Whether fair or unfair, Baker Mayfield has draw plenty of comparisons to Johnny Manziel heading into the NFL Draft. Many of the people who feel the two players are similar wonder why the Cleveland Browns would ever take the risk again, but the team apparently is not concerned at all.
With reports swirling that the Browns are going to take Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday night, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network spoke with sources who say officials in Cleveland see “no comparison” between Mayfield and Manziel.
If the #Browns do take Baker Mayfield at No. 1, know this: Cleveland sees no comparison to Johnny Manziel. pic.twitter.com/x8tWiOkUNR
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2018
Mayfield and Manziel are both mobile quarterbacks, but Rapoport notes that the offense Mayfield was in at Oklahoma was far different from the one Manziel ran at Texas A&M. As for the off-field issues, the Browns reportedly do not see Mayfield’s lone public intoxication arrest as on the same level as the legal trouble Manziel has been in.
Browns general manager John Dorsey is said to have needled Mayfield over his arrest in a joking manner, which would seem to indicate the team is confident it was an isolated incident. As for the way Mayfield has taunted opponents during and after games, that can always be scaled back. If anything, it shows a fierce competitive edge that many NFL teams see as a positive.
