Tyrod Taylor reported for offseason workouts around 6 a.m. Monday morning with the intention of laying a foundation for the future. There is, after all, a certain onus on the new Browns' quarterback to lead by example and bring a team filled with new faces together.
"I made it a point to shake as many hands as possible and introduce myself to guys I don't know," Taylor said Tuesday. "I think that's where chemistry starts in the locker room."
Taylor, whom Cleveland acquired via trade with Buffalo last month, is among a dozen new players the Browns have brought in to make last season's winless campaign feel like a distant memory. As a result, the 28-year-old finds himself meeting scores of new teammates, coaches and staff members as the workouts progress.
Leadership, Taylor said, comes with the territory of being the team's starting signal-caller and one of the faces of the franchise. "I welcome that, it definitely has to come from the quarterback position," he said. "I'm looking forward to leading the guys here."
Taylor, who joins Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry, free safety Damarious Randall and several other standouts acquired since the start of the new league year, brings experience, production and a track record of winning to Cleveland's quarterbacks room following years of instability at the position.
Before coming to Cleveland, Taylor helped the Bills snap a 17-year playoff drought last season and accounted for the most combined touchdowns (65) and the second-most wins (23) by a Buffalo quarterback in his first three seasons. He's also amassed 283 carries for 1,575 yards.
Taylor is also aware of his duty to be a positive, unifying force inside the locker room.
"He has a quiet confidence about himself," left guard Joel Bitonio said. "You can tell the way he works, sometime it's the quiet guys that are the best leaders."
"Hard worker," said Landry, who inked a five-year extension Friday. "You should've seen him out there today running gassers. He was out in front running with the receivers … he's the last one to leave the building. It's a testament to the hard work he's put in."
Last month, Taylor was captured working out with Landry, new running Carlos Hyde, tight end David Njoku and wide receiver Ricardo Louis in a video that went viral. Taylor, asked about the clip's popularity on social media, shrugged it off as one of several ways to build chemistry on and off the field.
"It was about us getting to know each other," he said. "And getting some work in."
