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Report: Browns veterans spoke to Baker Mayfield after comments about Duke Johnson

Yahoo Sports Shalise Manza Young,Yahoo Sports 1 hour 56 minutes ago


When Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield made comments critical of teammate Duke Johnson last week during the team’s minicamp, it was easy to wonder how his words would go over with veterans on the roster.

We have an answer.
‘It’s self-inflicted’

Last week, Mayfield was asked about Johnson, who has requested a trade. Johnson says the Browns tried to trade him earlier this year, and that combined with the team’s signing of Kareem Hunt and drafting of Nick Chubb in 2018 have led him to want a change of situation.


Cleveland Browns veterans were reportedly upset with recent comments quarterback Baker Mayfield, center, made about running back Duke Johnson. (AP)

He sees the writing on the wall: he won’t get many touches, if any, once Hunt’s suspension ends.

Johnson was present for minicamp, and Mayfield was asked if it’s an awkward situation.

“It's not awkward. No. It's self-inflicted,” Mayfield said with a shrug. “It is what it is. That's not awkward for anybody else in this building.”

The follow-up question was, how do you support him as a teammate while he’s here?

“He's got to do his job. He said he's a professional, I hope he does his job,” Mayfield said.
Voiced their displeasure

Mike Silver of NFL Network reported on Thursday that several players approached Mayfield after his comments.

“It is rather striking for a player to get involved in a teammate's business in anything but a supportive role,” Silver said on the network. “Baker Mayfield is the clear leader of that [locker room] but I'm told by multiple sources that several veterans came up to him in the locker room after those comments about Duke Johnson and let's say voiced their displeasure, saying, ‘Listen it's one thing to be the leader but this is a guy who is going through something, it's business and we need to support him.’

“Baker may not have agreed with them, but he heard them.”

One of the Browns who approached Mayfield may have been receiver Jarvis Landry, who was supportive of Johnson.

“I still have a relationship with Duke,” he said. “I'm happy that he's here, it's good to see him, but outside of that, I hope it works out for us as the Browns and for him if that's the way that it goes. He's a tremendous talent and he's capable of making plays. I have no other say about what happens.”

His teammates weren’t the only ones to notice either. Hip-hop legend Luther Campbell, who is married to Johnson’s agent, Kristin Campbell, tweeted to Mayfield as well.

Luther Campbell told Mayfield that quarterbacks Brett Favre, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Dan Marino were all traded or “told to go home.”

“Don’t ever turn on your teammates for management you are not exempt,” he wrote.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report-brow...-215728368.html

This is why I said Baker needs to shut his face about his teammates. Its only going to divide the team.

Do not throw your teammates under the bus. Thats not cool.

Well, let the spin and character attacks begin yet again.

This thread is turning into a crap-show.

Well, let the spin and character attacks begin yet again.

Baker did not say a single word about Duke's contract or playing time status when he answered questions asked of him as a leader of the team. You keep bringing that up and applying it to Baker as if it applies in this instance.

Judging how Baker's comments completely dovetail with those of Freddie, I'd say they've already sat down and discussed how to respond to questions about Duke...and Baker followed the rallying cry.

Some people on here simply don't like Baker and whiffed on their evaluation of him. They trump up this stuff to make themselves feel better about being so incredibly wrong in their analysis of a player. Can't slam the on-filed talent? No worries...make up crap about his off-field stuff to salve the wound.

In the Duke thread, I said that I hoped Freddie, Dorsey, or some vets would sit down w/Baker and tell him to keep the team things "internal." I received this response:



It appears that some of the vets did indeed sit down w/Baker and to keep "business" matters out of the press.

The thing is that no one was making a big deal out of it. I mentioned it once when it first happened. Pit mentioned it and then eotab went psycho on him and Haus tried to make it into something it wasn't. Now you and CHS are upset because some of us had an opinion on it. The same opinion that other NFL players have on such talk.

Like I said before, this will go away in an instant if you stop. I won't bring it up again if you won't, but I am not going to sit here and allow you to manipulate the situation. Your call.

I wonder since Baker broke the rookie record
for TD passes if hes not a bit full of himself now?
some guys achieve a bit and they think they can
sound off on anything.
maybe hes trying too hard to be "Baker Mayfield"
here Mayfield heres 2 numbers for you

20 and 19.

Who are you going after this time?

If this happened, I'm glad that the vets feel that Baker's approachable. He's young and he's going to make mistakes. I hope Silver's hunch is right and one of them was Jarvis.

I'm so looking forward to the season starting so everybody can talk about the games

Why are others opinions "spin"?

Baker overstepped his bounds, IN MY OPINION. Duke has been here several years and has been a very good player. Even if he is being a little defiant, he has still earned respect in the locker room.