Cleveland Browns: Dissecting the devolution of Baker Mayfield

How to move forward with Cleveland Browns, Baker Mayfield

Now that Baker Mayfield has undergone surgery to repair the torn rotator cuff, what will the rest of his offseason look like? How will he approach the most critical season of his professional career?

In my opinion, Mayfield already took the first critical step by unplugging. However, vowing to stay off social media is just the tip of the iceberg. Mayfield needs to take some time to self reflect and distance himself from this past season so he can start anew with a truly clean slate.

Being forced to refrain from physical activity may be a blessing in disguise. Mayfield has the opportunity to work out between his ears and become a student of the game and of himself in these next few months. However, it is going to take much more than just re-watching the tape to get where Mayfield needs to get from a mental standpoint.

One necessary element that Baker has lacked to this point in his career is an outside voice guiding his development. He has done it his way to get to this point, but it would be hard to argue that Mayfield couldn’t benefit from the help of a consultant or ‘QB guru’ to get him back on track.

Even the greats like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady spent their offseasons enlisting the help and guidance of David Cutcliffe and Tom House to keep them sharp.

Having someone who is not in your inner circle, and who can be brutally honest with you and pick apart your game to help refine your skill set is invaluable. It all comes down to Mayfield’s willingness to accept the fact that he does not need to do everything himself. He has been vocally resistant to the idea of hiring a consultant in the past, but hopefully, after this past season, he realizes that it gives him the best chance to take the next step in his progression.

The ball is in Mayfield’s court and his career in Cleveland hangs in the balance. The organization will do everything in their power to help him succeed, including retooling the wide receiver room. But the front office will also do their due diligence and have a contingency plan if Mayfield struggles. That’s life in the NFL.

Bottom line, whether you think Baker is good or that Baker is bad…you’re right. There is plenty of tape to support both claims.