NFL Rumors: Cleveland Browns looking to take up Baker Mayfield's fifth-year option 

Last NFL offseason there was a lot of talk surrounding quarterback Baker Mayfield. There was a lot of doubt about his ability to lead a loaded offense of the Cleveland Browns. Former general manager John Dorsey managed to put a team that was able to compete for the championship but was let down by the team's coaching staff.

The Browns revamped its front office ahead of the 2020 NFL season, hiring Andrew Berry as the new general manager of the team. They then hired Kevin Stefanski, the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, to be the team's new head coach and the move paid immediate dividends. In his rookie season as the head coach, Stefanski led the Browns to an 11-5 and ended their 18-year playoff drought, the longest active streak in the NFL.

THAT’S OUR COACH. 😤Kevin Stefanski is the 2020 Coach of the Year! pic.twitter.com/EtY4p6ByrF

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) February 7, 2021

He was able to help the inconsistent and error-prone Mayfield enhance his game as the QB recorded his best season in the NFL, throwing 26 TD passes and just eight interceptions.

Cleveland Browns looking into bringing Baker Mayfield back for another NFL Season on the 5th-year option.

When Cleveland Browns took Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, they were hoping for him to be the team's savior. The team had used 29 quarterbacks since returning to the NFL in 1999 before finally landing with Heisman Trophy winner out of Oklahoma.

Mayfield had a very productive rookie season and narrowly missed out on being named the rookie of the year after the 2018 NFL season with the New York Giants' Saquon Barkley taking home the honor. Mayfield equaled Payton Manning's of most touchdown passes by a rookie with 27, despite playing just 13 games.

Will the #Browns be more likely to extend Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward this offseason with the big cap rollover? Hey, Mary Kay! https://t.co/R4PSIs2B72

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) February 21, 2021

Mayfield suffered a sophomore slump in his second season as a starter in NFL. He went from being an accurate passer to throwing 21 interceptions. He was making serious errors in judgments. Mayfield was particular criticized for holding onto the ball for too long behind an offensive line which was subpar at best. This all changed under the new head coach, Kevin Stefanski. He showed maturity and excellent growth throughout the 2020 NFL season behind number ranked offensive line.

Despite his tremendous progress, the Browns have currently refrained from offering Mayfield a large extension. Give his inconsistency in his three seasons in the NFL, it seems a wise decision from Andrew Berry to pick up the fifth-year option for the quarterback and evaluate him over the next couple of seasons before tying his long-term future to the Browns.