CB Joe Haden booted from Browns practice

BEREA, Ohio — Joe Haden's odd training camp of discontent continued Wednesday.

On the last day of camp, Haden was tossed off the practice field by coach Pat Shurmur for being too rough.

Haden's ejection included an in-your-face discussion with Shurmur that had the coach using expletives.

"I'm not gonna talk about it," Shurmur said when practice ended.

He pointed out he respected Haden, then added: "If you want details, you're going to have to find it on Twitter."

He then apologized that fans were subjected to profanity.

When a follow-up question was asked, Shurmur barked: "Don't ask."

"That's between me and the player," he said. "Joe's a great competitor and I appreciate what he does and who he is. I'm not talking about it anymore. You'll have to go somewhere else to find out."

At about the same time, team president Mike Holmgren told Sports Time Ohio that Haden had been tossed for over aggressiveness in practice and that Haden had been warned to tone it down.

Haden's sin: He dragged rookie Travis Benjamin to the ground after a touchdown catch when the players were not practicing in pads.

While it might sound silly that a coach got upset about a player being physical, it's the new rage in the NFL not to hit or knock guys to the ground in practice. Coaches want to avoid injury, and they see limiting hitting as a way to help.

"I think it's important that we practice smart," Shurmur said. "You have to be able to practice at game speed (without tackling). I want all of our guys to make it to the horse race. Everything I do, all my thoughts, revolve around our players and our team. I told the guys that."

Haden's teammates shrugged it off.

"Boys will be boys," wide receiver/return specialist Josh Cribbs said. "It's football. That's the nature of football, and we love it. They hug and they make up and it's no problem. Boys will be boys, and coaches will be coaches. (Shurmur) had to defuse the situation. We have to give Coach our all, and Joe does that, as well."

Such incidents come and go with many teams, as training camp sometimes leads to scuffles. After the team's late afternoon walk-through, Shurmur approached reporters and said he had talked to Haden and called the incident a "dead issue."

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Ike Taylor and wide receiver Antonio Brown got a lecture from general manager Kevin Colbert after they came to blows in practice last week. The two then went out and scored touchdowns in the next preseason game.

It's rare, though, that a head coach gets involved, as Shurmur did.

Haden is reportedly facing a four-game suspension from the league for testing positive in the offseason for Adderall, a stimulant on the league's banned list.

The Browns have not heard anything about a suspension for Haden, and they are not allowed to comment on it.

Haden has not denied the report, saying only it was a "league matter." He has continued camp activities and performed well.

Presumably Wednesday's "discussion" was not an Adderall-addled event, but when a player faces a possible suspension, anything he does draws a little more attention. Especially since Haden has made himself into a self-styled celebrity in win-starved Cleveland.

When camp ended Wednesday, many of the Browns went immediately to the fans to sign autographs, which they did for an extended time. But Haden, one of the team's more popular players, did not participate.
Thus did the Browns training camp come to a conclusion.

http://www.foxsportsohio.com/08/22/12/CB-Joe-Haden-booted-from-Browns-practice/landing_browns.html?blockID=779239&feedID=3725

Cleveland Browns rookie tackle Mitchell Schwartz uses brains, brawn to reach NFL

By Tom Reed, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- In an effort to save money and trips to the supermarket, the father of Browns rookie Mitchell Schwartz purchased an industrial-sized freezer years ago and filled it with beef, chicken and fish.

When fully stocked the unit was supposed to hold six months worth of meat for a typical family of four. The Schwartz clan was emptying it in half the time.

If only the producers of "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" had met Lee and Olivia Schwartz earlier. The food required to sate their two future NFL offensive linemen was a reality show in itself.

"I called them the mutants," Lee said. "We understood their height, but we were both surprised with how big the boys were. Geoffrey was born in the 95 (growth) percentile and stayed there. Mitchell was born in the 90 percentile and he stayed there, too."

Everything about the Browns' new offensive tackle seems super-sized, from his 6-foot-5, 318-pound frame to his size 18 feet. But what really transformed a baseball-loving teen into a second-round NFL draft pick was a prodigious appetite for learning.

Schwartz, 23, has reached the pro level, former teammates and rivals said, by focusing on his techniques and studying the tendencies of those who excel at his position.

He watched how his brother Geoff – a Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman -- used his brain as much as his body to repel blitzing linebackers and burrowing nose tackles. While at the University of California, he not only started 51 games and earned first-team All-PAC-12 honors, but welcomed summer projects that included film sessions on a future Browns teammate.

