MAYFIELD
VILLAGE
Noah
Fant Jersey , Ohio (AP) ¡ª Baker Mayfield broke out his old dance moves,
threw passes and even played defense, making a nifty interception.However, he
didn¡¯t take attendance at his two-day football camp, so Odell Beckham Jr. can
relax.The Cleveland quarterback, who has long-suffering Browns fans crazed and
counting down the days until the start of the season, hosted over 500 kids
Saturday for a youth camp at Mayfield High School ¡ª fitting name, no
relation.Mayfield spent more than three hours on the field and seemed to enjoy
every moment while interacting with youngsters dreaming of following his path to
the NFL. He posed for photos, talked some trash and bent down to tie one boy¡¯s
sneaker between plays.Afterward, Mayfield said his message was to
inspire.¡°Whatever they want to do, whether this is just a camp or they want to
grow up and be a football player or whatever they want to do, just go for it,¡±
he said when asked what he hoped the kids took from the experience. ¡°Be yourself
and stay true to that, work for it and enjoy it.¡±Mayfield danced to ¡°Old Town
Road¡± with the campers and urged them to be ready for Sunday¡¯s activities.¡°Are
you going to wake up feeling dangerous tomorrow?¡± he
said
http://www.broncosauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dalton-risne r-jersey ,
repeating a phrase he made famous last season.Mayfield then cracked a wide smile
when the kids broke into a chant of ¡°Ba-ker! Ba-ker!¡±During his media
availability, Mayfield said he¡¯s been helping recruit free agent Pro Bowl
defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, a fellow Oklahoma Sooner who is trying to decide
whether to sign with the Browns, Ravens or Panthers.The camp is a break for
Mayfield, who has been busy learning Cleveland¡¯s new offense over the past three
weeks. There are enormous expectations for the Browns in 2019, the hopes pushed
by the offseason acquisition of Beckham, the superstar wide receiver who has
skipped all but one of the Browns¡¯ nine voluntary OTA workouts.Browns coach
Freddie Kitchens, who has defended Beckham¡¯s absence, said this week the
three-time Pro Bowler has missed ¡°a lot ¡ the offense¡± while vacationing in
Europe, working out in California and attending the Monaco Grand Prix.He¡¯s
expected to be at the team¡¯s mandatory minicamp starting Tuesday. Mayfield,
without naming Beckham, said it will be good to have all his teammates on the
field.¡°Just to have everybody together,¡± Mayfield said. ¡°You don¡¯t get too many
times that it¡¯s not during the season and everybody¡¯s got their own routines.
It¡¯ll be enjoyable next week.¡±Until then, Mayfield said it was important for him
to give all he had to the kids.¡°These kids and these
parents
Drew
Lock Jersey , they bring them here, some of them traveled a while, you pay
money to bring them here, so you¡¯ve got to make it worth it,¡± he said. ¡°You want
to make it more than just a name on a flier for a camp. You want to have them
enjoy and learn a few things.¡± Mike Mularkey is about to coach his first NFL
postseason game as a head coach, and he isn¡¯t reaching out to friends or former
bosses for advice.
After all, he learned by watching the likes of Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll in
Pittsburgh.
Cowher has sent Mularkey a few texts, which he appreciates; but the Titans
coach is focused on the work that needs to be done for Saturday¡¯s AFC wild-card
game in Kansas City (10-6).
¡±I was around them,¡± Mularkey said Tuesday. ¡±I know them. I know how they
operated. ¡ I have learned a lot from them.¡±
Reaching the postseason as a head coach didn¡¯t come easily for Mularkey. He
spent his first two seasons as a head coach in Buffalo before leaving. He was
given only one season in Jacksonville. And he came to Tennessee in 2014 as tight
ends coach for Ken Whisenhunt before being given the job on an interim basis in
November 2015.
Now Mularkey and general manager Jon Robinson have overseen a major
turnaround for a franchise that was an NFL-worst 5-27 during the 2014 and 2015
seasons. After taking over as interim head coach, Mularkey led the Titans to two
of their three wins as they wound up with the No. 1 draft pick overall.
The Titans have gone 9-7 in each of Mularkey¡¯s two full seasons for their
first back-to-back winning campaigns since 2007 and 2008. Mularkey also is the
fifth head coach in franchise history to lead a team to the playoffs in either
of his first two full seasons. Jack Pardee was the last in both 1990 and 1991,
and he had Warren Moon at quarterback with the then-Houston Oilers.
Kansas City coach Andy Reid knows it¡¯s not easy to win in the NFL, let alone
in consecutive seasons.
¡±They¡¯ve done a great job,¡± Reid said in a conference call with Tennessee
reporters. ¡±I¡¯ve got a lot of respect for the head coach and his staff. They¡¯ve
got a great staff there.¡±
One thing Mularkey took from his time with Cowher in Pittsburgh is an offense
that¡¯s very similar to what the Steelers ran. Lots of motion and different looks
trying to catch a defense making a mistake. Toughness is another characteristic
Mularkey has worked to instill.
¡±You better strap it on and be ready to play,¡± Reid said.
The day after being named interim head
coach http://www.broncosauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dre_mont-jon es-jersey ,
Mularkey checked some players¡¯ notes to ensure the Titans were paying attention
in meetings. He also got the Titans playing games ranging from spelling bees to
offseason workouts ¨C and tracking their success. It was all done to drive home
the message that winning matters.
Now it¡¯s time for Mularkey¡¯s biggest game yet. Asked if he¡¯s taken a moment
to personally appreciate this opportunity, Mularkey joked he is shaking in his
boots. Then he turned serious, saying he knows the Titans take cues from
him.
¡±It¡¯s a great experience,¡± Mularkey said. ¡±It¡¯s just another way we¡¯ve got to
win, all these games have been that way. I don¡¯t see it in any other way.
Obviously, you lose you go home, you win, you continue. I¡¯m going to be as
locked in as I¡¯ve been each one of these games.¡±
That approach is something quarterback Marcus Mariota appreciates.
¡±He¡¯s continued to keep this team together and just focusing on our goal,¡±
Mariota said. ¡±That¡¯s all you can really do.¡±
Notes: RB DeMarco Murray (right knee) did not practice, and Mularkey said
he¡¯s not going to rule him out. CB Brice McCain (hamstring) was limited. TE
Jonnu Smith and CB Kalan Reed both are in the concussion protocol and practiced
fully. Mularkey said they will practice Wednesday and then be tested.
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