Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield responded to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's decision to commute the death sentence for death row inmate Julius Jones on Thursday: 

Mayfield spoke passionately in defense of having the sentence commuted on Wednesday:

"Been trying to get the facts stated and the truth to be told for a while, but it's tough to think about," he told reporters. "Tried and tried. It's a shame it's gotten this far. We're 24 hours away. It's tough. You know, hopefully God can intervene and handle it correctly and do the things He needs to do."

Jones, who was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1999 shooting death of Paul Howell, will serve a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole after Thursday's commutation. The 41-year-old Jones has maintained that is was innocent and framed by his co-defendant, Christopher Jordan, who testified against him.

Jordan pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit a robbery and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. 

Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board recommended by a 3-1 vote that Jones' death sentence be commuted on Nov. 1. 

After ABC released The Last Defense documentary series in 2018, which reviewed the case, a number of high-profile athletes—including those with ties to Oklahoma like Mayfield and NBA stars Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin and Trae Young—and entertainers have advocated for Jones' death sentence to be commuted. 

"[Jones'] conviction was tainted by a deeply flawed process," Westbrook wrote in an April 2020 letter to Gov. Stitt. "As more details come to light regarding his situation, I join with many voices to express sadness and profound concern regarding his conviction and death sentence."

"Julius was sentenced to death in a trial rife with error and failure, putting into question the reliability of his conviction," Griffin wrote in his own letter at the time. "I am very concerned that his original attorneys did not present an adequate defense for Julius."

Though his life was spared, advocates pointed out that the commutation stipulates that Jones is not eligible to receive further commutation or pardon and they will continue to work for his release.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was emotional Wednesday discussing Julius Jones, a death row inmate scheduled to be executed Thursday in Oklahoma.

"That's not something that's easy to talk about," Mayfield told reporters. "Been trying to get the facts stated and the truth to be told for a while, but it's tough to think about. Tried and tried. It's a shame it's gotten this far. We're 24 hours away. It's tough. You know, hopefully God can intervene and handle it correctly and do the things He needs to do."

Jones was convicted of the 1999 murder of Paul Howell, but he has maintained his innocence for more than two decades. Earlier this month, Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board recommended that Gov. Kevin Stitt grant Jones clemency and spare his life, per Sean Murphy of the Associated Press.

Several members of the panel doubt the evidence that led to his conviction.

The case has gotten national attention with several prominent athletes speaking out on the subject. Mayfield wrote a letter to the governor in June 2020 demanding justice for Jones:

Mayfield played college football at the University of Oklahoma, while other alumni like Blake Griffin, Trae Young and Buddy Hield have also gotten involved in the cause in recent months.

Jones will receive a lethal injection unless Stitt commutes the sentence.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry admitted Tuesday that Odell Beckham Jr.'s departure from the team impacted him.

According to ESPN's Jake Trotter, Landry said he wasn't sure why things didn't work out between OBJ and the Browns and said he was sad to see him leave: "Definitely was something that hurt. Still does."

Beckham was granted his release two weeks ago, and after clearing waivers, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams for the remainder of the season.

The Browns parted ways with Beckham on November. This followed his father posting an 11-minute video on social media highlighting instances of Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield failing to throw the ball to OBJ.

Beckham was off to a slow start this season with just 17 receptions for 232 yards and no touchdowns through six games. In his first game as a member of the Rams on Sunday night, OBJ made two grabs for 18 yards.

Odell seemed destined for a legendary career early in his NFL tenure with the New York Giants, as he was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons and averaged 96 receptions for 1,374 yards and nearly 12 touchdowns per year over his first three seasons.

Injuries slowed Beckham down after that, and he was eventually traded to Cleveland prior to the 2019 season.

Beckham managed to barely crack the 1,000-yard mark in his first season with the Browns, finishing with 74 catches for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns, but a torn ACL limited him to seven games the following season.

OBJ didn't seem to have the same chemistry with Mayfield that he had with Eli Manning early in his career with the Giants.