"When I got to college I started to understand how the game worked," said Schwartz, who graduated from Cal with a degree in American Studies. "Things started coming together more. You learn more about what you are doing and how it relates to the whole picture. That became a lot of fun. . . . There is so much strategy to it."

Schwartz hopes to win the starting right tackle spot opposite perennial Pro Bowler Joe Thomas, another lineman who entered the league in 2007 with a reputation for thinking the game as well as he played it.

Whether he can thrive in the punishing AFC North Division is not yet known, but the top offensive lineman taken in this year's draft believes Schwartz will become a Browns' mainstay.

"He's a great offensive lineman," said former USC standout Matt Kalil, selected fourth overall by the Vikings. "He's a very consistent pass protector and a technician. Mitchell is going to be at that position for the next 10 years."

Batter up

Quarterback Brandon Weeden isn't the only rookie in the Browns' looker room who harbored big-league pitching aspirations.

Schwartz never played after high school, but baseball was his sporting passion growing up in West Los Angeles. He was a pitcher/first baseman and a staunch San Francisco Giants supporter in the land of Dodger blue.

One of Schwartz's early conversations with Weeden, a former New York Yankees draft pick, was about their shared love of pitching.

"I couldn't bring it like him, that's for sure," Schwartz said of his quarterback. "My career flamed out way before his did."

Schwartz didn't play football until high school as his brother, now 26, began attracting college recruiters. There were several reasons for his gridiron indifference.

His father, a business consultant, and mother, an attorney, did not push their kids into athletics. They were more focused on the boys' schooling. Schwartz also was preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, a coming-of-age ritual for 13-year-old boys of the Jewish faith. (The brothers are among a handful of Jewish players in the NFL.)

Then, there was the matter of Schwartz's heft. Both brothers were simply too big for the weight requirements of their youth football leagues.

"We were off the charts," Schwartz said.

Prior to his freshman year, he decided to try out for the junior varsity football team at Palisades Charter High School. Naturally, the pitcher wanted to play quarterback.

The coach took one look at a lumberjack trapped in a ninth grader's body and agreed to anything that lured him into the program. Coming off the bench in a mop-up role, Schwartz completed his only JV pass for 30 yards before moving to the offensive line.

"I'm sure they had a plan to move me to the line in a week, they just needed to get me on the field," Schwartz said. "I transitioned pretty quick."

His teams won just nine varsity games over three years but the image of Palisades Charter is not tarnished by sub. 500 football seasons. Founded in 1965, the school has produced two Academy-Award winning actors (Jeff Bridges, Forest Whitaker), a Pulitzer-Prize winning biographer (A. Scott Berg), a five-time NBA champion (Steve Kerr), a super model (Christie Brinkley) and scores of musicians and composers.

The Brothers Schwartz might not even be the most notable sibling alumni from a school that gave pop culture the Doublemint Twins (Jean and Liz Sagel) and The Nelsons (Matthew and Gunnar).

"They have good years and bad years in athletics, but their academic program is one of the best in Los Angeles," Lee said. "That's the reason we sent the boys there."

The youngest Schwartz scored a 34 on his ACT test and was strong enough in the classroom and on the football field to earn scholarship offers from schools such as Cal, Stanford and Virginia.

His affinity for baseball aside, he abandoned the sport after his junior year. He concentrated on football and prepared for a career at Cal, a program that ran a pro-style offense and had a penchant for placing linemen in the NFL.

Yearning for learning

Schwartz's hunger for knowledge grew in Berkeley, Calif.

He took upper-level psychology classes to feed his fascination with the human condition and perused the Golden Bears playbook to understand the responsibilities of those beyond his position. His endless curiosity endeared him to coaches.

"Mitchell is competitive and he's intelligent and he wants to know what the players around him are supposed to be doing," Cal offensive line coach Jim Michalczik said. "He sets very high standards for himself and he's very consistent in his approach."

He started 35 games at left tackle and 16 games at right tackle. He spent the past two seasons on the left side, but isn't worried about making the transition.

Schwartz believes there's a correlation between book smart and football acumen. It's the ability to rapidly process information, he said, and decode the slightest movement of a linebacker or a safety in the moment before the ball is snapped.

"You want your team to be able to rely on you to do the right thing," Schwartz said. "I pride myself on not making mental mistakes."

In the off-season before his senior year, Schwartz dedicated himself to studying the habits of three elite NFL offensive tackles, Michalczik said. He started with Thomas.

"Joe is so smooth out there it almost doesn't look like he's trying," Schwartz said. "Obviously, it's an illusion, but that's how good he is, how consistent he is. There is an effortless quality about his performance."

