Ryan Leaf Advises Draft QBs to Avoid Cleveland Browns

Ryan Leaf is a man who knows what it’s like to make mistakes, but he also knows a thing or two about not being given the best structure to succeed.

Leaf made his own mistakes back when he was a player. He was way too immature for his own good, something he’s freely admitted to since he finally got his life back on track. However, that doesn’t mean he lacks experience it what can lead to becoming an all-time NFL draft bust. The last thing he wants is to see other young quarterbacks have to go through what he did. Sure his own mistakes played a part, but the San Diego Chargers didn’t help matters.

Leaf hinted the belief that his former team didn’t do enough to help him win and contributed to the snowball effect that led to his catastrophic demise. It’s not an unfair point. San Diego did not have a 1st round pick in each of the next two drafts and also didn’t heavily invest on the offensive line or wide receiver during that time. His head coach was fired during his rookie season and the man who came in the next year, Mike Riley, was a defensive specialist.

It was a poorly-crafted development plan from the start and Leaf paid the price. Now he fears others will have to endure the same if they get drafted by the Cleveland Browns next month. So much in fact that he advises they find a way to avoid it if possible.

Leaf suggests using the Eli Manning approach to avoid Browns

Leaf appears on FS1 to speak with host Colin Cowherd about the draft. While he meant nothing personal against the people of Cleveland, he couldn’t help but view the Browns’ horrible history with quarterbacks as ample reason to avoid them at all costs.

"“I don’t want anybody to be a bust,” Leaf said. “I want them to be successful. And there is no evidence to show me that Cleveland is going to be successful. It’s a place where quarterbacks go to die. How many quarterbacks — 27 quarterbacks in the last 10 years? 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 saying, ‘Figure out a way for me to not to go Cleveland. Eli Manning this for me.’”"

This is of course in reference to 2004 when Manning pulled a power move and made it clear he would not play for the Chargers if they drafted him 1st overall. It’s the same move John Elway executed back in 1983 with the then Baltimore Colts. The view from both QBs was that those organizations weren’t committed to building winners and lacked stability. Both were later proven correct. Elway ended up having his rights traded to Denver. Manning was dealt to New York.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: One Quarterback Takes The Plunge

So this strategy isn’t totally crazy. It worked out in favor of the player each time, so what Leaf advises has more than a little validity to it. It’s a matter of whether Sam Darnold and the other quarterbacks are willing to make that move.