Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield says there’s no truth to any talk that teammate Odell Beckham would have preferred staying in New York to getting traded to Cleveland.
Mayfield told ESPN that Beckham will get to see what it’s like playing in front of real fans when he joins the Browns -- implying that the fans in New York are something other than real fans.
“He’s here to work, and he wants to be surrounded by people who love him and support him and allow him to be himself,” he says. “He’s here to play in front of fans who actually care, who will actually show up to every game and pack the stadium and love him for who he is.”
The Dawg Pound was once considered one of the NFL’s best fan bases, but years of futility have beaten the enthusiasm out of a lot of fans in Cleveland. Mayfield and Beckham are part of a team that’s bringing that enthusiasm back. And it’s a safe bet that Browns games will be a better atmosphere than Giants games this season.