Hard Knocks season 13, episode 1 recap: Cleveland Browns
By Shawn Lealos
How and Why?
How and why would any professional football player want to come to Cleveland with their track record of losing?
That takes us to quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
A seven-year veteran, Taylor played with the Buffalo Bills for the last three seasons and started all but two games that he played in. His quarterback rating averaged out to be around a 92.7 and his completion percentage is 62.4-percent. He also holds the Bills record for most passing attempts without an interception (222), which is something the Browns have always struggled with.
Taylor said that having Hard Knocks there is a big deal because they can show how much hard work they are putting in to make the team better. He also said that he wants to see how good the team can be and if they improve.
But, the question is how they could break the endless loop of losing.
That brings us to Baker Mayfield, at an airport among some excited fans. Also waiting for luggage is the second-round pick, running back Nick Chubb, who is asked by one person at the turnstile who he plays for and another asking if he played college ball and what position he played. That is likely to be a recurring theme with someone as big as Baker Mayfield on the team.
For his part, Baker showed up at the hotel first and tried to guess which bed Chubb would want and then chose the other one for himself – showing himself to be a team player first and foremost. It is very similar to his attitude with the Oklahoma Sooners in college. Mayfield also mentioned that he should hit the bed early that night, so he can get into the pattern he will need to be in when he signs his contract.