Sooners in the NFL: Rookies Impress and Mayfield Sets Sights on Season
Baker Mayfield didn’t have any work to do when the Cleveland Browns opened up their preseason slate, as the former Sooner star was given the night off along with most of the starters.
Reports around camp in Cleveland speak glowingly of Mayfield, who is finally settling in now that he’s had an offseason void of coaching changes and upheaval at the top of the Browns organization.
Outside of getting back on the field, it seems all that’s left for the quarterback is to work out his contract extension. But entering his contract year, Mayfield said he wasn’t concerned with anything going on off the field.
“I’m not doing the negotiations so quite frankly, I don’t give a damn,” Mayfield told local reporters when asked again about how extension talks are coming along. “I’m worried about winning Week 1… that is my mindset no matter how many times I get asked this question throughout the year. It’s going to be the same answer because it’s the truth.”
Last year, Mayfield and his Browns went toe-to-toe with the Kansas City Chiefs, almost upsetting the eventual Super Bowl participants to advance to the AFC Championship game.
Now, with more additions to the defense and the return of a healthy Odell Beckham Jr., Mayfield hopes to take his game to another level under head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Patriot Games
A pair of Sooners, Ronnie Perkins and Rhamondre Stevenson, were both selected by the New England Patriots and impressed in their preseason debuts.
Perkins was second on the team with six tackles, four of which were solo. Even when he wasn’t credited with tackles, he often impacted the play by pushing the pocket and applying pressure as a pass rusher.
And on the other side of the football, his teammate Stevenson stole the show.
The former Oklahoma running back rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, capped off by his 91-yard touchdown scamper to kill off the game.
Hard Knocks
Former OU defensive lineman Neville Gallimore was expected to take a step forward this season for the Dallas Cowboys, but he did suffer a little setback this week.
He had to leave Dallas’ preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals with an elbow injury, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said it was just a dislocated elbow with “minimal structure damage.”
The Canadian will miss 4-6 weeks per Rapoport, a “best-case” scenario.
Immediate Impact in Kansas City
Rookie center Creed Humphrey got the start in the Chiefs first preseason game, and he was impressive. Picking up right where he left off in Norman, Humphrey looked comfortable and not at all bothered by the physicality of the NFL game.
Pairing up with former teammate Orlando Brown, the pair of Sooner products will look to revamp the Kansas City offensive line which let Patrick Mahomes down in last year’s Super Bowl.
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