AFC Notes: Browns, Texans, Titans

Browns

Browns first-round QB Baker Mayfield said the game at the NFL level has “slowed down exponentially” for him during training camp.

“It’s starting to slow down, but it’s going to take a little bit to get to the level I was at Oklahoma,” Mayfield said, via Ryan Isley of ESPN. “That’s just part of the growing process. There’s been a lot of improvement since I first got here for rookie minicamp that it’s slowed down exponentially. I’m excited where it’s at right now.”

Mayfield added that he will take advantage of every opportunity he has to gain reps.

“Any time I get the chance to play ball, I will be excited,” Mayfield said. “However much I play, I have to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Texans

Texans HC Bill O’Brien mentioned that OLB Jadeveon Clowney is getting “better and better” as he works his way back from offseason knee surgery.

“I think Clowney’s getting better and better, being closer and closer to being able to do more and more. We’ll see how it goes,” O’Brien said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “Probably do a little bit more next week in preparation for San Francisco. See how that week goes, and then, at the end of that week, make a decision relative to L.A. and things like that. We’ve got a good plan for him, and he’s doing a good job. He’s working at it.“

We have him featured in our Top 25 – 2019 NFL Free Agents list.

• According to Aaron Wilson, Texans veteran OLB Whitney Mercilus suffered a “minor” soft-tissue injury and will miss their preseason opener.
• Wilson adds that Mercilus is expected to make a “full recovery” during the preseason.

Titans

• Tom Pelissero reports that the Titans signed S Kenny Vaccaro to a one-year contract with no guaranteed money. Vaccaro receives a $100K bonus if he’s on the Week 1 roster and the max value of the agreement comes out to $2.75 million with incentives.