DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2018 NFL Season 2018 NFL Draft Sam Darnold

If his other grandfather is named John Cocktosen I think we have to draft him.

I think this is a very good post. Logical, fair, and insightful.

Nice job!

I was joking. But yeah, can't get much better than Dick Hammer's genes.

https://twitter.com/joeyrkaufman/status/946049493711155200

I hope Darnold declares for several reasons:

1. It's always better to have more choices instead of less choices.

2. More top QBs means more non-QB positions available to us with the Texans' pick.

3. If a top QB is available with the Texans' pick, trade opportunities will be great.

Vince Young’s issue was that he had mental problems.

You might want to look at his win-loss record in the nfl. If it wasn’t for his mental problems, he was on his way to being a good QB, but some injuries plus fishers horrible management of QBs with the titans doomed him.

He was better his rookie year than Matt Leinart and jay cutler.

Hell, I’d still take him over jay cutler.

I'm not crazy about Darnold, but he has a chance to really show everyone something on Friday. Ohio State's defensive line is littered with NFL talent.

If he has a bad game, I don't think that means he sucks and can't play at the next level or anything. It just gives you a peek of where he's at right now dealing with an elite pass rush.

I think a lot of us get too caught up in how these guys do in college. I don't think you get drafted for what you did in college as much as you get drafted for what these teams think you can do at the NFL level.

Vince Young's mental issues were lack of intelligence.

Not really.

Bonefish, I'm not a die-hard Buckeye fan in the slightest so I don't really care, but just calling them "OS" sticks out like a sore-thumb. LOL

[/color] well of course, he was a black QB, so obviously his intelligence must have been an issue.[color:#3366FF]

6 on the Wonderlic - just saying...

Sam Darnold on potentially playing for Browns: "I'd be honored to play for any team"

ESPN
3:12 PM ET

USC quarterback Sam Darnold evidently would not have a problem playing for the Cleveland Browns.

When asked Wednesday how he would look in a Browns uniform, Darnold told reporters that he doesn't prefer any team, saying he would be "honored to play for any [NFL] team."

Darnold, a redshirt sophomore, is widely projected as a first-round pick, although he has not publicly stated whether he will enter the 2018 draft or return to USC.

"Whenever I come out to go to the NFL, I think I'd be honored to play for any team," Darnold said Wednesday, two days before USC faces Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. "It's been a dream of mine for such a long time to play in the NFL. Any team that would want to give me that opportunity to be a part of their organization, it would mean the world to me."

Darnold's comments came after UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, also a projected first-round pick, said Saturday he would "rather be a lower pick at the right team than a higher one at the wrong team."

League sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter this past weekend that Rosen, a junior, would be hesitant to declare for the 2018 draft if he knew that the Browns would select him with the No. 1 overall pick. Rosen would prefer to play for the Giants, who currently are projected to pick second, over the winless Browns, sources told Schefter.

Darnold recently was ranked as the fifth-best draft prospect, one spot behind Rosen, by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and was slotted as the No. 1 overall pick to Cleveland in a mock draft earlier this month by ESPN's Todd McShay.

That's really really low, if true.

That is the difference between Darnold and Rosen.

Darnold will not say anything that would be questionable or would reflect poorly on himself or his team. It may be somewhat boring and can contain all the standard words but it works for him, and people respect him for that.

Rosen comes across as the exact opposite. Hence you see a lot of articles all over the place on him.

It’s one thing I like about Darnold.

Darnold’s agent must not have slept through the ‘how not to eat shoe leather’ course and is more astute than Rosen’s agent.

before the season started I wanted Darnold very badly .. thought he was a sure shot. Not sure what happened to him this season (I only saw him 1-2 times), but I wouldn't be averse to taking him

The problem I have with that article, and have began to have a problem with, year in and year out, is.

Espn's Mel Kiper jr, and Espn's Todd McShay don't have the Browns best interest in mind, they don't care if the Browns lose for ever.

The other thing of it is, the Espn guys have to make lists going back to the day of, last year, and they kind of build on their own hype, circular reasoning.

The Browns are the ones who will have to live with who the Browns pick, not Kiper, and McShay, their job is to make lists and evaluate.

( I realize this fits my agenda).

I just cringe at the thougt if McShay and Kiper had actual influence in decideing whom the Browns should invest in because I believe that Kiper and the other one have absolute zero invested in the Browns succeeding.

