When Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield walked into the Combine, he said he was going to give teams “brutal honesty” about his past.
Browns General Manager John Dorsey gave him a chance to do so as soon as they met.
According to the SI.com story outlining Mayfield’s week in Indy, Dorsey opened his interview with Mayfield by saying “So you like food trucks?”
That’s in reference to his arrest in Arkansas last February on charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct, fleeing and resisting arrest, which stemmed from a scuffle near some portable kitchens. Mayfield was tackled against a wall by a police officer during the scene. In a plea deal, he had to pay some fines, do 35 hours of community service and take alcohol education classes.
But according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Mayfield’s responses were good, as three teams who interviewed him all had rave reviews about his character.
While many have compared him to Johnny Manziel (a comparison Mayfield is tired of and bristles at, and rightly so), Mayfield gave no indication he was trying to hide from his incident in Arkansas, or any of the on-field displays which some raised eyebrows at.
And if teams are convinced he’s on the right side of the confident/cocky line (the width of which will vary by team), that will factor into their evaluation. Mayfield’s already said he was convinced he was the guy who could turn the Browns around, so maybe they like what they heard.