Baker Mayfield opens up about ‘disrespect’ from Browns front office

When the Cleveland Browns traded for Deshaun Watson behind his back, Baker Mayfield felt disrespected. He opened up on the Ya Never Know podcast.

It’s easy to see how Mayfield would feel disrespected by Cleveland especially considering he’s given his heart and soul to the franchise as its former No. 1 overall pick.

Mayfield has never been great, sure, but he led Cleveland to the playoffs for the first time in decades. He’s the scrappy representation of a city which prides itself on similar attributes.

But the Browns envisioned a way to get even better. Cleveland traded a huge package of draft picks for Deshaun Watson — who still faces civil suits for over 20 cases of sexual assault — and gave Watson a massive contract extension.

Baker Mayfield opens up about Browns

“I have no regrets of my time in Cleveland of what I tried to give that place. True Clevelanders and true Browns fans know that,” Mayfield said. “I feel disrespected 100 percent. I was told one thing and they completely did another.”

No one is questioning the amount of effort Mayfield put in. What they are questioning, however, is how good Cleveland can be with Baker as the starting quarterback.

The Browns’ ceiling is higher with Watson in the starting lineup. The questions remains, though, just how much football Watson will play in the immediate future. While he’d love to settle the civil suits as soon as tomorrow, that’s not how the legal system works, and Watson is determined to prove his so-called innocence.

In the meantime, the Browns signed Jacoby Brissett and Josh Dobbs in preparation of a Watson suspension. Mayfield is not part of the conversation moving forward.