Baker on criticizing star WRs in camp: 'That's what the good teams do'

Baker Mayfield might be in just his second professional season, but the Cleveland Browns quarterback already knows it's hard to win in the NFL if teammates can't be honest with each other.

At a practice last weekend, Mayfield yelled at his receiving corps for failing to work back to him while he was scrambling.

On Wednesday, Mayfield - who filled his rookie highlight reel with improvised plays - addressed his brief outburst.

"Those guys know that's a big part of our offense," Mayfield said, according to ESPN's Jake Trotter. "It's just the fact that if we get lazy and let things slide - we need to be open to communicating right now.

"That's what the good teams do."

In a blockbuster trade in March, the Browns added three-time Pro Bowl wideout Odell Beckham Jr. to a stacked offense that already included 2017 receptions leader Jarvis Landry, sending Cleveland's previously sky-high expectations into the stratosphere.

With the pressure to live up to that hype mainly falling onto Mayfield's shoulders, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick said he was grateful for how open Beckham has been since his shock move from the New York Giants.

"There's an appreciation from my end that (Beckham) has been able to come communicate and talk through things," Mayfield said. "Just being able to talk through things, and see it from their perspective and mine, is really good."

While some head coaches would take issue with a second-year quarterback ripping into his teammates during training camp, head coach Freddie Kitchens has no issue with Mayfield venting his frustrations.

"I expect my quarterback to get everybody on the same page," Kitchens said. "That's what I want."

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