I'm starting to see this differently. Let's face it, no QB would want to play for the Browns. It is what it is, and it's that way because of the people we've had running this team since the return.
Draftable QBs can say all the right things during interviews, but you'd have a hard time convincing me that any of them are like, "Yup, please send me to Cleveland".

Rosen just says what everyone else is thinking, and I don't blame any of them for thinking that. In the end, it will come down to the interview, and Dorsey will have to see if he can get the guy he ends up picking to buy in to what we're trying to do, and what we've got for them.

Sam Darnold passes the teammate test: 'Josh Rosen was good, but Sam Darnold's special"

Updated 9:08 PM; Posted 7:30 PM
Sam Darnold on leading as a quarterback

By Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com dlesmerises@cleveland.com
DALLAS -- Of course they backed him up. Of course they praised him. Of course you're about to read nice things regarding USC quarterback Sam Darnold.

It's what teammates do.

Just like last year, Ohio State is playing its bowl game against a future first-round NFL Draft pick, a franchise quarterback candidate who could be targeted by the Browns.

Then it was Clemson's Deshaun Watson. Now it's Darnold. Then, Watson had it all, the ability and the aura, and coaches and teammates who loved him.

That's what I came looking for this year. Does Darnold have something about him? Do the Trojans have something to say about him? Because all teammates will say good things about their quarterback. But sometimes you can get a feel from how they say it.

Like this.

"The best that I've seen," senior USC safety Chris Hawkins said. "He can do it all. Run, pass, change up the play. He can make something out of nothing. We've had him dead to rights before (in practice) and he's gotten out of it and threw the ball downfield 50 yards. And we're all wide-eyed, looking around like, 'What just happened?'

"He's special. He's one of those once-in-a-decade quarterbacks. They don't come around often. No. 1 quarterback in the country, and it's not even close. I played (UCLA QB) Josh Rosen, Josh Rosen was good. Very good actually.

"But Sam Darnold's special."

Like that.

Sam Darnold as explained by USC safety Chris Hawkins
If your team is pondering a franchise quarterback, you want to hear the kind of thing that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told Mary Kay Cabot about Watson last year, dropping a Michael Jordan comparison. It doesn't mean you have to believe them. But you want the people who know a quarterback best to believe it.

Not just praise. But passion.

Like this.

"I remember when he had just taken over the quarterback job," USC left tackle Toa Lobendahn said of Darnold's rise as a freshman in 2016, "and we were talking in our breakfast area, and the way he was talking about stuff, he was already sounding like a leader to me and he had just gotten the job. I was just very surprised the way he was talking about our team.

"You definitely see the way he plays that he can just make plays at any time. He's a playmaker and the way he throws the ball and the way he sees the field and keeps plays going, he definitely has that Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers tendencies."

Like that.

Sam Darnold explained by USC left tackle Toa Lobendahn
This doesn't mean Darnold has to be the quarterback you want for the Browns if he decides to turn pro, and it seems like that's a strong possibility.

But you have to consider him. Don't dismiss him because he made a few too many mistakes this season or if he may not be ready to start week one as a rookie.


Because something is there with Darnold. It's obvious with the way he makes plays on the field, comfortable in the pocket and on the move. But there was something in these words, too, a clear belief from teammates that is going to be vital for the Browns quarterback who finally makes it.

Like this.

"I'd say he has the It Factor," USC tight end Tyler Petite said. "I'd say he has something that can't be coached or taught to anybody, something that you kind of have. And I'd say he's a gamer.

"It's just something that sets him apart from everybody else, and it's not one specific part of his game. It's just everything, the way he throws the ball, the way he runs it, the way his demeanor is, just how he keeps his composure in big games and some situations that some people would think are dire, where it's looking like we're probably not going to make it, but he just keeps the same composure that he always does. It's a combination of so many good attributes that you can't teach a player."

Like that.

Sam Darnold explained by USC tight end Tyler Petite
So take this into account or don't take it.

UCLA's Rosen can be seen by some as prickly or cocky and Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, as we all know, is a crotch grabber. Louisville's Lamar Jackson is doubted by some because he's such a skilled runner. Doesn't matter. That's silly stuff. If the Buckeyes were playing UCLA or Oklahoma or Louisville right now, this story would be about Rosen or Mayfield or Jackson and I'd imagine some teammates would have said at least similar things.


(I refuse to say the same about Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. I'll pass on that idea.)

Rosen may be a great option for the Browns. Mayfield may be a great option. Jackson may be a great option. Darnold may be a great option.

