BEREA, Ohio -- With the trade for Tyrod Taylor and holding the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, quarterback Drew Stanton knew signing with the Cleveland Browns would come with filling a reserve role in the 2018 season.
And Stanton signed with the Browns anyway, believing backing up Taylor and helping prepare Baker Mayfield to become the quarterback of the future was best for his career.
“I did have choices, and I felt that this was the best choice,” Stanton said. “I am getting to the point in my career where I am looking for good situations. I have been fortunate to be around some really good organizations, and I felt like this was a great fit from top to bottom. You start to accumulate some knowledge over a period of time and what it takes to be successful.
“I think this place checked a lot of boxes for me from that standpoint with great ownership, with a clear cut vision of who we are and what we want to be, and it is also exciting because you look at the playmakers we have on offense and you look at how strong the offensive line is, all of those things that help a quarterback go out there and play at a high level exist here.”
Currently, Stanton is in his 11th NFL season out of Michigan State University, and in 10 years with the Detroit Lions (2008-2011), Indianapolis Colts (2012) and Arizona Cardinals (2013-2017), completed 345 passes for 4,059 yards and 20 touchdowns against 24 interceptions while serving in reserve roles.
Stanton holds an 11-6- record in his 17 career starts.
“I think first and foremost, I have been fortunate enough to survive in this league for a long time because I won football games,” Stanton said. “That is what I kind of hung my hat on as a backup. If you do not win games in this league, they are going to find ways to get rid of you. Doing that, I have been around three No. 1 overall picks, and obviously, Baker will be the fourth.
“All of that ties into it, but it also is just being an advocate for the starter. I think the quarterback room is so important, trying to create a culture in there and stuff that is conducive for an offense and building and going from there. I have been lucky to be a part of a lot of good quarterback rooms.”
Chosen with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Mayfield put together a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign in 2017 where he completed 285 of his 404 throws (70.5 percent) for 4,627 yards and 43 touchdowns against just six interceptions to cap off a four-year career that started at Texas Tech University.
During his three years at Oklahoma and one season with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Mayfield completed 1,026 of his 1,497 attempts (68.5 percent) for 14,607 yards and 131 touchdowns against only 30 interceptions.
“I think he has a great mindset,” Stanton said. “Just coming in here, wanting to work and get better and learn how to do all those things, he’s asking questions that are relevant.
“He’s engaged and he’s doing it the right way, so I think it’s a relationship that will continue to progress over a period of time. It’s not just something you build overnight, but he has all those tools that you’re excited about. Obviously, there’s a reason why he was drafted No. 1 overall.”
