UPDATED 8/21, 1:00 p.m. ET: Baker Mayfield told the media during a post-practice press conference that he contacted Daniel Jones in the hopes of clearing up any confusion surrounding his comments about Daniel Jones.
"I reached out to Daniel because all that stuff was blew way out of hand," Mayfield said. "I wanted him to know how I felt and I’ve heard nothing but great things from Saquon (Barkley) and Sterling Shepard, guys that have a lot of respect for him and respect their opinions. I just wanted to clear the air with him, and you know, it is what it is. In today’s day and age, you can read one thing and you can have your feelings." Mayfield said that the way the writer used the quote was "very disrespectful."
"That’s the reason I addressed it yesterday," he added. "To me, that came back on my character. That’s one thing that…I don’t care about a lot of opinions, if you like me or not, but that looked like my character was way out of line, and so, that’s the only reason I addressed it."
UPDATED 8/20, 3:30 p.m. ET: Daniel Jones was asked about Mayfield's comments at a Giants press conference on Tuesday. "I'm not sure I would do it that way," Jones said.
“I think he’s a great player. He can throw it and I enjoy watching him play," he added.
UPDATED 8/20, 1:40 p.m. ET: After his statement about Giants quarterback Daniel Jones started to grab headlines, Baker Mayfield decided to add context to his comment.
Mayfield took to his Instagram Story where he describes how that portion of the conversation really played out.
"I also said I was surprised I got drafted number one," Baker began. "Then was talking about the flaws in evaluating QB's. Where I brought up winning was more important. Reporters and media will do anything to come up with a click bait story. Heard nothing but good things and wish nothing but the best for Daniel."
See original post below.
In his short career, Baker Mayfield has proven he's not one to hold his tongue. So, when an ESPN segment about rookie quarterback Daniel Jones distracted Mayfield during his conversation with GQ, the 24-year-old said exactly what was on his mind.
"I cannot believe the Giants took Daniel Jones," the Browns quarterback told Clay Skipper. "Blows my mind."
In Mayfield's defense, he's not the only person who feels this way. Prior to the draft, it was heavily reported that the Giants were leaning towards drafting Ohio State standout Dwayne Haskins. Yet, New York used the sixth pick to select Daniel Jones, letting Haskins slip to the Redskins at 15. Many people felt Jones' close connection with Eli Manning and the Manning family swayed the Giants into selecting Jones as Eli's successor.
Others think the NFL's method of judging potential elite quarterbacks led to the Giants to move forward with Jones. This has proven to be an imperfect science that doesn't always translate to success on the gridiron.
"Some people overthink it," Mayfield said in regards to the NFL's scouting process. "That's where people go wrong. They forget you've gotta win."
Winning is something Mayfield is looking to bring back to Cleveland. With the additions of Kareem Hunt and Odell Beckham, Jr., the Browns potentially have one of the most threatening offensive attacks in the NFL. The Browns are now a favorite among bettors to win the Super Bowl, even though they haven't been to the playoffs in 16 years.
