Baker Mayfield: With Odell Beckham set to leave, there are no more excuses

With receiver Odell Beckham Jr set to leave the Browns, Baker Mayfield is out of excuses

Gunslinger. Walk-on Heisman Trophy winner. Number one overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Responsible for turning around the Cleveland Browns franchise that was so longing of a franchise quarterback.

Is Baker Mayfield still that guy? Is he the guy that can bring the Browns their first ever Super Bowl victory, one that the city of Cleveland so much deserves?

Well, while most may still think so, some have questions, and rightfully so. Now, those questions are set  to finally be answered.

Barring any setbacks or sudden changes, the Browns are set to release pro bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. on Friday, which happens to be his 29th birthday.

As I and others have said many times before, it’s just an experiment that completely failed. The good thing? The Browns are finally set to get their answer on Baker Mayfield.

Again, Mayfield is not free of blame in this situation. He’s missed Beckham multiple times for a touchdown, he’s missed other receivers, and he’s absolutely taken a step back from some considered early career dominance from Mayfield.

But, with Beckham on the out, it’s time we stop pointing fingers and just win ball games. That’s what this 4-4 team is supposed to do, right?

It’s no secret that Mayfields numbers are astronomically better when Beckham is off the field versus when he is on it. However, instead of blaming one person, look at the bigger picture.

This Browns offense and the way that it currently operates is not set up for a big name wide receiver to flourish in it. They run the ball, use multiple tight ends and open the field with play action (when it’s working).

So, instead of OBJ being the issue in terms on performance and antics, maybe he never should of been brought here in the first place?

When I say Mayfield has taken a step back, it means he’s regressed a bit. How? Back to one reads at times (too often). Missing open receivers. The happy feet. And, of course, struggling and the inability to flat out go out there and win a game when it matters most.

When people say he lit up the Chiefs and the Chargers, they must too soon be forgetting a good bit of his passing yards in those games were YAC, or yards after catch.

The Browns are doing the right thing by releasing Beckham. They have to get the quarterback position figured out. Again, when it comes to numbers, all signs point to Mayfield returning to gunslinger form and lighting it up now.

If he doesn’t and he continues to struggle, it’s going to get pretty interesting in Andrew Berrys office come this offseason. The Browns have a very good team around Mayfield, and they know they can’t waste any more time on average quarterback play if they want to go places anytime soon.