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Cleveland Browns sign QB Baker Mayfield

Just two days ahead of the start of training camp for the 2018 season, the Browns reached an agreement with Mayfield, whom they selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after his award-winning career at the University of Oklahoma.
Credit: Matt Florjancic
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield ranks in the Top 10 among NFL jersey sales.

Just two days ahead of the start of training camp for the 2018 season, the Browns reached an agreement with Mayfield, whom they selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after his award-winning career at the University of Oklahoma.

“I love it here,” Mayfield said during the offseason program. “First of all, the Haslam family makes it, no other place is like this from what I’ve heard. In all of my visits, I also noticed that as well. They’re here every day. You see them, so it’s a huge community feel and everybody here has their own job and what are we doing to make this team better kind of feel and Cleveland as a whole is a great sports town.”

Along with Mayfield, running back Nick Chubb (second round), offensive lineman Austin Corbett (second round), defensive lineman Chad Thomas (third round), wide receiver Antonio Callaway (fourth round), linebacker Genard Avery (fifth round), wide receiver Damion Ratley (sixth round) and defensive back Simeon Thomas (sixth round) have agreed to terms with the Browns.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Mayfield put together a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign where he completed 285 of his 404 throws (70.5 percent) for 4,627 yards and 43 touchdowns against just six interceptions to cap off a four-year career that started at Texas Tech University.

During his three years at Oklahoma and one season with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Mayfield completed 1,026 of his 1,497 attempts (68.5 percent) for 14,607 yards and 131 touchdowns against only 30 interceptions.

Mayfield joins a Browns organization with a history of struggles at quarterback, especially since returning to the National Football League ahead of the 1999 season.

The Browns have started 28 different quarterbacks in the previous 19 years since their return, and after overhauling the position room in the offseason, they will start at least their 29th signal-caller. That is something Mayfield hopes to change.

“You don’t build a great castle just all at once,” Mayfield said. “You gotta build it block by block, and so, for me, that’s how I need to handle it.

“It’s human nature. Yeah, you want to play, but I wasn’t brought here to just start. I was brought here to help turn this thing around and whatever my role is, that’s what I need to do, whether that’s playing scout team or being the best backup possible or playing, so for me, I’m not worried about that. I need to be prepared for when I do get my shot to be ready to play, but other than that, I just gotta continue getting better and improving this team as well.”

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