Getty
Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was one of the first to contact Anthony Walker after he signed with the Cleveland Browns, a signal to the 25-year-old linebacker that he made the right choice in free agency.
Walker explained his decision to sign with the Browns in his first interview with local media Monday night and was very complimentary of his new quarterback.
He texted me right after I told him the news. He reached out to me, Walker said. When a big-name quarterback approaches you once you sign a contract and you know you’re going to make the team, it’s always nice to get that welcome. That’s why I really liked him.
Anthony Walker joins the Browns as a member of the Cleveland Browns Super Bowl team. New linebacker Anthony Walker talks about why he decided to sign with the Browns and what he thinks about the defense. Monday the 22nd. March 20212021-03-22T20:03:29Z
Anthony Walker says Baker Mayfield is an eliteQB.
Last year, the Colts played against the Browns – Cleveland won the game 32-23. Mayfield did not have his best performance this season, passing for 247 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. But Walker was a Mayfield fan when he was in college.
It’s funny, one of my [former] teammates texted me yesterday and stuff: Oh, I see why you defended Baker Mayfield in our locker room because you wanted to play for Cleveland, Walker joked. But I already told him Baker Mayfield impressed me in college, the way he played at Oklahoma. Apparently he always had that chip on his shoulder when he walked. I can only give him great respect for that.
Walker even went so far as to call Mayfield elite.
#Browns LB Anthony Walker joined Baker after meeting with him last season: Baker Mayfield impressed me in college. For me, I know he can make any shot. When playing against a top QB, you have to make sure the front and back work together.
– Keith Britton (@KeithBritton86) 22. March 2021
When you play against an elite quarterback, you have to make sure your front and back lines work together, and that was our main theme this week, he said. Nothing but respect for Baker.
Walker feels Browns Coaches right direction
Getty ImagesBrowns coach Kevin Stefanski.
The Browns are fresh off their first playoff win in over a quarter century and have dramatically improved their free ball defense. Walker is part of a group of free agents that also includes safety John Johnson III, cornerback Troy Hill, defensive tackle McKinley and senior defensive tackle Malik Jackson. That should help improve a team that ranks 21st in the NFL with 26.2 points allowed per game and is a major liability in the postseason.
When you see the team going in the right direction, you want to be a part of that, Walker said. When you see how they played last year, when you see the games they add this year, you know they’re building something special.
A fifth-round selection in 2017, Walker settled into the league’s starting lineup in his second season. He has two seasons with 100 tackles, including 124 in 2019. He also has three interceptions in his career.
He joins a young room of linebackers that includes 2019 draftees Mac Wilson and Shiona Takitaki, as well as Jacob Phillips, who Cleveland selected in the third round last year.
Baker Mayfield is ready for a big season with the Browns
Getty Quarterback Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Last season was crucial for Mayfield, and he proved that he could be the quarterback of the future for the Browns. After a rather disappointing sophomore season with 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, Mayfield has rebounded with 26 touchdown passes and just eight interceptions.
Mayfield is expected to make some big changes this season, as he will play a second year of offense for the first time in his career. Nothing pressing, but the Browns need to make a decision about their future this season. They can choose their five-year option – which will cost just over $10.5 million – or a long-term extension.
We’ve always told Baker that we thought he played a very good season for us, that we liked his maturation and growth on and off the field, and that we were looking forward to seeing him continue in his second year on the offense, Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters earlier this month.
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