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Mayfield held his ground and waited his turn in line.
For now http://www.officialstarsproonline.com/authentic-adidas-brett-ritchie-jersey , this is life for the No. 1 overall draft pick – and the No. 2 QB in Cleveland.
Along with learning a new playbook, offensive system, football-obsessed city and everything else that comes with being a rookie, Mayfield is getting a crash course in patience in the initial stages of his NFL career.
He’s a backup, and unless there’s a dramatic change over the next two months, it will likely be Mayfield’s role this season for the Browns.
”I’m not worried about it,” Mayfield said when asked if he felt like a backup. ”I’m just trying to get better every day. We’re still early in June, this is just the second minicamp day and so I’m not worried about that now.”
This is new, and yet not unfamiliar territory for Mayfield, who went from being a walk-on at Oklahoma to a gun-slinging, trash-talking Heisman Trophy winner last season.
The Browns drafted him first to be their long-term starter, their franchise QB, their franchise’s face. But right now, Mayfield is slotted behind Taylor Filip Forsberg Jersey , who took Buffalo to the playoffs last season and has been so impressive during his first few months in Cleveland.
Mayfield is not only accepting his role, but he’s modeling himself after Taylor. It’s easy now because the season seems far away and each day brings a new challenge to overcome.
But when training camp rolls around next month, Mayfield knows it’s going to be much harder to accept that he’s not the one taking snaps with Cleveland’s starters.
”It’s human nature,” Mayfield said. ”Yeah, you want to play, but I wasn’t brought here to just start. I was brought here to help turn this thing around and whatever my role is that’s what I need to do – whether that’s playing scout team or being the best backup possible or playing. So for me, I’m not worried about that. I need to be prepared for when I do get my shot to be ready to play, but other than that I just gotta continue getting better and improving this team as well.”
Mayfield believes he’s made significant strides since rookie minicamp. With each practice, he senses the game slowing down. He’s getting more confident in the pocket. He’s seeing the field. He’s deciphering complicated defenses.
He’s better, but Mayfield is far from being a finished product.
”Human nature, especially for me, I want to have it all figured out all right now, but that is just not how it works,” he said. ”It is about realizing that we are going to have to take baby steps right now to get to where I want to go. You do not build a great castle all at once. You have to build it block by block. For me http://www.officialredwings.com/authentic-adidas-dylan-larkin-jersey , that is how I need to handle it.”
Taylor does, too. He was once in Mayfield’s shoes, sitting behind Joe Flacco in Baltimore. He also knows how quickly things can change after being benched last season by the Bills despite having them in the playoff race.
Taylor has been impressed with Mayfield’s thirst to improve.
”He is asking questions,” Taylor said. ”He is trying to learn the playbook, as well as everyone else is. He is competing. He is a rookie. He is trying to gain as much knowledge as possible.”
Mayfield’s getting some major help from veteran quarterback Drew Stanton, who is serving as a mentor/tutor for the 23-year-old.
It’s a role the 34-year-old Stanton has performed and excelled at previously while working with Matthew Stafford and Carson Palmer, both former top overall picks.
Like Taylor, Stanton feels Mayfield has all the intangibles to succeed.
”He has a great mindset,” Stanton said. ”Just coming in here, wanting to work and get better and learn how to do all those things. He’s asking questions that are relevant. He’s engaged and he’s doing it the right way, so I think it’s a relationship that will continue to progress over a period of time. It’s not just something you build overnight, but he has all those tools that you’re excited about. Obviously, there’s a reason why he was drafted No. 1 overall.”
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Alec Peters missed his last four shots after the Phoenix rookie had more than quadrupled his career high, at one point turning toward Dallas coach Rick Carlisle and saying http://www.officialhurricanes.com/authentic-adidas-andrei-svechnikov-jersey , ”I’m tired.”
It will be a night to remember anyway in a forgettable season for both teams.
Peters scored 36 points, 28 more than his previous best, and the Suns beat the Mavericks 124-97 on Tuesday night in a reserve-filled finale for teams headed to the lottery.
”I looked over at coach Carlisle and he was looking at me wide-eyed and I’m like, I’m exhausted right now,” said Peters, who bounced back and forth from the G League most of the season. ”I know I missed a layup at the end. I’m not going to fret over it too much. Cool night for sure.”
The Mavericks (24-58) entered the game tied for the third-worst record in the NBA and stayed that way while sitting eight players. That included star Dirk Nowitzki, whose 20th season ended last week when he had ankle surgery.
Atlanta finished with the same record after losing at home to Philadelphia 121-113. Orlando can join the Mavericks and Hawks with a loss at home to Washington on Wednesday.
Phoenix (21-61), which had already clinched the worst record and best lottery odds for the No. 1 pick in the draft in June, also didn’t dress eight players. The Suns won for the second time in 19 games to wrap up their third straight season with at least 58 losses.
Johnathan Motley led Dallas with 21 points.
Peters, who had 46 points total in 19 previous games, was 8 of 13 from 3-point range. The Suns shot 76 percent in the second half while outscoring the Mavericks 80-43. It matched the most points the Mavericks have given up in a half.
”We had trouble stopping Larry Bird, dressed up as Alec Peters,” Carlisle said.
TIP-INS
Suns: The four players not already listed as out who sat were Devin Booker (right hand sprain), Troy Daniels (left ankle sprain) Marcus Foligno Jersey , T.J. Warren (left knee inflammation) and Marquese Chriss (lower back/leg pain). … Rookie Shaquille Harrison had his first NBA double-double with career highs of 18 points and 10 assists.
Mavericks: The two players not already listed as out who didn’t play were Doug McDermott (left elbow contusion) and rookie guard Dennis Smith Jr. (left knee soreness). Leading scorer Harrison Barnes was listed as rest.
DIRK FOR 21
Nowitzki revealed that he spent all season dealing with bone spurs in his left ankle that finally resulted in surgery last week. The German star has maintained that he planned to return next season, which would make him the first to play 21 seasons with the same franchise.
The timing of the surgery was designed to give Nowitzki plenty of time to recover for his offseason regimen. He said he would spend about three weeks in the walking boot he wore in his meeting with reporters before the game.
”I didn’t miss a lot of games this year,” said Nowitzki, who played 77 games, a record for a player in his 20th season. ”I felt fine most of the time. I always said all year that I want to fulfill that two-year contract if possible. I saw nothing this year that was going to stop it.”
UP NEXT
Suns: C Tyson Chandler could be attractive in an offseason trade with one year left on a contract that averages $13 million per season. He was a key piece of the Dallas championship in 2011, and returned in a trade with the New York Knicks three years later with one year left on a four-year contract. Chandler signed with the Suns when the Mavericks tried hard to lure DeAndre Jordan away from the Clippers. After initially agreeing to sign with Dallas, Jordan changed his mind and stayed in LA.
Mavericks: They seem committed to keeping Barnes, who has two years left on a $94 million, four-year max deal he signed two years ago. The most likely piece in a trade would be G Wesley Matthews, who is going into the final year of a $70 million, four-year deal that got richer when Jordan backed out on the Mavs. While Matthews returned from a ruptured Achilles tendon much quicker than usual in his first season and was durable thereafter, he hasn’t been the difference-making scorer Dallas needs.
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