By STEVE KING

The Browns will go to the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis next week looking for prospective players.

But at some point this offseason, the coaching staff, specifically head coach Kevin Stefanski, will have to mend some fences with the players they already have, specifically quarterback Baker Mayfield.

That between the head coach and quarterback is the most important relationship not just in football, but in all of team sports. In fact, every other relationship pales in comparison. Indeed, nothing else is even close.

The 2020 season was one in which Stefanski and Mayfield seemed to be happy together on the way to the Browns making their first playoff appearance in 18 years. Winning, though, can gloss over some issues, and apparently, that was the case with these two because the warts in their relationship last season were visible. Mayfield’s play was inconsistent, and so was Stefanski’s coaching. What they said — and didn’t say, especially in Mayfield’s case — spoke volumes about them seemingly not being on the same chapter, let alone the same page, more often than not.

This has to stop — completely, and ASAP.

The head coach and quarterback have to be in concert with each other. They have to agree on what needs to be done on offense, how it should be done and with what players.

It’s the offense that’s the key in this league. As the Browns found out last season, the lack of an offense creates the lack of a good chance to win, regardless of how good — surprisingly so, in the case of the Browns — the defense is.

It’s only the end of February and the beginning of March. The 2021 season, especially the playoffs and Super Bowl, are still fresh in everyone’s mind. Thus, there is more than enough time to do this, to smooth things out.

But, lest the Browns suffer through a second straight disappointing and frustrating season, it has to get done, and as soon as possible is as good a time as any to start.