Browns need Myles Garrett to be a leader

There is no doubt that Myles Garrett is one of the best defensive ends in the league. However the Cleveland Browns need him to improve his leadership skills according to one ex-teammate. Malik Jackson appeared on Good Morning Football and Garrett came up as a topic of conversation.

Myles was a young player and I don’t think his leadership skills were the best at that time but as he’s gotten older he understands what it takes, and he has had a lot of guys around him to show him what he needs to do.

Jackson would also add the following in regards to Garrett.

I think he needs to take that bull by the horns and just lead more by example as far as in the classroom because we all know what he can do on the field but to be able to go in the classroom, command that respect, and tell guys what to do is really where I think he really needs to take that jump.

To be blunt, Jackson is absolutely correct about Garrett and the need for him to be a leader in the Browns locker room. Even though Jackson was only in Cleveland for one season, his past experiences on other teams have given him a pretty good idea on what should fall on the shoulders of a player like Garrett.

Cleveland’s front office identified Myles Garrett as a foundational player for this franchise and there are certain responsibilities that come with it. 

While some may argue that the Browns are not paying Myles Garrett to be a vocal leader, that simply is not the case. In fact, all that does is show a fundamental misunderstanding of what is expected of Garrett. As one of, if not the best player on the team, there are certain responsibilities that come with it. That includes being a vocal leader and as Jackson said, commanding respect.

It is understandable that there may be some hesitation about wanting a vocal leader in the locker room. A good portion of that is derived from the cockiness and arrogance that was a constant theme from a certain former quarterback. Many confused those attributes for leadership and it became clear rather quickly that there was no substance.

Does Myles Garrett need to be an over the top rah-rah player? No. The Browns just need to him to be an example for everyone else in the locker room to follow. Cleveland’s front office paid him to be an impact player on the field, that much is true. The Browns also expect Garrett to meet certain expectations in the leadership department. This is simply part of the territory that comes with being the best defensive player on the team.