There is also no question that Mayfield has struggled this season, going 4-5 as a starter and throwing for 1,990 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions for a Browns team that is 5-5 despite being a preseason pick to make a deep playoff run in the AFC.

The fall from grace has been swift for Mayfield after he posted a career-best touchdown-to-interception ratio of 26-8 last year and led the Browns to an 11-5 record and a playoff win.

Cleveland did win its first game without Beckham, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 41-16 in Week 9, but they were dominated by the New England Patriots in Week 10, 45-7.

With Beckham no longer in the fold, Landry is the unquestioned No. 1 wideout in Cleveland. Landry has three career 1,000-yard seasons to his credit, including 2019 with the Browns.

He is off to a slow start this season, however, as injuries have limited him to six games, and he has 23 catches for 219 yards and no touchdowns.

It is possible that Beckham leaving may have hit Landry harder than a teammate departure normally would since they have been close friends for years, dating back to their time as teammates at LSU from 2011-13.

Landry and Beckham didn't find the same level of success together with the Browns as they did at LSU, but now they have gone their separate ways, they are both looking to push their respective teams into the playoffs and perhaps toward a Super Bowl run.

After being released by the Cleveland Browns last week, Los Angeles Rams receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made his team debut Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers.

But according to Lisa Salters on ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast, it was never Beckham's desire to be on a new team this season.

"He told me he didn't really want to talk about what happened in Cleveland and what led to his release there, but he did say every detail of it was crazy to him," Salters said. "He said, 'I don't have words for it, it stinks, it was never intended,' and he said he never could've envisioned any of it.

"Beckham said he doesn't blame anyone, he enjoyed his time in Cleveland, which led to the handwritten goodbye letter to the city that he posted on social media."

Beckham did not part ways with Cleveland amicably. After a tenure of two-plus seasons that failed to reach expectations, things boiled over when Beckham's father, Odell Beckham Sr., posted an Instagram video showing Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield failing to throw to the eighth-year receiver. Beckham was then excused from practice while the Browns worked toward releasing him.

Beckham signed with Los Angeles on Thursday for one year and up to $4.25 million, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

"Odell had been wanting to play for the Rams since Sean McVay got there," Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported Thursday. "Even after he got traded to Cleveland, he was still going, 'Can I still get traded to the Rams?' Like, 'No, dude, it doesn't work like that.'"

While Beckham seems to have had a change of heart, the reality is that he's now on a team that is considered to be a top contender to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVI. After Los Angeles lost receiver Robert Woods to a torn ACL during this week's practice, the addition of Beckham will be important to the team's success going forward.

Cleveland Browns cornerback Troy Hill had to leave Sunday's matchup with the New England Patriots on a stretcher and is being hospitalized, according to multiple reports. 

Hill was hurt on this play in the fourth quarter:

HIll, 30, started four games for the Browns coming into Sunday, registering 36 tackles, two sacks and a pass defensed. He's served as the team's nickelback and has been used effectively as a blitzer this season. 

He told reporters this week that he's enjoyed the role.

"I don't think I ever had no sacks. Maybe one time back in high school," he said. "For me, it's like a layup, you're giving me the layup, 'Go get the money right there. Go sack the quarterback.' It's always fun when I get the chance to blitz. My whole career I really was playing corner, so I never got the opportunity to blitz like that. It's new and it's exciting for me. My eyes light up when I get that opportunity."

Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that Hill's attitude and intensity has been a positive for the defense. 

"He is very, very competitive and very, very tough. I enjoy being around him, and I think his teammates enjoy being around him," he said. "He just brings an edge to that group."

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield also left Sunday's game after suffering a knee injury, though Stefanski said after the game he expects him to be healthy enough to play next week. The Browns lost 45-7 to the Pats, dropping them to 5-5 on the season. 

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is expected to play in Week 11 against the Detroit Lions despite exiting against the New England Patriots on Sunday with a knee injury.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed to reporters that Mayfield suffered a knee contusion and could have returned to the game, but he held his quarterback out as New England finished off an eventual 45-7 victory.

