The Cleveland Brown and #1 overall pick Baker Mayfield have been selected as the featured team for the hit HBO Series Hard Knocks.
Adam Schefter tweeted out the news this morning, adding that official word will come later today.
The HBO dates back to 2011 and has long been a fan favorite, beginning with the 2001 Baltimore Ravens. The series took a brief hiatus in 2011 before coming back pretty strong with the Bucs, Rams, Texans, and Falcons being featured the past few seasons.
Back in 2013, after signing a multiyear deal with HBO to continue producing the show, the NFL announced that they could force teams to participate in the series under three circumstances. Teams that have appeared on the show the past decade, teams that have a first-year head coach, and if teams reached the playoffs in either of the past two seasons are exempt from being selected.
The past few seasons Hard Knocks has had some competition in Amazon's All or Nothing series, which first featured the Cardinals before moving to the Cowboys this past season.
The Browns, coming off an 0-16 season followed by an off season highlighted with a number of high-profile moves, including the selection of Baker Mayfield #1 overall in the draft, could make for an interesting storyline as Hue Jackson and his staff attempt to rebuild things for an organization that has been down for a while now.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.