Baker Mayfield took advantage of the Browns' three mandated days off last weekend with a trip to the Rocky Mountains — but he didn't take a break from football.
Neither did Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and Austin Hooper. The trio joined Mayfield on a mini vacation to Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, as players were allowed to leave Cleveland and travel at their leisure before dipping back into preparations for Week 1. Mayfield added nine pictures to an Instagram post Wednesday that offered a peek at what they did, including a few pics of the crew taking some practice reps in the serene surroundings of the mountains and forestry.
"I think the more time you can spend off the field, you build chemistry," Mayfield said Wednesday. "It was just a chance to get away and do it safely. We'll benefit from that based on bonding and that time off the field."
In addition to time on a practice field, the group also enjoyed a golf outing, card games, dinner with their families and watching the sunset from a balcony.
"Those are the types of things you remember," Mayfield said. "You look back on those trips. You look back on it and enjoy the year because of the friendships and the bonds you have."
Everyone is now back at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, but the trip provided even more evidence of just how close the top offensive playmakers have become as the Browns look to benefit from bringing back nearly all of their offensive players from last season.
Mayfield believes that continuity will show Sunday, when the Browns travel to Kansas City for their Week 1 battle against the Chiefs.
"I think just the fact that we are able to be around each other," he said, "you're going to see that improvement with the trust, open communication and all the things we're able to openly talk about."
