In any event, Stefanski's zone blocking/play-action scheme should open throwing lanes for Mayfield and widen the pocket. But Stefanski was operating under head coach Mike Zimmer's run-first mandate, and while he plans to bring at least the principles of that offense with him, it's unclear if that means Mayfield is destined to lose 100 or so attempts. New coach Kevin Stefanski, Mayfield's fourth head coach in three seasons, was the offensive coordinator last year for a Vikings team that ranked third in rushing percentage (49.1) and whose quarterback, Kirk Cousins, attempted only 444 passes. It was enough to get coach Freddie Kitchens fired at season's end. While he certainly played poorly at times, it wasn't all his fault, as a bad offensive line, injuries to key players and questionable game plans dragged him down. He ranked 31st in completion percentage (59.4), 31st in interception percentage (3.8), 31st in passer rating (78.8), 30th in bad-pass percentage (23.6). Not only did that not happen, but Mayfield sunk to the bottom of the NFL quarterback pool. While Mayfield is mobile enough to avoid sacks, he doesn't add much rushing production to his fantasy profile, but improving efficiency gives him value in two-quarterback leagues.Ĭoming off an outstanding rookie year, Mayfield looked poised to break out last season. The Browns also drafted Anthony Schwartz, the fastest receiver in this year's class at a blazing 4.25 in the 40. Beckham is expected to be ready for this season, reuniting with Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins, who showed his upside in Beckham's absence, averaging 17.0 yards per catch. Mayfield did that without Odell Beckham, who missed the second half of the year with a knee injury. Over the final eight games, including playoffs, he threw 15 TDs and two interceptions, averaging 272.5 yards per game and 7.5 YPA. Mayfield really got rolling late in the season. 30 attempts), and his average target depth was 10th (8.7 yards). His 44.8 completion percentage on attempts of at least 20 yards ranked fourth in the league (min. Kevin Stefanski's run-first offense cost Mayfield 48 attempts from the previous year, but he still went downfield at a healthy rate - 11.9 percent of his attempts were 20-pus yards (12th) - and was effective throwing deep. After tossing 21 the previous season, he threw eight last year, with his INT rate dropping from 3.4 percent (31st) to 1.6 (9th). His bad-pass percentage fell from 23.6 percent in 2019 to 19.5 percent, and he drastically cut his interceptions. Read Past OutlooksĪfter a disappointing sophomore season, Mayfield took a step forward last year, leading the Browns to their first playoff victory in 26 years. With Carolina, Mayfield will have WRs DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson and do-it-all RB Christian McCaffrey at his disposal. He played through a season-long torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, which required surgery in January, but that doesn't fully explain his poor decisions and erratic play. Since a promising rookie season, Mayfield hasn't improved much, including a 14-start campaign last year in which he had the fourth highest INT rate at 3.1 percent while placing 27th in on-target rate (70.8 percent). With his new team, he'll start over 2018 first-round selection Sam Darnold. The Panthers eventually coughed up a fifth-round pick for Mayfield, with the pick potentially elevating to a fourth-rounder based on playing time. The Browns acquired Deshaun Watson this offseason, but dumping Mayfield wasn't easy thanks to his $18.86 million guaranteed salary. 1 pick in the draft, both the team and the quarterback wanted a divorce. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC.Four seasons after Cleveland made Mayfield the No. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated.
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