Darnold: No problem if Browns drafterd me
But quarterback isn’t sure if he will leave USC early.
They are just DALLAS — words in a news conference, but words can matter.
Sam Darnold sat before reporters on Wednesday, and he did not seem afraid to be the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.
There was a report in early November that the USC quarterback might stay in college for 2018 if the Browns own the No. 1 pick, then Dar- nold publicly refuted that at the end of November. In his pregame news confer- ence before Friday’s Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, he was peppered with NFL questions.
Here’s an obser vation based only on what was said by Darnold, his teammates and offensive coordinator Tee Martin on Wednesday.
It seems like he’ll declare for the 2018 NFL draft. And he thinks it would be cool to be the No. 1 pick.
“Honestly, yeah, it would be awesome,” Darnold said. “But at the same time, I look at it holistically and I’m going to factor everything into it. But, yeah, to be the No. 1 pick, that would be so special.”
Darnold was asked about the Browns directly and in vague terms during two different 20-minute interview sessions. He danced away from some queries, insisting he’s focused on the Buckeyes and hasn’t made a deep dive into his NFL choice with the Jan. 15 deadline to declare looming.
But he wasn’t ticked about the NFL questions, and he didn’t dodge all of them.
“It’s been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, so when- ever I hear my name being
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When asked about the idea of being drafted not just by a losing team, but by a hope- less team, which obviously was a indirect Browns reference, Darnold said this, making a possible sideways reference to UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, who has talked about wanting to go to the right team:
“I honestly don’t look at it that way. I know certain guys might look at it that way. But for me it’s been such a dream of mine to play in the NFL, that whether I go now or I stay at USC, to be able to have the opportunity to even play in the NFL and achieve that dream of mine is some- thing I’ve always looked at.
“And for an organization to put their trust in me to be able to go out there and play football for them, I think any opportunity to play for anyone would be amazing and something I always dreamed of.”
Asked specifically about what he’d look like in a Browns uniform, Darnold said this:
“Whenever I come out to go to the NFL, I’d be honored to play for any team. Any team that would give me that opportunity to be part of their organization, it would mean the world to me.”
So vague or specific, he didn’t change. He said he’ll play for anyone.
But will the redshirt sophomore turn pro? NFL reporters and draft analysts don’t have a firm grasp on what they think Darnold will do.
Any potential No. 1 pick staying in school is tough, but it’s not unheard of. Andrew Luck did it at Stanford as a redshirt sophomore, stayed to play his redshirt junior season, and then was drafted No. 1.
But the Trojans are certainly prepared for the idea of Friday being Darnold’s final game.
“You can’t really get any higher than that,” USC offensive lineman Toa Lobendahn said. “If he would come back it would be purely for love of his team and his school and college football. But you can’t really go any higher than being projected as the No. 1 pick.
“It’s definitely a hard decision for him, and I’d definitely lean toward going, though.”
Martin, who played behind Peyton Manning at Tennessee and then led the Volunteers to the national title when he took over as quarterback, believes Darnold possesses everything he needs to make it big in the NFL now.
“Sam is a guy, ultimately at the end of the day, he wants to win. He’s an extreme com- petitor. And I think he does like being in college,” Martin said.
“It may be one of those heartstrings things where, we made it to the Cotton Bowl, we did great, but can we do better? Can I play better? If that’s the case, then you’ll see him coming back.
“If he feels it’s the right sit- uation or the right time and for the right organization at the next level, he may make the decision to leave. I don’t know. It’s his decision. I’m biased, obviously. But if he did decide to leave, I think he’ll be ready to go and be special.”