Valuable resources

It's dangerous to over analyze rookies before they start playing exhibition games, especially on a franchise that has failed so frequently in the draft. But the Browns' best pick since their 1999 rebirth likes what he sees in Schwartz.

Thomas, a three-time All-Pro, contends the young line should be the strength of the offense for the foreseeable future and believes Schwartz's technique is superior to his as a rookie. He is expected to replace Tony Pashos, who spent two injury-filled seasons with the Browns before being released in March. Schwartz has been getting the majority of first-team reps ahead of Oniel Cousins.

"He has everything you need in a right tackle," Thomas said. "He's in meeting rooms already making calls and answering questions that frankly I'm surprised he knows the answers to."

Schwartz arrived in Cleveland armed with plenty of resources. His brother, a four-year NFL veteran, tutored him on the expectations of a first pro camp as they spent several weeks together working out at Geoff's home in Charlotte, N.C. Browns center Alex Mack, a teammate at Cal, offered him immediate locker-room familiarity.

The rookie tackle is facing an athletic pass rusher in Jabaal Sheard every day at practice. The defensive end's speed and explosiveness have given him problems at times, but it figures to ready him for the 16-game challenge ahead.

"Jabaal is a little bit of everything," Schwartz said of a defensive end who registered 8.5 sacks in his rookie season ."He's quick off the ball, he's quick in changing directions and he's got some power behind him so it's not like you can sit on one thing. It's been really good for me to go against a guy who can do so much. . . . [In college] you see guys who can do one thing very well, but it's rare when you can find a guy who can do all of it."

When Schwartz has questions about combating an opponent he won't have to leave the huddle to get them answered. Thomas should be able to counsel him through his rookie moments.

"You are talking about the best tackle in the NFL," Schwartz said. "There is a lot of stuff he does in the NFL that is different than other guys. It's awesome to have him there and to ask him why he does certain things on certain plays."

If all goes well, Weeden will owe his offensive line a few dinners. Lee Schwartz might be willing to sell him an industrial-sized freezer on the cheap.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/08/cleveland_browns_rookie_tackle.html

Trent Richardson signs 4-year contract with Cleveland Browns, 4 years, $20.5 million, $13.3 million signing bonus

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns running back Trent Richardson won't miss a beat in his bid to become "the most dominant player" of all time.
The No. 3 overall pick in the draft out of Alabama, Richardson signed his four-year deal today, a source told The Plain Dealer. With Browns rookies due to report to Berea on Tuesday, Richardson avoided missing any time and will take the field for the first workout on Wednesday.

Richardson's fully-guaranteed deal is worth $20.5 million over the four years, with a $13.3 signing bonus, a source told the PD. He also has no offset language, which means he'll receive the whole $20.5 million even if he signs with another team before the four years are up.

Now that the Browns have Richardson's deal done, they'll turn their attention to quarterback Brandon Weeden, the No. 22 overall pick. The only issue there is the fourth-year guarantee which Weeden's agent, Sean Howard of Octagon, hopes to secure, according to a source.

The only holdup in Richardson's deal was the offset language, which the Browns wanted and Richardson's agent, Jimmy Sexton did not. Richardson won that final battle, which enabled the deal to get done Monday after a full day of negotiating.  The highest current 2012 pick with offset provisions is No. 10 Stephon Gilmore of the Bills.
During organized team activities in May, coach Pat Shurmur praised the Browns' top pick.
"Wow, he's a very powerful man and he's powerfully built,'' said Shurmur. "Don't let the 5-9 1/2 fool you. He's almost 230 pounds and that's a lot of muscle packed into that body. I think he's got a very powerful build, much like we thought when we drafted him and it shows up on the field.''
Shurmur said Richardson's thick, compact frame will dictate his running style.
"Trent can get his foot down and slash it up in the line of scrimmage and by the nature of his build, he is sometimes hard to get your arms around and tackle. That natural leverage that he has also gives him great balance and body control.''
Richardson told The Plain Dealer during OTAs that after overcoming so many obstacles in his life, "It's a miracle that I've gotten to this point. Now that I'm here, I want to be remembered as the most dominant player to ever play the game."
Shurmur said during minicamp that Richardson will be the starting running back, and that Montario Hardesty and Brandon Jackson will also get reps.
Weeden, who's expected to win the Browns' starting job, will receive a four-year deal worth about $8.1 million. Many players in the latter part of the round receive  three-year guarantees with a partial guarantee for the fourth year.

