Not many NFL Draft hopefuls at quarterback are eager to play for the Cleveland Browns. Ty Simpson is not one of them.
The former Alabama quarterback named the Browns as a “dream” destination while attending the NFL Combine. Simpson and his family have longstanding ties with new Browns coach Todd Monken.
“I think I’d be in great hands with the team that they have and the organization, and then coach Monken, what he does with the quarterbacks and the offense is super quarterback-friendly and I think he’s going to coach me hard if I’m able to go there and I know he’s going to do it the right way,” Simpson said, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “So I’m super-excited.
“My dad and coach Monken go way back. They talk often. He texted him when he got the job and they’ve texted a little bit (since), so if I had the opportunity to play for the Browns, it would be a dream come true.”
Simpson’s father Jason attended Southern Miss, where Monken was head coach from 2013 to 2015. Jason Simpson has been the head coach at UT-Martin since 2006.
The Browns have a checkered history when it comes to drafting quarterbacks, to say the least. Baker Mayfield is the only recent pick that has been anything close to a success, and while nobody outright says they don’t want to play there, the history of draft busts does not exactly make them a premier destination for rookie quarterbacks. Simpson, however, does not see it that way.
Simpson has been heavily scouted by the Browns and could be a target for Cleveland with one of their two first-round picks, though it is not clear if they would take him as high as No. 6 overall. The former Alabama quarterback threw for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions for the Crimson Tide last season.
