What will Baker Mayfield do for an encore after an incredible rookie campaign under center for the Cleveland Browns?
It's a question of which we have been waiting for the answer since the 2018 season concluded, and now, with about a week-and-a-half to go before the Browns play their Week 1 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, we are about to find out.
Of course, this time around, Mayfield has more weapons at his disposal, as the Browns went out and added Odell Beckham Jr. and Kareem Hunt (the latter of which will be suspended for the first eight games of the season) this offseason, so more is expected out of the young quarterback.
So, here are three last-minute predictions for Mayfield heading into 2019.
3. He'll Throw 30 Touchdown Passes
Mayfield set a rookie single-season record with 27 touchdown passes last year, and that was without Beckham in the lineup.
Now that Mayfield has a receiving corps of Beckham, Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins (and Antonio Callaway when he gets back from his four-game suspension), not to mention a very good tight end in David Njoku, there is no reason why he shouldn't throw 30 touchdowns in 2019.
This does not mean Mayfield won't hit some bumps along the way; it just means that he now has more weapons to throw to, and for that reason, the Browns will probably be throwing the ball a bit more this season.
At the very least, it would be somewhat disappointing if Mayfield did not at least eclipse his rookie mark of 27.
2. He'll Throw Over 15 Interceptions
Mayfield threw 14 interceptions during his rookie campaign, and now that he will likely be letting it fly more, that number may very well increase this year.
You might think that with a year of experience under his belt, Mayfield will take better care of the football and won't throw as many picks, but Mayfield has a gunslinger mentality, which is why some have compared him to Brett Favre.
And if we know one thing about Brett Favre, it's that he threw a ton of interceptions while also being great.
I don't think Mayfield will ever be a guy who is judicious with the football; he'll always be someone who finishes with at least 10 picks in every season, and that's okay so long as he is making enough big plays to compensate for it.
But I would honestly be surprised if Mayfield didn't throw at least 15 interceptions in 2019.
1. He'll Rub Some of his Teammates the Wrong Way
It's fair to wonder just how long Mayfield's veteran teammates are going to put up with his brash conduct.
He has already excoriated his receivers in training camp in front of a crowd of people, and while that might be all fine and dandy early on, you have to question just how Beckham will take it if and when Mayfield screams at him on national television, or if he calls him out after a game.
Mayfield already did that with Duke Johnson, taking a rather unnecessary shot at the now-former Browns running back after his trade request.
The thing about Mayfield is that he does not curb his personality. He is who he is, and while it's great to be authentic, sometimes, the “real” you can actually be detrimental to your team.
The feeling here is that at some point this season, Mayfield will rub someone, whether that's Beckham, Landry or whoever, the wrong way, and it will cause a media controversy.
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