Move over, Aaron Rodgers. Baker Mayfield is the new quarterback target of choice for Colin Cowherd's criticism.
The Browns should be thrilled about how their rookie QB handled his appearance on the FS1 pundit's show Thursday. While Mayfield made the rounds at Fox Sports to promote the network's soon-to-be-aired documentary about his unlikely journey to the NFL, he was forced to come face-to-face with Cowherd and the host's trolling.
Mayfield, who was wearing a hoodie with the word "undraftable" printed across the chest, was prepared to stick up for himself and the Browns just two days after Cowherd ripped him (again) on Twitter for not being worthy of the No. 1 overall pick.
Well it happened bud. Have a nice day!
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) June 19, 2018
That set up a lively "debate" between the two personalities.
When Cowherd first brought up what he does not like about Mayfield — "grabbing stuff" — the QB counterpunched with this: "Have you played football past high school? Football is a violent, competitive game. That's the way it's always been meant to be played. You're supposed to play it with an edge. You're actually trying to impose your will on the other person to win."
Baker Mayfield asking Colin Cowherd if he's played football past high school might be the most important moment in modern history.
— Joe Buettner (@ByJoeBuettner) June 21, 2018
Mayfield's responses to Cowherd ripping Cleveland's roster and culture were even more music to the Browns' ears.
Cowherd: They don't have the best players in the league.
Mayfield: Let me stop you right there. Have you seen our roster? ... We have a quarterback in Tyrod Taylor who took the Bills to the playoffs for the first time in a long time. We have guys who are very talented — Jarvis Landry, Duke Johnson Jr., Carlos Hyde. We have guys.
Cowherd: You move into a realistically dysfunctional organization. Are you concerned about that?
Mayfield: I have no concerns about it being dysfunctional, because it's not. I've watched the way Eliot Wolf and (general manager) John Dorsey interact with everybody. ... Until you step into that building, you can have whatever opinion you want. We know what we have in there, and that's all that matters. We're going to stay true to that and go to work.
Mayfield is right — the 2018 Browns are a much more talented team than the unit that went 0-16 last season. Dorsey's success in flipping the roster this offseason is the definition of being functional.
Piling on his praise for Taylor, Mayfield expressed why he can accept sitting and developing as a rookie backup before starting in the NFL. He defended his new teammates and the new direction of the franchise with tangibles.
NFL QB RANKINGS:
Tyrod Taylor lands in the middle
Cowherd also circled back to what he did not like about Mayfield at Oklahoma, using a video clip of the QB celebrating a touchdown against Ohio State to question whether he was a selfish college player — even though he carried the Sooners as the then-soon-to-be Heisman Trophy winner.
Baker Mayfield roasted Cowherd for trying to make him seem like a “bad teammate” after a TD 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vdR2gZtf4M
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) June 21, 2018
Mayfield made it clear he is learning from the mistakes he has made, but he was having none of Cowherd bringing him down with hot takes of the past or present.
Cowherd gets credit for sticking to his critique of Mayfield and throwing it right at the QB, even though it was more of the same, lame stuff.
But just like in previous rounds, Mayfield was the winner by unanimous decision. The Browns were given another reason to love their draft selection.
