Baker Mayfield Has No Excuse in 2020 With Stacked Offense After Jack Conklin and Austin Hooper Signings
By Mark Powell
What more can the Cleveland Browns do for Baker Mayfield?
The most coddled quarterback in the NFL has another weapon at his disposal, this time up front. The Browns have signed one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in free agency in Jack Conklin to a three-year deal loaded with guarantees all to make sure the former No. 1 overall pick stays upright.
Jack Conklin agreed to a 3-year deal with the Browns for $42M with $30M fully guarantee, per @RosenhausSports. He earns $20mil in the first year. Wanted to keep it short due to the projected increases in the salary cap. Conklin will only be 28 when this deal expires.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2020
Mayfield struggled in Year 2 under Freddie Kitchens, looking lost in the pocket at times and failing to take advantage of his weapons, which included Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, Jr. After the signing of Conklin and Austin Hooper this morning, Baker is out of excuses.
While we can sit here and deem the Browns offseason champions for the second year in a row, until Mayfield proves he can distribute one football around to all his targets in a QB-driven league, their potential is limited.
The Browns' offense is STACKED with talent ?
— ESPN (@espn) March 16, 2020
? Austin Hooper
? Odell Beckham
? Jarvis Landry
? Baker Mayfield
? Nick Chubb pic.twitter.com/Bp0bnHTud3
Add Kareem Hunt, who the Browns placed a second-round tender on Monday, to a loaded backfield, and there's no reason Cleveland should remain an afterthought to Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the AFC North.
The Browns' time is now. It remains to be seen if they have the right quarterback to take them to the heights they really ought to have already reached, but Year 3 of Baker will tell us that without a doubt.