Sam Darnold is reportedly favored to go No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf believes Darnold should pull an Eli Manning.
There’s more than enough time for opinions to change, but recent reports state that Sam Darnold is a lock to go No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. If that proves to be the case, then Darnold would be joining a Cleveland Browns team that added significant firepower this offseason.
Despite the changes that Cleveland has made to a roster that went 0-16 in 2017, a former NFL quarterback is advising Darnold to avoid the Browns.
Cleveland has the reputation of one of the worst organizations in professional sports. That distinction is certainly supported by the fact that the Browns haven’t made the playoffs, let alone won eight games, since 2002.
It’s for that reason that Ryan Leaf is advising Darnold to pull an Eli Manning if the Browns select him at No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
"If I were Sam Darnold... I'm going to my agent and I'm saying figure out a way for me not to go to Cleveland." — @RyanDLeaf pic.twitter.com/OF1MLHOsDl
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 29, 2018
For those who can’t or prefer not to watch the interview, Leaf said the following:
"“If I were Sam Darnold and I have this leverage right now, and I know I’m going to be the first pick in the NFL Draft, I’m going to my agent and I’m saying: ‘Figure out a way for me to not to go Cleveland. Eli Manning this for me.'”"
It’s a bold statement on Leaf’s behalf, but the reasoning that he provides is at least worth considering.
In addition to missing the playoffs in every season since 2002, the Browns are known for being a franchise marred by instability. As Leaf points out, one of the primary issues with Cleveland is that it tends to give its coaches a rather short leash.
Jackson is the Browns’ ninth coach since the organization returned to the NFL in 1999, and he’s compiled a record of 1-31 during his two seasons at the helm.
That isn’t necessarily Jackson’s fault, but Leaf raises an interesting point: What if Cleveland doesn’t win as soon as 2018 and ultimately decides to fire Jackson?
In that scenario, Darnold would be playing for two coaches within his first two NFL seasons—and, more likely than not, two offensive coordinators. That’s the perfect way to torpedo a player’s value and sabotage a quarterback’s career.
Cleveland, however, is in a position to silence the critics and piece together an overnight rebuild unlike any in recent memory.
It’s also in a position to have Darnold spend the entire 2017 developing behind Tyrod Taylor, which would partially offset Leaf’s concerns.
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If Sam Darnold opts against pulling an Eli Manning at the 2018 NFL Draft, he’d be joining the likes of Myles Garrett, Josh Gordon, Carlos Hyde, Jarvis Landry, and a slew of incoming rookies in Cleveland.
That includes a potential star whom the Cleveland Browns are hoping to select at No. 4 overall—just three picks after Darnold.