Ryan Leaf: Darnold should dodge Browns, 'Eli Manning this' draft

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf thinks top draft prospect Sam Darnold should take drastic measures to avoid being selected by the Cleveland Browns.

Leaf, often labeled the biggest quarterback bust in NFL history, said the Browns' dismal history with signal-callers should be all Darnold needs to know.

"It's a place where quarterbacks go to die," Leaf said on FS1's "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on Friday. "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.'"

Manning muscled his way out of San Diego after being selected by the Chargers in 2004, who salvaged the situation by trading with the New York Giants to acquire Philip Rivers and the picks used to select Nate Kaeding and Shawne Merriman.

Cleveland is expected to add a quarterback in the first round after trading out of spots that recently produced potential franchise anchors in Carson Wentz (2016) and Deshaun Watson (2017).

The Browns own the first and fourth picks in the upcoming draft, and the offseason acquisition of Tyrod Taylor from the Buffalo Bills is seen as a short-term solution at quarterback for a team trying to dig out of a 1-31 record over the past two seasons.

"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."

With just two winning seasons this century and numerous changes in the front office and coaching staff, Leaf believes the Browns need to prove they can both identify a franchise quarterback and surround him with sufficient talent.

"What if he plays five years there and is mediocre because they never win?" he said of Darnold, who starred at USC.

Leaf went to the Chargers as the overall No. 2 pick in 1998 out of Washington State and never panned out. The Indianapolis Colts drafted Peyton Manning first overall.

Leaf started a combined 21 games with San Diego and the Dallas Cowboys from 1998-2001 and threw 36 interceptions to just 14 touchdowns.

-- Field Level Media