give anything for a nice cool refreshing Canadian breezeHope your talking about the drink and not the stink..
Weeden and other members of the Browns’ 2012 draft class participated this morning in the NFL Rookie Symposium PLAY 60 Youth Football Clinic in Berea. The Browns have signed nine of their 11 picks from this year’s class.
Weeden, the 22nd overall pick, and running back Trent Richardson, the third overall selection, are the exceptions. Both are expected to become immediate starters.
When asked for an update about the status of his contract, Weeden said, “What’s the politically correct answer here? I wish it was done, but I don’t know. It’ll get done. We’re working. It takes two sides, though.”
On June 11, Weeden told the Beacon Journal he would sign before training camp.
Is he still confident that will be the case?
“I hope so,” Weeden said. “I don’t want that $30,000 fine.”
As for Richardson, he reiterated he’s waiting for the top two overall picks, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, to sign before completing his deal.
“For me, I think I’m really just waiting on one and two to get done,” Richardson said. “Then when the big guys get done, I can sign
As the Browns prepare to embark their second season under Pat Shurmur there are many questions that remain. With training camp opening Sat. July 28, we’re going to take a position-by-position analysis of the current roster as the team heads to camp over the next few weeks.
We start with the quarterback position.
Candidates: Brandon Weeden, Colt McCoy, Seneca Wallace and Thaddeus Lewis.
The hottest topic around the Browns naturally surrounds the quarterback position. Until Shurmur declares ‘officially’ that Weeden is the starter, the talk will continue.
Weeden (6-3, 220, rookie, Oklahoma State) -- Weeden was taken 22nd overall and he is the heavy favorite to be the starter when the Browns open the season against the Eagles on Sept. 9. He displayed everything you want to see in a franchise quarterback during the rookie OTAs, the OTAs and the mandatory minicamp. The first thing you want to see in a quarterback is throwing the ball and Weeden showed he can make all of the throws.
However, all of what he has done so far has been in shorts without a pass rush. His biggest challenge will being able to thoroughly understanding the offense, handling pressure from the pass rush and being able to read NFL defenses.
McCoy (6-1, 215, 3rd season, Texas)—Last year’s starter, McCoy faces an uphill battle to retain his starting job. McCoy’s battle might be more for the backup position, rather than the starter. However, there is a sentiment among many that think the Browns will either trade or release McCoy before the regular season begins.
McCoy is just 25 and would appear to be a stronger backup than Wallace, given the fact that McCoy played ahead of Wallace until he was injured. That along with the fact he is under contract for about one fourth of the salary being paid to Wallace is a reason to keep him. McCoy has started 21 games in the NFL with a 6-15 record. McCoy threw 14 touchdowns last season while throwing 11 interceptions. His rating was 74.6.
Wallace (5-11, 205, 10th season, Iowa State)—Wallace will turn 32 on Aug. 6 and he has been a career backup. He took over after McCoy was knocked out last year and was unimpressive. He finished the season with a 65.4 rating. He threw two touchdowns and had two interceptions. Wallace was outspoken about not feeling like it was his job to be the mentor to McCoy in the West Coast offense, but has said he welcomes being the mentor to Weeden. He said during minicamp that he wouldn’t be happy being the third quarterback and said he didn’t think both he and McCoy would be with the team at the start of the season.
Lewis (6-2, 200, 2nd season, Duke)—Lewis is the least known commodity on the roster after being picked up after the preseason last year. He has only played in preseason games and has yet to play in a regular season game. Lewis’ only hope to stick with the Browns is if they move either McCoy or Wallace to make room for him.
Better than 2011? The Browns are convinced that Weeden’s strong arm will make the receivers and the offense better than last year. The other three quarterbacks are still on the roster with another year in the system. The Browns need to decide if they keep McCoy and Wallace to go along with Weeden. It might not be a bad idea given the fact that the Browns have had just one quarterback play all 16 games in a season since 1999.
(Next: Running backs)
McCoy is just 25 and would appear to be a stronger backup than Wallace, given the fact that McCoy played ahead of Wallace until he was injured. That along with the fact he is under contract for about one fourth of the salary being paid to Wallace is a reason to keep him. McCoy has started 21 games in the NFL with a 6-15 record. McCoy threw 14 touchdowns last season while throwing 11 interceptions. His rating was 74.6.
Wallace will turn 32 on Aug. 6 and he has been a career backup. He took over after McCoy was knocked out last year and was unimpressive. He finished the season with a 65.4 rating. He threw two touchdowns and had two interceptions. Wallace was outspoken about not feeling like it was his job to be the mentor to McCoy in the West Coast offense, but has said he welcomes being the mentor to Weeden.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The holdup on Brandon Weeden's contract -- and that of the three players picked behind him -- is a fully guaranteed contract for all four years, league sources said today.
It's the same issue that caused Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor, the No. 21 overall pick last year, to hold out for the first four days of training camp.
With the NFL's new rookie slotting system, guaranteed money is usually the only point of contention. Weeden, the No. 22 overall pick, is set to receive a four-year deal worth about $8.1 million, but is intent on the fourth-year guarantee as opposed to the three that many players late in the round receive.
Ultimately, the Browns and Taylor agreed last year to a combination guaranteed base/roster bonus for 2014 instead of the full guarantee. The $750,000 roster bonus, due in early March, forces the Browns to make an early decision on whether or not to keep Taylor for the year. His base for the final year is also $750,000. Overall, his deal was worth four years, $8.1 million.
Weeden, who participated in the NFL Play 60 in Berea Friday as part of the rookie symposium, said he's still hopeful a deal will get done before training camp, which opens to the public July 28th. Rookies report a few days earlier.
"It'll get done,'' said Weeden, one of 14 unsigned first-rounders including teammate Trent Richardson. "We’re working. It takes two sides, though.''
If the Browns decide not to budge on the guaranteed fourth year, Weeden will most likely have to settle for the combination guarantee/roster bonus that Taylor received.
Last year, picks one through 16 -- and No. 20 pick Adrian Clayborn of the Bucs -- received all four years fully guaranteed. This year, picks one through 16 received the four years and picks 17, 18 and 19 got the combo package. No. 20 overall pick Kendall Wright remains unsigned by the Titans, presumably because he's working off Clayborn's fully-guaranteed four-year deal from last year.
This year's No. 21 overall pick, defensive end Chandler Jones of New England, signed a four-year deal worth $8.17 million, but didn't receive the roster bonus in the fourth year that Taylor secured, according to profootballtalk.com.
The Browns still have almost a month to resolve the issue, but sources expect Weeden to be in on time, especially considering he's set to be the starting quarterback.
As for No. 3 overall pick Richardson, his holdup is likely tied to the "offset language'' that clubs want in the contract. Offset language means that if a player with a guaranteed contract is let go and signs with another club, the original team is off the hook for the portion of the salary paid by the new club. For example, if Richardson were due $5 million in 2015 and his new team paid him $4 million, the Browns would owe him $1 million.
Offset language is the major reason the first eight picks have yet to sign, a source said.
"For me, I think I’m really just waiting on one and two (Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin) to get done," Richardson said at NFL Play 60. "Then when the big guys get done, I can sign.''
Richardson will receive a four-year guaranteed contract worth close to $21 million.
.. she is a little hottie. GET IT DONE, so that Weeden can relax the last few weeks before training camp opens!
ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi expects TE Jordan Cameron to have an expanded role this season.
Ben Watson is in the final year of his contract, and the Browns envision Cameron, not Evan Moore, as his eventual replacement. Cameron managed just six catches in eight appearances last season. Moore is returning as the part-time, "move" tight end.
