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INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 Ty Simpson wants to be a\u00a0Cleveland Brown. His father knows Todd Monken personally and would be thrilled to see his son in the system. Simpson himself has met with the team, made his case at the combine and walked away confident he could thrive in Cleveland.<\/p>\n
So why is the most likely answer still \u201cprobably not?\u201d<\/p>\n
That uncomfortable question sat at the center of one of the sharpest exchanges on the latest episode of\u00a0Orange and Brown Talk, recorded at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Host Dan Labbe and Browns beat reporters Mary Kay Cabot and Ashley Bastock spent significant time unpacking the Ty Simpson situation, and what they found is a story where enthusiasm, personal connection and genuine talent all collide with cold, hard draft economics.<\/p>\n
The personal backstory is compelling on its own. Cabot had a one-on-one conversation with Simpson at the Combine and revealed the depth of the family relationship with the Browns\u2019 offensive coordinator:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said that his dad would be over the moon excited if Ty Simpson landed in Cleveland and he knows he would be in really good hands,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd he cited (Monken\u2019s) work with Lamar Jackson and just his ability to develop quarterbacks knows he would be in great hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simpson\u2019s father Jason, the head coach at UT Martin, played at Southern Miss, where Monken coached. The two men have stayed close ever since. This isn\u2019t a manufactured combine talking point. It\u2019s a genuine relationship. And it makes Simpson\u2019s desire to play in Cleveland feel real.<\/p>\n
But the NFL Draft isn\u2019t a feel-good story. It\u2019s a business. And the moment you start talking about where Ty Simpson might actually be selected, the math stops being friendly to Cleveland.<\/p>\n
Labbe walked through the precise bind the Browns find themselves in, recounting a conversation in the combine hallways that cut right to the heart of the dilemma:<\/p>\n
\u201cHow far would Ty Simpson have to fall for the Browns to take him?\u201d he asked. \u201cAnd I just kind of flippantly said 24. And that still might be too high.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simpson is widely regarded as the second-best quarterback in this draft class, behind Fernando Mendoza. His camp entered the process expecting a first-round grade, and he said as much himself at the Combine. If he goes in the top 20 picks, as most projections currently suggest, the Browns may be out of the conversation entirely before it even starts.<\/p>\n
And then there\u2019s the obstacle that nobody can ignore: Shedeur Sanders.<\/p>\n
Cleveland didn\u2019t just acquire Sanders, they traded up in the fifth round to get him, then handed him seven starts in his rookie year. That\u2019s not the behavior of a franchise ready to move on. Cabot laid out the central question the front office will be wrestling with all spring:<\/p>\n
\u201cI just look at the Cleveland Browns right now and I see that they have Shedeur, they started him for seven games. And I just don\u2019t know if Ty is enough to overtake Shedeur right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the wall. And Labbe made clear why crossing it in the first round would demand an extraordinary level of certainty, a level the Browns simply don\u2019t appear to have reached yet:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou take Ty Simpson in the first round, he\u2019s got to be your starting quarterback and he\u2019s got to be your starter for a long time,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I think that\u2019s why they might not reach.<\/p>\n
Bastock added another layer: this is a front office that has never reached beyond where it values a player. The Shedeur Sanders pick was a fifth-round pick because the value was undeniable at that point. They\u2019re not going to rewrite that philosophy for a player whose stock has them in a gray area.<\/p>\n
The Browns aren\u2019t ready to make a declaration about Sanders. And until they are, the Ty Simpson story, however real the connection, however bright the talent, stays a fascinating subplot rather than the headline.<\/p>\n
For the full combine breakdown of Ty Simpson, including why Bastock thinks his loyalty to Alabama actually resonates with a coach like Monken, don\u2019t miss this week\u2019s episode of Orange and Brown Talk. Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Cleveland.com.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the latest podcast:<\/p>\n
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