Cleveland Browns: The 4 offensive players with most to prove in 2021

1. Baker Mayfield, QB

Continuity is key to success, especially in the NFL. Baker Mayfield finally has a sense of continuity entering his fourth pro season.

During his first three years, Mayfield has had four different head coaches and offensive coordinators. Nobody is going to succeed under those circumstances. For the first time in his career, Baker does not have to learn a new system.

Last year, when Baker, head coach Kevin Stefanski, and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt did not have a true offseason to get the new system implemented. This year, they don’t have to worry about being virtual as teams took the field for minicamps this week.

Mayfield will now have an opportunity to put a complete season together and will look to build off last season’s second-half success.

In 2020, Baker got off to a slow start, despite the Browns getting off to a 4-2 record. In Week 7, everything began to change. In a game against AFC North rival Cincinnati where Beckham was lost for the season on a Mayfield interception, Baker took over, completing a franchise record 21-consecutive passes. He eventually threw a game-winning touchdown to Donovan Peoples-Jones.

After that, Mayfield really started to get in a rhythm. He started to fully grasp the playbook and was rocking and rolling, outside of the Jets game where he did not have any of his starting receivers due to COVID protocols.

Over the final nine weeks of the season, minus the Jets game, Mayfield was one of the very best quarterbacks in the game and was a huge reason the Browns snapped an 18-year playoff drought and then a 26-year streak without a playoff win.

The Browns picked up Mayfield’s fifth-year option for next season earlier in the offseason and when asked about a possible extension this week, Baker said that he is in “no rush” to sign an extension and is focused on winning.

That is a sign of maturity and leadership. Baker wants to win at all costs and understands that winning will work the extension stuff out. As noted earlier, he hosted wide receivers and tight ends down in Austin to help further the chemistry and comradery.

With Beckham returning and the addition of rookie Anthony Schwartz, Mayfield will have down-the-field weapons needed to fit his skill set, while also having the likes of Rashard Higgins, Landry, and Peoples-Jones to throw to.

If Mayfield can lead this team to a deep playoff run and even better, a Super Bowl, he will forever be a legend in Cleveland and will warrant the high-money extension.