BEREA, Ohio – There is really not much here, but it is the dog days of the NFL summer, the real season does not kick off for another three weeks and Daniel Jones and Baker Mayfield are spending two days playing quarterback for their respective teams on the same field during joint practices. So, why not revisit a little disharmony between the two?
“We’re great,” Mayfield said on Friday.
“Great” is probably too strong a description of the Jones-Mayfield relationship. After all, it was exactly two years ago when Mayfield, out of the blue, was quoted in GQ Magazine saying “I cannot believe the Giants took Daniel Jones. Blows my mind.”
This was four months after the Giants made Jones the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Mayfield was also quoted as saying, “Some people overthink it. That’s where people go wrong. They forget you’ve gotta win.”
This certainly seemed like a pointed shot at Jones, who went 17-19 as a starting quarterback at Duke. Though, the Giants taking him so high in the first round was a surprise to many and a shock to most.
Doing damage control, Mayfield two years ago responded on Instagram by posting that he did not say what he was quoted as saying about Jones. “I also said I was surprised I got drafted number one,” Mayfield wrote. “That was talking about the flaws in evaluating QBs. Where I brought up winning being important. Reporters and media will do anything to come up with a click bait story. Heard nothing but good things and wish nothing but the best for Daniel.”
Asked about this at the time, Jones, a rookie in his first NFL training camp, said, “I think he’s a great player. He can throw it and I enjoy watching him play.”
Jones went on to say “I’m not sure I would do it that way” in direct response to Mayfield’s comments.
Mayfield, after the quotes surfaced, reached out to Jones to clarify the comments and said Jones responded with this: “No worries, man.”
Reminded about this two years later, Mayfield said he had a chance to talk with Jones when he, with the help of former Giants backup Colt McCoy, organized a Giants passing camp last year in Austin, Texas. Mayfield said he and Jones also exchanged pleasantries Thursday on the first day of the joint practices.
Mayfield was taken No. 1 overall by the Browns in 2018 and, on the next pick, the Giants selected running back Saquon Barkley. The two players got to know each other during the leadup to that draft.
“Saquon’s like my little brother,” Mayfield said. “I treat him like my son. I pat him on the head.”
More guarded than he was when he entered the league, but still plenty colorful, Mayfield engaged in non-stop chatter with Jabrill Peppers, the Giants strong safety who was with the Browns in 2017 and 2018. Peppers cracked that he told the 6-foot-1 Mayfield he could not see over the line of scrimmage.
“If I can’t see over the line, I know he can’t see over the line,” Mayfield said of the 5-foot-11 Peppers. “Little Pep.”
Offensive tackle Nate Solder, who opted out of the 2020 season, has not practiced since hurting his shoulder last week.
“He’s actually doing well, moving at a good progress,’’ Judge said. “We just felt this would be a good week to kind of let him go ahead and continue with that. We expect to get him back soon. He’s had a really good camp for us. I’m really proud of the way he’s working.’’
Mayfield said he and WR Odell Beckham Jr. “get routes on air’’ during practice when the special teams drills are going on. Beckham remains out of all team drills as he recovers from ACL surgery. Beckham sprinted hard on a side field during team drills Friday.
“Save his legs for the real thing,’’ Mayfield said. “We get plenty of reps.’’
This trip is not all work and no play for the Giants. Judge took a team trip after practice for an outing at a Topgolf location.
“It’s a great opportunity just to be on the road together as a team,’’ Judge said. “You don’t get a lot of time with the new rules of training camp to get out and do things in terms of team-building. It’s important at times we step away from the field and just get to enjoy each other as players, as coaches, as a team and get back and just laugh a little bit, smile a little bit, tell a couple of stories and have some friendly competition.’’
As for his golf swing, Judge was hard on himself.
“Horrible,’’ he said. “Look, if golf was baseball I’d be in the Hall of Fame. Three out of the 10, I’m going to stroke it. Other than that, I’ll get nothing.’’
The Giants have a walk-through on Saturday. Afterward, Judge will take the entire team to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.