Browns veteran players report Thursday and begin practicing Friday, but the first practice open to the public is Saturday at 8:45 a.m.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/07/trent_richardson_signs_1.html

Cleveland Browns sign supplemental pick Josh Gordon to four-year deal

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns receiver Josh Gordon, eager to catch up with his fellow rookies, signed a four-year contract just four days after the Browns picked him in the second round of Thursday's supplemental draft.

The deal is worth $5.3 million, $3.8 million guaranteed.

The signing leaves No. 3 overall pick Trent Richardson and No. 22 overall pick Brandon Weeden as the Browns' only unsigned draft picks, but General Manager Tom Heckert said last week that he expects both to be in training camp on time.

Rookies report July 24 and take the field the next day. Veterans report July 26 and also practice the next morning, but the first session open to the public in Berea is July 28 from 8:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Gordon played one full season at Baylor in 2010, catching 42 passes for 714 yards and tying Kendall Wright with a team-high seven touchdown. He was suspended indefinitely in July 2011 after failing his second marijuana test at the school, and transferred to Utah, where he had to sit out last season because of NCAA transfer rules.

Heckert said last week that Gordon (6-3, 224 pounds) has the makings of a No. 1 receiver and that he qualifies as an elite wideout. Art Briles, his coach at Baylor, told The Plain Dealer that Gordon definitely would have been a first-round pick this year had he played in 2011.

Gordon, who will challenge for a starting job opposite Greg Little, said he feels he will be ready to start this season if the Browns want him to.

In other Browns' contract news, Monday's 4 p.m. deadline passed without the Browns signing franchised kicker Phil Dawson to a multiyear deal. It means Dawson, heading into his 14th season with the Browns, will play out the year under the franchise tender for the second straight season, this time at $3.81 million. The two sides can revisit a long-term deal after the season.

Heckert said in March that he wanted to wrap up Dawson for the long haul, and Dawson said at minicamp last month that he wanted to finish his career here.

"I'd like to, I really would," Dawson said then. "I'm not thinking about my career being over at this point, but it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to go play somewhere else.

"We'll see what happens. Like I've told you guys before, I'm not very good at predicting the future, but I'm just gonna go to work like I always do and hope that things get worked out."

Dawson still has his sights on Lou Groza's 45-year-old team record of 1,349 points. He currently has 1,155.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/07/cleveland_browns_sign_suppleme.html

Colt McCoy wants to finish what he started in Cleveland

Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy told Joey Richards of ReporterNews.com that he wants to finish what he’s started in Cleveland.

“I really like Cleveland,” McCoy said Tuesday after wrapping up his two-day youth football camp in Abilene. “I’ve always been a guy that wants to finish what he starts.”

McCoy is ready to fight to be the Browns starting quarterback, when training camp begins later this month.

“That’s part of my nature,” McCoy said about his desire to fight for the job, per Richards. “You’re getting everything I have, whether that’s working, preparing, studying or practicing. Unfortunately, a lot of things are out of my control. The main thing for me is not to worry about those things I can’t control. I have to go in, do my job and have high character and compete my tail off, if the opportunity’s available. Other than that, there’s not much you can do. So that’s what I try to do every day.”

McCoy admits that things haven’t been easy since being drafted by the Browns just a few years ago.

“It’s been a rough ride thus far,” McCoy said. “We’ve had our ups and downs. I’ve had three (offensive) coordinators going into my third year. Two head coaches in two years. There’s been some ups and downs and things you have to fight through. Most are things out of your control. But for me, I would just like a little consistency. I love the town. I love the fans. I think they truly deserve a winning football team. That’s what I want to do. I want to be there for the ride of turning that thing around. We’ll see what happens.”

If McCoy wants to have a shot at being the Browns starter this season, he’s going to have to come out firing in the preseason.

http://profootballzone.com/nfl/colt-mccoy-wants-to-finish-what-he-started-in-cleveland/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ProFootballZone+%28Pro+Football+Zone%29

Holdup on Cleveland Browns QB Brandon Weeden's deal is full four-year guarantee, league source says

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

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.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/06/holdup_on_brandon_weedens_deal.html

Rookie WR Josh Cooper looking to make a home with Cleveland: Browns Insider

By Tom Reed, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- When Josh Cooper returns for Browns training camp next month, the rookie receiver will be staying with quarterback Brandon Weeden and his wife, Melanie.

The arrangement between old Oklahoma State teammates is temporary, but Cooper admits to feeling a bit like the Owen Wilson character in "You, Me and Dupree."

"I'm definitely the Dupree in the equation," Cooper said in reference to lodging with a married couple. The undrafted free agent isn't worried about crashing on somebody's basement futon. He's just trying to find a home on the Browns' roster.

