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BEREA Ozzie Newsome Jersey , Ohio (AP) — Baker Mayfield dragged more than a Heisman Trophy with him into the NFL. There was other baggage, including a well-earned reputation as being cocky, fiery, brash and over-the-top.He hasn’t changed much.And that’s what the Browns love about their rookie starting quarterback, who didn’t need long to firmly plant his own flag in Cleveland.“He walk it,” receiver Jarvis Landry said, “like he talk it.”As Mayfield prepares to make his first pro start in a few days at Oakland, his confidence isn’t the only thing impressing teammates eager to see if the No. 1 overall pick can build upon his sensational debut last week against the New York Jets — a stunning performance that prompted coach Hue Jackson to switch QBs.While he is on the verge of his first visit to play in front of the Raiders’ notoriously rowdy “Black Hole”, Mayfield is showing no fear or signs of complacency.The 23-year-old did not speak to reporters on Wednesday and the only time he was seen in Cleveland’s locker room was to grab the playbook out of his locker.“He’s been real focused,” said left guard Joel Bitonio, one of the team’s captains. “He’s taken the lead in a few meetings just because that’s what the starting quarterback does.”Sooner than the Browns or anyone expected, Mayfield has risen on the depth chart and vaulted from high-profile backup and future QB to the present one.And while it may have happened quickly, Mayfield has shown since the moment the Browns (1-1-1) selected him he’d be prepared for this moment.He’s worked hard, shown humility and remained supportive of Tyrod Taylor, who remains in protocol with a concussion that hastened his benching.Before he was drafted, Mayfield drew comparisons to Johnny Manziel, another Heisman winner who busted for the Browns. The Mayfield-Manziel similarities though, seem to start and stop at their height.“You hear people say, ‘Oh, he’s Johnny or he’s this or he’s that,’ but since I’ve known him he’s been a great guy,” Bitonio said. “He’s been in the building. He’s a confident guy. I think people see that as a little bit of cockiness, but he’s just confident in what he does and he understands you put in the work and he’s ready to compete and he’s ready to play.“And that’s all you want in a quarterback.”But with Mayfield, there’s a little more.It wasn’t long after replacing Taylor during Thursday’s nationally televised game when Mayfield started talking trash to the Jets defensive linemen. That may have surprised a few of his new teammates, but it’s nothing new for Mayfield, whose on-the-field antics in college didn’t stop at choice words.Mayfield loved to antagonize opponents Briean Boddy-Calhoun Jersey , whether it was telling Kansas’ fans to “stick to basketball” or celebrating a victory at Ohio State by spiking an Oklahoma flag into the turf.“I followed all that stuff, and again, it’s that ‘Walk it, Talk it,'” Landry said. “He definitely has that attitude and charisma, and that is contagious.”It remains to be seen how much of Mayfield’s personality rubs off on his teammates. But Raiders coach Jon Gruden believes a quarterback’s nature can mean as much as arm strength or mobility.“Those are the intangibles that you look for that are hard to find,” Gruden said on a conference call. “Do they like the pressure? Do they like the big moment? Some guys come alive, some guys don’t. Some guys can bring out the best in their teammates. Some guys struggle to do that.“But Mayfield has the magic about him. He has the charisma about him that really allows everybody on that team, defensively included to play at a higher level. They know if we can get the ball back to this kid, something good’s going to happen.”Gruden grew up in Ohio rooting for the Browns, and he’s well aware of the team’s two-decades-old search to find a quarterback.With Mayfield, the hunt may be over.“What they have not had is a front-line starter that really can make all of the plays,” Gruden said.“I think Mayfield, if you draw a line under that name, he is the man. He is the story that I think right now is going to become bigger and bigger in Cleveland this year.”NOTES: DE Emmanuel Ogbah (ankle) returned to practice and is expected to play after missing the past two games. … Sunday’s game will be a homecoming of sorts for Jackson, who spent one season as Oakland’s coach. He’ll also be reunited with Gruden as they spent a season coaching together at Pacific. “He taught me football,” Jackson said. “We used to argue every day. I was a wishbone quarterback at the time. I’ve always given Jon credit for where I am today. He helped mold me and shape me into the coach I am a little bit.” One Vegas bookmaking site not convinced Cleveland will be that much better" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteDawgs EDTShareTweetShareShareBrowns to miss playoffs? Says who? The Browns and their fans have generated plenty of buzz this off-season that hasn’t been felt since the Marty Schottenheimer years. And there is something new: hope. And rightfully so. The defensive front four should be the league’s best and most feared with holdovers Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi, plus newcomers Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson. Add the fact that the offense got a huge boost with the trade for WR Odell Beckham, Jr. plus the fact that QB Baker Mayfield was an offensive Rookie-of-the-Year candidate, and the entire roster appears to have few, if any, holes. Right after the Browns drafted LSU cornerback Greedy Williams with their second-round pick in the recent NFL draft, he proclaimed that Cleveland would go all the way to the Super Bowl this year. Others have echoed that sentiment as well. And if nothing else, it has been projected that the franchise should at least capture the AFC North thus propelling them into the playoffs where they would have to get past the Kansas City Chiefs and current Super Bowl Champs New England Patriots. But one Las Vegas betting source is putting their money where their mouth is regarding the Browns; and stating not only will Cleveland not win the Super Bowl, but the club won’t even take their own division. The site is the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. Recently, they announced their odds for every NFL team to make the postseason Joe Schobert Color Rush Jersey , and also their odds on which clubs will miss the playoffs entirely. And involved in the latter, they have inserted the Browns. Everyone knows that the folks at each Vegas betting site have done their due diligence when it comes to accepting bets on anything and everything. They are not in the habit of paying out large sums of cash and are certainly not accustomed to losing. And they predict the Browns are a sure bet to miss the playoffs. Which has to be shocking. Cleveland went 7-8-1 last season and has made numerous radical upgrades to the roster since then. They still have Pro Bowl CB Denzel Ward and the running backs are going to be second to none with Nick Chubb, Duke Johnson and eventually Kareem Hunt. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook states that the AFC North will become one of the league’s toughest divisions to not only play in, but to win. Some folks seemingly have written the Pittsburgh Steelers off since they have lost many of their best players. The Baltimore Ravens captured the division last year, but have also lost many key players especially on the defense. And the Cincinnati Bengals can only get better with new head coach Zac Taylor. As far as their odds, they have placed the Browns as a 52.38 chance of not advancing to the playoffs. Cleveland has not made the postseason since 2002.However, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook is just one site and has its own odds attached to each club. But at footballlocks.com, the top odds are the Patriots and Chiefs at 8-1, Rams at 10-1, Saints and Bears 15-1, followed by the Colts and Packers at 18-1, then the Chargers/Vikings/Eagles/Steelers at 20-1, Cowboys 25-1, and finally the 30-1 odds which include the Browns, Falcons, and Ravens. This places Pittsburgh as the division winner. Other Las Vegas sites tell a very different story. OddsShark.com has the Browns listed sixth as Super Bowl contenders; the Steelers are 13th, Ravens rank 17th while the Bengals nearly touch the bottom at 30th. At VegasInsider.com, they predict the odds of the Super Bowl winner as such: Patriots 6-1, Chiefs and Rams 8-1, Saints 11-1, and then the Browns at 12-1. The Steelers are listed at 30-1, Ravens 40-1 while Cincinnati is 150-1.Make no mistake about it: the AFC Championship will either run through Foxborough, Massachusetts or Kansas City, Missouri as the Chiefs and Patriots will once again have dominant teams in 2019.But this year, so should the Browns.