By Jimmy Watkins  Aug 11, 2018 3  

How the hell is Drew Stanton still standing?  

Stanton was drafted in 2007, the fifth of 10 quarterbacks selected that year. He’s the only one still playing. The second longest-tenured quarterbacks from that class (Kevin Kolb and Trent Edwards) have been out of the league since 2012. 

Stanton’s thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in his career (24 compared with 20). He’s completed 52 percent of his career passes. He’s won more games than he’s lost, sure. And he says that’s why he’s been able to hang around so long.

But that’s not why the Browns brought him aboard. They signed him to mentor whichever incoming rookie quarterback they decided to draft. Stanton has played with two other rookie quarterbacks selected first overall in Andrew Luck and Matthew Stafford. Baker Mayfield became the third. Stanton didn’t play in the preseason game Thursday night. He’s a great emergency third-stringer, but he has no illusions. He knows why he’s here. 

“We’ve all been brought here for different reasons,” Stanton said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be around for a while and be an advocate for younger players and show them the way.”

Mayfield, Stanton and Tyrod Taylor view themselves as separate cogs in the mission to reverse the Browns’ fortunes. They say it often: They’re working toward a common goal. But of course, one of them will have a much bigger hand in the outcomes of games than the others. The old cliche says you’re only as strong as your weakest link. And Todd Haley said this quarterback room might be the strongest from top to bottom he’s ever worked with. But a quarterback room is only as strong as the quarterback who takes the snaps. 

Right now that’s Tyrod Taylor, whose purpose for being here is a little murkier than Stanton’s. Taylor’s view is simple: He’s been brought to Cleveland to prove his worth as a starter by winning football games. If he wins enough, maybe it’ll warrant a contract extension with Cleveland. But we don’t know what enough means, and NFL teams don’t draft quarterbacks first overall for no reason. There are plenty of variables involved, but it’s definitely possible that Taylor is just a place holder to avoid rushing Mayfield into prominence before he’s ready. 

That dynamic complicates Stanton’s role significantly. But Stanton’s found ways to bridge the gap between competition and brotherhood. 

He made Mayfield buy the famed RV, which was originally dubbed a quarterbacks-only clubhouse. Its purpose: to help the quarterbacks relax, take their minds off football and get to know each other outside of the game. Stanton also gave Mayfield a list of rookie commandments and has been known to crack a joke or two in meetings. Taylor’s been known to stare at his notes and roll his eyes once Stanton gets rolling. 

A couple of weeks ago, a reporter asked Stanton how Haley’s offense simultaneously catered to him (now mostly a pocket-bound quarterback) and Taylor and Mayfield (mobile quarterbacks). 

“You go back 10 or 11 years ago, I actually had a faster 40 than Baker,” Stanton cracked. (He’s right. He ran a 4.73 and Mayfield ran a 4.84 at the combine.)

The RV and the jokes make for fun Twitter fodder. But there’s a deeper meaning behind them. 

When the Browns signed Stanton, John Dorsey said veteran quarterbacks “help mold (the quarterback room) together.”

When Mayfield says, “If you don’t get along with Drew, then there’s something wrong with you,” those words mean more than Stanton being a great hang. When Mayfield says, “That just shows the type of guys that Tyrod and Drew are,” in response to his acceptance in the quarterback room, it’s a direct result of Stanton’s steadying presence. That’s what Dorsey meant with his quote. The RV and the jokes are all means toward building relationships between the guys in orange practice jerseys. 

So far, it’s been a smooth ride. But that was never a guarantee. The Browns could’ve just designated Taylor as Mayfield’s veteran mentor and signed a younger, cheaper third-stringer. Mayfield could’ve learned by observing. By all accounts, Taylor has set a great example for the rookie. He arrives at the facility early. He paid for his teammates’ arrangements when the Browns worked out in California this summer. Hue Jackson told Mayfield to mimic Taylor’s habits on the first episode of “Hard Knocks.” 

But Mayfield wouldn’t get the same hands-on help. Taylor’s already a quiet leader, and he’s said repeatedly that he’s only focused on how he can help the Browns win games. Why would he change his ways to help somebody gunning for his job? 

Stanton’s presence allows Taylor to ignore questions like that. It makes the situation easier for all involved.

“It is good to have Drew here,” Taylor said. “He brings a lot of knowledge to the game. He has been around the game at this level for a long time now.

“Me and Drew’s relationship goes back to high school. It is good to have a friend here, as well, but also someone that I can bounce ideas off of, critique my game and just talk football with.”

Mayfield said, “Even if I’m not asking him questions, (Stanton will) slide little tips of advice.”

The outlet Stanton gives to Mayfield’s questions is great. His relationship with Tyrod Taylor coming from Taylor’s time at the Elite 11 camp where Stanton was a counselor helps, too. And Stanton’s 11-6 record is plenty impressive 

But Stanton has fostered an amicable relationship between two men in direct competition with each other. And that — above all else — is why he’s still standing. 

Stanton likes to say that the best way to measure a quarterback is to ask what his teammates think of him. So what does the person who’s spent the most time around him think? 

“There’s a reason he’s been doing this for a long time,” Mayfield said. “It’s not just because of how smart he is or he’s talented. He’s able to understand where people come from. He makes it easy to be around.”

— Reported from Berea

Photo credit: Ken Blaze/USA Today Sports