Coming into the contest, Mayfield had been dealing with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder throughout the 2021 season and missed Cleveland's Week 7 matchup against the Denver Broncos.

The Browns kept Mayfield sidelined against the Broncos because of a short week following their Week 6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He had made 51 consecutive starts for the Browns before missing the Oct. 21 matchup against Denver.

Mayfield's injury issues began in Week 2 when he dislocated his left shoulder and tore his labrum while trying to make a tackle on an interception return against the Houston Texans. He landed on the shoulder in Week 6, reaggravating the torn labrum and suffering a tuberosity fracture.

The 2018 first overall pick is expected to undergo offseason shoulder surgery, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Amid the injury, Mayfield and the Browns have had an up-and-down season. Coming into Sunday, the veteran quarterback had thrown for 1,917 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions, completing 66.7 percent of his passes.

If Mayfield is unable to play going forward, Case Keenum, who stepped in under center on Sunday, will take over.

Odell Beckham Jr. has officially said his goodbyes to the Cleveland Browns, penning a letter to the entire organization, thanking them for their support over the last three years.

Beckham also gave a special shoutout to Jarvis Landry in his letter, whom he played college football with at LSU. 

The Browns waived Beckham earlier this week, and he signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams.

Beckham joined the Browns in a 2019 trade from the New York Giants. He only appeared in 29 games for the franchise over three seasons because of injuries, catching 114 passes for 1,586 yards and seven touchdowns. 

Cleveland released the 29-year-old earlier this week after his father, Odell Beckham Sr., posted a video on Instagram showing times when quarterback Baker Mayfield didn't throw the ball to his son or missed him entirely. 

Things between Mayfield and Beckham never truly clicked, and, according to ESPN's Jake Trotter, Beckham stressed out the signal-caller, which led to chemistry issues between the two. 

Beckham addressed his decision to sign with the Rams after hitting the field with the team for the first time on Friday, saying heading to L.A. "felt right in my heart and in my soul." He added that linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Jalen Ramsey recruited him to the franchise. 

In addition to the Rams, the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks were reportedly among the teams vying for Beckham's services.

The three-time Pro Bowler is reportedly set to make his Rams' debut Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, which doesn't come as a surprise given the news that Robert Woods is out for the season with a torn ACL. 

Beckham initially wasn't expected to have a major impact in L.A.'s offense, but with Woods sidelined, he could become one of Matthew Stafford's top targets alongside Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson. 

The Rams, who enter Monday night's game against the 49ers with a 7-2 record, still have the third-best Super Bowl odds despite the addition of Beckham, per DraftKings.  

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett said he's aware of what New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones did to Carolina Panthers edge-rusher Brian Burns in last week's game.

"Of course, I watched it," Garrett told reporters about Jones twisting Burns' ankle after a strip-sack. "I will hold my comments on that one. Hopefully, it does not happen to me. I do not know. Is he going to turn into the ankle grabber? I do not know. We will see."

Burns, who called the play "bull," wished other defensive ends luck in their pursuit of Jones in the weeks ahead.

"It would be nice to have an apology, but it's not gonna happen," Burns said Wednesday. "I would just like to play them again. And I wish all my fellow D-end brothers happy hunting."

Jones had explained Monday on WEEI's Merloni & Fauria he thought Burns had the ball after the fumble and was trying to make a tackle:

After I got hit pretty hard, I didn't really know exactly what was going on. I thought he had the ball. It was my job to try and make the tackle. That's pretty much it. Obviously when you get up and see the ball was actually down the field a little bit more, it was just a bang-bang play and I didn't mean to hurt anybody or anything like that. I was just trying to tackle him and make the play because I didn't really know what was going on.

Burns is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals because of the injury suffered on the play.

Meanwhile, Garrett said the onus is on him to make sure Jones doesn't try anything similar this week.

"If I tackled a man or I sacked him and I let him grab me, honestly, that is on me," the NFL's sack leader said. "I am not saying it is on Brian. He did not expect that. Now, we have all seen it. Now I know to get my behind up and get out of the way."

The Browns and Patriots are scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday at Gillette Stadium.