Cleveland Browns OTAs: Baker Mayfield's Texas Workouts Are The Coolest Thing Ever

Remember getting worked up about Cleveland Browns OTAs and who was attending voluntary workouts?

Seems like those days are over now.

Despite a little bit of drama from the NFLPA president and Browns center JC Tretter, it certainly seems as if the Browns are on the same page. The team is finally working out together, even if those workouts are occurring in different places.

Last week, key members of the defense including Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward reported to Berea for OTAs. A few offensive players sprinkled in, including Jedrick Wills and rookies Anthony Schwartz and Demetric Felton.

On Wednesday, numerous reports stated that Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit, who both missed the entire 2020 season due to injury, were on the field practicing with helmets on.

The offensive starters are in Austin, Texas at what I have officially titled, "Camp Baker," which is objectively the coolest idea ever.

Look, we live in an era where players hate OTAs. I have even heard of some coaches that hate OTAs. They are unpadded practices, sometimes without footballs, that some players would prefer to do from home.

We all remember the horror and outrage when Odell Beckham Jr. skipped OTAs in 2019 following his trade, where he instead participated in the Met Gala.

In 2020, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cleveland learned that OTAs might not be that important after making a postseason push with a rookie head coach in an offseason without organized activities.

But still, the rivaling Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are all still working together as a unit, so you have to keep up with the competition. Regardless of how the players might feel, OTAs are a time for the team to gel with one another both on and off the field.

Who Is In Texas With Baker?

While they might not be in Berea under the careful watch of head coach Kevin Stefanski, the playmakers are together as a unit getting work in.

Beckham is in attendance. Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant are also there. Mayfield and Austin Hooper were in California together at the end of May.

I'd argue that this is a preferred outcome for veterans that do not want to report to the facility quite yet. It's the first offseason that Mayfield and Beckham have worked out together as teammates.

Videos surfacing online show the crew on a boat in Lake Travis together. An Instagram story showed Njoku doing a backflip off a boat, while another showed Beckham lifting weights. Landry's celebrity softball game takes place on Saturday in Eastlake, Ohio, so the offensive players will likely travel and participate in that together.

While OTAs might be the most trivial component of a football season, it's nice to see that Mayfield stood up as the Browns leader and gathered his guys for some workouts.