Tim Couch, Brady Quinn, Colt McCoy. These are all quarterbacks the Browns have drafted since coming back into the NFL in 1999. Two have failed to produce, and Colt McCoy was coming into 2012 as the starter. Not so fast. Enter Brandon Weeden.
The Oklahoma State standout was drafted by the Browns, who traded back into the 1st round, with the 22nd pick. This all but confirmed that Colt McCoy was going to be out.
Like all rookies, Weeden just finished his first rookie mini-camp as a professional football player. Some players go into it not knowing a thing, but luckily Weeden had some advice from players already in the league.
Weeden felt that during the rookie mini-camp, all the rookies, himself included, improved as each practice went on.
“We had two the first day, two the second day and then one on Sunday,” Weeden said. “I feel like myself and as a group of rookies, we got better each and every practice, which is really all you’re looking for. Everybody’s getting comfortable under the new system and it was a great three days.”
While Weeden was more than likely the standout quarterback at Browns mini-camp, once training camp begins in July, he’ll enter in a quarterback competition along with Seneca Wallace and last year’s starter Colt McCoy. Weeden seems to have the inside track to be the Week 1 starter when the Browns open the season at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. This “competition” is more of a formality than an actual competition.
In another effort to help Weeden, the Cleveland Browns signed former Oklahoma State undrafted free agent wide receiver Josh Cooper to a contract, a signing that Weeden himself made happen.
“I was on the golf course and Coach (Pat) Shurmur sent me a text saying ‘Hey, let’s see how good a salesman you are and see if you can get your boy Josh to Cleveland’ and so I just forwarded the text onto Josh and about 3 holes later I got a call from all of them and they told me he was going to be a Cleveland Brown. I was extremely excited; it’s nice having a familiar face.”
If it wasn’t for a guy named Justin Blackmon, Josh Cooper probably would’ve stood out more and been drafted, rather than ending up as an undrafted free agent. Cooper was Weeden’s go-to slot receiver at Oklahoma State. Regardless of his small size, the Browns need at wide receiver is massive, so the position is wide open, especially someone your soon-to-be-starting quarterback is very fond of.
Weeden is also focused on helping others outside of football. He and his wife Melanie have teamed up with OU Children’s Medical center to help raise funds to bring some needed cardiac doctors to the area. The concern arose when the Weeden’s learned about a 5 year old boy named Gavin who suffered from HLHS and had to travel to receive necessary medical care.
We know Weeden is one rookie who will have a big impact on and off the field.
By Melissa Mahler and Mike Kane
Follow Melissa on twitter @Melissa_PPI
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