"“The technology I got was from a golf lesson I had 10 years ago where they use this app that I still use to this day,’’ he said. “You can really slow-mo and break it down, and you can draw on the app, as well. It gives me the ability to share my screen with Baker, watch his feet and really you can zoom all the way into just the feet and you can talk about each step, the position of each step and the length of each step. It’s actually a pretty cool tool. It is the first time I had really used it extensively to teach footwork, but it’s been useful.” – Alex Van Pelt via Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot"

Although working in person to correct a quarterback’s footwork would have been the optimal approach, Van Pelt has been able to coach up Mayfield’s footwork virtually. Van Pelt using a technology from a golf lesson a decade ago may not be the ordinary approach to helping a quarterback’s footwork, but it seems to be working considering Mayfield has been making the corrections Van Pelt wanted.

Since the Browns will be playing in a more prototypical West Coast offense under Kevin Stefanski and Van Pelt, Mayfield will need to become more of a rhythm passer. Mayfield excelled passing in rhythm during his rookie season, as he played like a point guard of the offense, moving the ball to different receivers all around the field.

Van Pelt believes the way he has Mayfield altering his footwork will help him be in a better rhythm during his dropbacks, setting him up to deliver passes on time and on target.

Mayfield’s footwork certainly took a step back last season because he was taking deeper drops in order to let the wide receiver’s routes develop in the vertical offense. However, taking the deeper drops and waiting on receivers to progress through their routes and get open allowed pressure to get to Mayfield frequently, forcing him to abandon the pocket and make throws on the move.

One of the main issues last season was it appeared the coaching staff was not helping Mayfield make adjustments. Perhaps having an inexperienced head coach calling plays, while also having an inexperienced quarterbacks coach in Ryan Lindley working with Mayfield during the week was not the best formula to get the best out of a young quarterback.

With NFL coaching staffs being allowed to return to their team facilities this week, it seems like it is only a matter of time before players will also be returning. At that point, coaches will be able to work directly with the players to see how they are doing with their offseason programs and how they are progressing. But for the time being, Van Pelt is still going to need to rely on his golf technology to help Mayfield with his footwork.