BEREA, Ohio -- With Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Antonio Callaway and Duke Johnson all elsewhere, the star power at Cleveland Browns' Organized Team Activities on Wednesday was hardly at full capacity.
Only that's not to say it was lacking entirely -- as evidenced by the bearded quarterback in the No. 6 non-contact jersey behind center.
Although his top targets -- including each of Cleveland's top-three receivers -- were elsewhere, Baker Mayfield still managed to put on a show, showcasing the cannon-like arm that helped him throw an NFL rookie record 27 touchdowns last season. Throwing to a receiving corps largely comprised of undrafted rookies and journeyman free agents, the former No. 1 pick routinely moved the ball downfield on a practice field where big plays used to be few and far between.
While it's just OTAs, the impressive nature of the second-year signal-caller's play wasn't lost on Todd Monken. In fact, the Browns new offensive coordinator even admitted he came to Cleveland in part because the appeal of coaching a player like Mayfield was too enticing to pass up.
"Tremendous arm talent," Monken answered when asked what physically stands out about the former Heisman Trophy winner. "He really really has a unique knack once he gets outside the pocket to see receivers down the field and throw it accurately."
Even without Beckham, Landry and Callaway on the field, there's admittedly only so much one can take away from the on-the-field portion of OTAs. Between their non-physical nature and players only being dressed in helmets, jerseys and shorts, whatever can be gleaned from the practice field in May will likely only loosely translate to the team's final product this fall.
What Monken has been able to definitively glean from his limited time with Mayfield thus far is a better feel for his personality. And while it might be polarizing to some, the former Southern Miss head coach had nothing but praise for Mayfield's demeanor and poise.
"You can certainly see the competitive spirit," Monken said. "The best way I can put it is he likes having fun, but he's not a clown. I think people misconstrue how much fun he likes to have playing the game and around people. But I'm telling you, when you're in the meetings and when you're out here, he wants to be coached. He wants to be great. He's a serious guy when it comes to the game of football."
In just one season with the Browns, Mayfield certainly showed a penchant for having fun the field -- especially while facing the Cincinnati Bengals.
After throwing a touchdown pass in the second quarter of what would ultimately be a 26-18 Browns' win on Dec. 23, Mayfield performed what the NFL deemed to be an "unsportsmanlike" celebration, for which he was fined $10,000. Later in the same game, he stared down Bengals assistant Hue Jackson -- who had previously served as Cleveland's head coach -- following a 66-yard pass to David Njoku.
Although Mayfield appealed his fine for the celebration, he ultimately defended his fourth-quarter "confrontation" with Jackson.
"I don't get why people have a problem with football being a competitive sport," he told reporters that week. "You're supposed to play with emotion. You're supposed to play with passion. Quite honestly, if you don't like it, whatever. Football is not meant to be a soft game. I could care less."
It appears his new offensive coordinator agrees.