BEREA, Ohio _ Baker Mayfield's ability to lead is one of the main reasons general manager John Dorsey fell in love with the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and drafted him first overall in April.
The trait will certainly be tested in the aftermath of the Browns firing coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley midway through the season.
Mayfield is being counted on put the franchise on his shoulders. The weight is heavy, especially for a rookie trying to carry a team past chronic dysfunction and a three-game losing streak.
"Bring it on," Mayfield said Wednesday before the Browns (2-5-1) practiced for the first time under interim coach Gregg Williams and new offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens in preparation for Sunday's home game against the high-octane Kansas City Chiefs (7-1).
"My leadership and my presence and making sure guys stay focused is more important now than ever."
Mayfield said Monday's ouster of Jackson and Haley caught him off guard and provided him with his first genuine "welcome to the business moment" in the NFL.
"We've got to stick together as a team, and we've got to use this as something to make us come together," Mayfield said. "Obviously, it can be a huge distraction or it can be something that brings this locker room closer.
"When Bob Stoops stepped down [at the University of Oklahoma] and Lincoln Riley was the head coach, that was kind of the same situation. It was different [because it wasn't during the season. But] it was new to us, and we used that to come together, and I expect the guys in here to be grown men, to be experienced football players and handle it that way."
Jackson, who went 3-36-1 in two and a half seasons with the Browns, clashed with Haley over the direction of the offense and how players should be managed. The power struggle between Jackson and Haley that owner Jimmy Haslam referred to "internal discord" obviously put Mayfield in an awkward spot between his head coach and offensive coordinator.
"I don't stick my head in that stuff," Mayfield said. "I stick to doing my job."
His duties include adjusting to Kitchens, who had been the team's running backs coach/associate head coach before his promotion, and attempting to keep up with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who lead the NFL in scoring (36.2 points per game).
"We're not going to midseason throw in a new playbook. That's not what we're doing," said Mayfield, who's 1-4 as a starter and has completed 58.3 percent of his passes for 1,471 yards and eight touchdowns with six interceptions for a rating of 78.9. "So it's the same [goals for us] over and over. We have to be detailed. We have to do our job the best we can."
Mayfield's development should be a top priority for the organization, and there's no denying firing his offensive-minded head coach along with his play caller after eight games could disrupt his growth.
"You never want that, but I know Baker," Mahomes said during a conference call. "I know how resilient he is, and I know that this will do nothing but make him better."
Left guard Joel Bitonio is also optimistic Mayfield can conquer the adversity. Bitonio pointed out veteran quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Drew Stanton and quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese are still on hand to support Mayfield.
"He's a confident cat, man," Bitonio said. "He's going to be ready to play. ... We still have a good group of people in here that are going to help him develop."
A better supporting case would help, too, but Dorsey didn't add upgrades at wide receiver, offensive tackle or anywhere else before the NFL's trade deadline Tuesday.
"I believe in our guys," Mayfield said. "I don't need anything else than what we have. I believe in those guys, and I think if we get on the same page, that's going to be great.
"We've got to convert on third down, and we've got to make the plays in critical moments. We have to win situational football, and we have to score touchdowns instead of field goals."
They also need to persevere amid monumental organizational change.
"We can use it as an excuse and throw in the towel or we can rise up and come together as a team," Mayfield said.