Options are good. Options can only help. So let as many future franchise quarterbacks fill this draft as possible. Let the good vibes flow.

Like this.

"He's a quarterback's quarterback," said USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin, who won a national championship himself as Tennesse's quarterback in 1998. "I've been around really good quarterbacks and sometimes when you're watching a game as a former quarterback you say, 'That was a good scheme,' or 'That was cute,' and then you watch dudes play quarterback and you're like, 'That is a quarterback.'"

"That is a quarterback," is what Martin said about Darnold when he was still a recruit at an USC camp. Martin kept asking about the kid making those throws. That's what Martin said when -- for the first time in his coaching career -- he started watching the first-team defense against the scout team offense. Darnold, running the scout team as a true freshman, was making so many plays.

That's what Martin says as he finds himself in play-calling sync with Darnold 95 percent of the time even though Martin coaches receivers, not quarterbacks, and doesn't get to focus on Darnold's position.


"He's very aggressive. If there's a little hole to get the ball in there, he's going to try to get that ball in that hole," Martin said. "He sees things and he sees it really fast. His process of elimination is uncanny. And he can do it all, whether it's the legs, whether it's the throws, deep throws, intermediate throws, seeing the pressures, adjusting protections, getting us into the right run play when we need to.

"Like I said, he's a quarterback's quarterback."

Like that.


http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2017/12/sam_darnold_passes_the_teammat.html

I am warming up to Darnold. I like rosen, but some of his comments of late leave me a little cool, and it isn't just because he was talking about my team. I'd have some questions no matter who he was talking about.

I'm warming up to Darnold as well. Rosen's injury history and mobility outside the pocket are holding me up more than his attitude.

I'm much more looking forward to the Cotton Bowl to see how Darnold performs than just because I live in Buckeye country.

Darnold was my #1 choice BY FAR before the year ... not sure what happened

J/C

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhpmb1oSNh4

Here is the Darnold interview regarding the Browns. Looking forward to watching him play.

Good stuff Bone. I sure hope Darnold comes out. Here is hoping he lights up the Buckeyes and makes that decision easier.

Here's hoping. I think he can be special.

I was initially on the Rosen bandwagon because I feel he is the most pro-ready and is such a pure passer, but all other things considered, I think Darnold will be the best choice.

Yeah, I've started watching him too, and he's growing on me as well. Although Rosen hits all those checkmarks.

But Darnold could be a good one. And Darnold seems to say the right things


Here's to hoping they both come out and we can choose between the two.



No matter what I want a QB at 1. With anyone but Rosen, I'd also like to get a solid veteran. Alex Smith preferably, but I doubt we can get him with the season the Chiefs are having. Even AJ McCaron.

I think Darnold (and Jackson/Allen/Mayfield ) could use a season to learn. Just as Kizer needs a season off to gain his confidence back, reflect, and try to improve his game.

Rosen doesn't need that IMO. That guy's ready to roll.



Also I think we (or at least I) blew Rosen's words out of proportion. I don't see anything yet that says he won't sign with us if we draft him 1

I'm not an OSU homer...so, I would like to see what Darnold can do against them. It's obvious to me we take Rosen, Darnold or Mayfield at the 1. So, ideally I am hoping Darnold plays well, deals with the pass rush and beats the Buckeyes. I will also be hoping Mayfield plays well against Georgia and goes to the Championship. It would be good to have a clear cut idea as to who we want to take.

Regardless of Rosen's comments or his entitled attitude...he has had two concussions this season and shoulder injuries. I am less sold on him.

Bring in a Vet like Smith or Manning and let the rookie learn from them. That was our mistake with Kizer. Not sure that was Hue's call, however. Probably Sashi who decided we didn't need Brock or Josh.

With Houston's pick we need to take Minkah Fitzpatrick (if he is still there).

So far not lighting it up, looking Kizer-esque in his ability to turn the ball over. Let's see how he does in the second quarter.

If he declares I hope the Browns don't take him. Ball security is a big issue with him.

Darnold looks like he's doing his own tanking, to avoid tanking teams.

I've watched Darnold a few times this year.

I just don't see it.

I don't see the ceiling that consistently gets mentioned either.

I've heard this several times as well..."Rosen will be better day 1 but Darnold has a higher ceiling"...I have no idea what that means.

Do not pick either of these two? Darnold has not looked lights out, or is he protecting this "ceiling" about which you speak?

Go, Buckeyes!