Browns selected for this year’s HBO ‘Hard Knocks’

The Cleveland Browns are one of six NFL teams that were eligible to be chosen for this year’s edition of HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” and it sounds like the Baker Mayfield storyline was too good for the network to pass up.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, HBO is expected to announce on Thursday that the Browns have been chosen.

Will become official later today: Browns selected to be featured team on this summer’s Hard Knocks, per source.

Bonus Browns, more Mayfield.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 17, 2018

In order for teams to be exempt from “Hard Knocks,” teams have to either have a first-year head coach, have made the playoffs in the previous two seasons, or have appeared on Hard Knocks in the past 10 years. The Browns meet none of those criteria. They’re also coming off an 0-16 season and have one of the most polarizing figures in sports in Mayfield, so the choice was not a surprise.

Based on some of the remarks members of the organization have made about “Hard Knocks,” it’s safe to say the Browns will be less than thrilled.