Cleveland Browns said to have Baker Mayfield on ‘very short leash’ in 2020

One insider says Cleveland Browns have Baker Mayfield on ‘very short leash’

At this point, it feels redundant to say, but the Cleveland Browns are entering a very crucial season with Baker Mayfield as their starting quarterback.

The No. 1 overall pick in 2018 was nothing short of fantastic as a rookie. He set the team record for passing yardage by a rookie and even threw more touchdowns than any other NFL rookie — beating the record set previously by Peyton Manning and tied by Russell Wilson.

As great as that stretch was, Mayfield was the exact opposite in 2019. He showed glimpses of the passer we saw in 2018 but overall he struggled to deliver when it mattered most and threw far too many interceptions.

And according to former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum, that could end up being Mayfield’s downfall.

While appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday, Tannenbaum said that not only will Mayfield be on a “very short leash” but that he will be benched if the interceptions continue.

There were some good points raised by Tannenbaum which included the way head coach Kevin Stefanski runs his offense. The former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator ran a run-first scheme that focused on ball control.

His strategy worked well enough to get Kirk Cousins into his second Pro Bowl, after having his most successful season as a pro. In Cleveland, they have the makings of a similar offense that can run things through Nick Chubb, setting them up for big plays through play-action passing.

Even with that being said, mentioning a former No. 1 pick possibly being benched is going to get people riled up. But does that mean it’s impossible?

One thing to consider before answering that is the fact that while the No. 1 pick that was used on Mayfield is a massive investment, it was not Stefanski or general manager Andrew Berry that made this selection.

Not only are they not as invested in Mayfield as the previous regime, but Stefanski also has a player behind Mayfield who he trusts completely in Case Keenum. The two worked together in Minnesota and Keenum was given a sizable contract to join him in Cleveland.

Lastly, there are far too many weapons on this offense for Mayfield to go out there and start turning the ball over. He doesn’t need to be forcing things but simply do his job and get the ball in the hands of his playmakers — and he absolutely has to learn to check the ball down to players such as Chubb or Kareem Hunt when there’s nothing there deep.

As long and Mayfield plays it smart and returns to the form we saw in 2018, there’s nothing to worry about. But if he does start turning it over, things could get interesting.