Baker Mayfield might be one of the best Cleveland Browns quarterbacks to put on pads when it's all said and done. Before he can take that mantle, it appears he's got some growing up to do. That appears to be the opinion of more than one person. The growing group of people who believe he shouldn't have weighed in on the Duke Johnson situation continues to grow. This time it's added a former Browns' quarterback in Josh McCown.

McCown used one of his first spots on his new job for ESPN, on NFL Live to talk about how much he disagrees with Mayfield.

Baker had criticized running back Duke Johnson while the back has asked the team for a trade. Mayfield has basically publicly told his teammate he needs to either get on board or get out of the way.

Mayfield has taken heat from others for the comment. That includes a former member of the rap group, 2 Live Crew.

A Pro's Pro

McCown talked about his own views on the Duke Johnson situation on his new show and made it very clear he doesn't agree with the Cleveland Browns' quarterback. “I’ve been in a locker room with Duke Johnson. Duke Johnson is a pro’s pro — I love that guy. To make those kind of comments and do it publicly … if you have a problem, go to him privately,” McCown said.

The longtime NFL veteran added he understands that Mayfield is the face of the franchise and he understands the quarterback was likely trying to take on a leadership position, but it was still done the wrong way.

McCown added that the comments crossed a line and that Mayfield risks losing the trust of the rest of his teammates when he does things like that.

Getting on the train

For his part, Baker Mayfield has never said he wishes he hadn't said what he did about Duke Johnson. For their part, the Cleveland Browns don't seem to mind either.

When he was asked whether a running back asking to be traded, just as the team looks poised for a playoff run he responded, “Obviously, he’s going to handle his stuff how he wants, but you’re either on this train or you’re not — it’s moving. You can get out of the way or you can join us.”

McCown certainly understands how the locker room might respond, especially when talking about the Cleveland Browns because he's been on that particular team.

It wasn't all that long ago as a matter of fact. In 2015 and 2016 he started 11 games for the Browns. He was a far sight from successful in those starts, posting a record of 1-10. His numbers weren't terrible, throwing 16 touchdowns passes to 12 interceptions. Still, the team was bad, very, very bad.

Now the Cleveland Browns' train is quite a bit better. Duke Johnson and Baker Mayfield could both contribute quite a bit to getting the franchise moving in the right direction. Josh McCown thinks in order to do that, Mayfield is going to have to think more about what he says about his teammates.
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