The slot receiver from Mustang, Okla., lacks the size and NFL experience other competitors enjoy. Cooper does, however, hold one advantage: a familiarity with the Browns' presumptive starting quarterback. He was Weeden's second-favorite target at Oklahoma State behind Justin Blackmon, making 161 catches for 1,696 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The duo's chemistry, as well as Cooper's ability to catch the ball, have been evident during the minicamp and organized team activities. The coaching staff will get a more accurate evaluation of the 5-foot-10, 190-pound receiver when the Browns don pads and the defense can begin applying punishing hits.

Cooper is used to having to prove his durability and nerve while running routes in high-traffic areas infested with linebackers.

"You have to be tough in the slot," Cooper said. "I've always prided myself on being a hard-nosed player and that's what I will try to do here."

Every NFL organization trolls the late rounds and free agency looking for the next Wes Welker, the undersized, undrafted possession receiver who has flourished in New England. Cooper, who grew up near Welker's hometown of Oklahoma City, doesn't pattern his game after any specific player, he said.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur seems to appreciate Cooper's football acumen, route running and ability to maximize his talents. The 23-year-old has seldom dropped a pass in drills.

"I'm very impressed with what I've seen from him," Shurmur said. "I think he generally gets it. He understands how to uncover in the slot area. There is something to that because you are surrounded by lots of guys, and to understand leverage and how to get open is a skill."

During the draft's final round, the Browns asked Cooper's future landlord to help recruit him should the receiver not get selected. Cooper said he didn't need much convincing.

The Browns aren't the only team outfitting their rookie quarterback with a pass-catching security blanket from college. The Indianapolis Colts, who selected Andrew Luck with the first pick, drafted Stanford tight end Coby Fleener and signed receiver Griff Whalen.

Even in drills, observers can see Weeden knows where to find Cooper and where to place passes. But the receiver knows his friendship and association with Weeden means little as the club whittles its roster.

"It's a business," Cooper said. "I am not here because of him. I have to come out here and prove myself every day."

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/06/rookie_wr_josh_cooper_looking.html

Browns QB Seneca Wallace says “probably not” to the Browns keeping both him and Colt McCoy.

Browns QB Seneca Wallace has decided to force the team’s hand in a series of quotes today that could down as a classic case of “be careful what you wish for you just might get it.”

In assessing whether or not the Browns will keep both him and Colt McCoy to backup Brandon Weeden, Wallace was blunt in his statement to the media according to cleveland.com

“Can any of you guys see all three of us being here?” Wallace said. “You’ve written about it, so that answers your question…Probably not,” he said.

Wallace went on to more or less state that he could ask for a trade if he’s listed as the third guy on the depth chart by responding to the question with  ”I don’t know, we’ll see when it gets to that point.”

“No, not really (I don’t want to be the No. 3),” said Wallace.”That’s something that obviously for no reason you go down to the third guy, and we all know the third guy doesn’t dress on Sundays and if that comes down to that decision, obviously neither one of us (him or McCoy)wants to be that third guy.”

As for how he wants the Browns to handle all of this drama, Wallace feels like it’s time to move forward with Weeden…he just wants to be the backup.

“If you’re going to move forward with a guy and (want him to) be your franchise guy, you need to put all of your focus on that guy and let him play and take all of the media situations out of it and the fan situations out of it and let him play in order to build that franchise the way you want it.”

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Colt is still fighting for the number one spot.

“When I come out to practice, in my mind, I’m the starter,” said McCoy.

Wow.  I hear where Wallace is coming from but if he really wants to “focus” on helping Weeden be the franchise guy then he should be laying low.

McCoy maybe fighting for his job but Wallace has certainly not done himself any favors by throwing in his two cents publicly.

He was always a favorite of Mike Holmgren’s who brought him with him from Seattle.  There is no shortage backup guys in the NFL, so really saying what you are and are not willing to do in the press is not a good look.

http://www.playersview.net/browns-qb-seneca-wallace-says-probably-not-to-the-browns-keeping-both-him-and-colt-mccoy/

Colt McCoy is a long shot to be starting QB for the Cleveland Browns

Michael W. Youngman--Lead Analyst C.B.R.

As OTA’s continue through the summer on their way to the preseason, there is once again a quarterback controversy growing in Berea. Everyone has weighed in including Tom Heckert, Mike Holmgren, and of course Pat Shurmur. The consensus from the trio is that this is a fair competition between incumbent starter Colt McCoy and 1st round draft selection Brandon Weeden. And just to be “extra” fair they have also pointed out that career backup Seneca Wallace is also in the race.
But in reality we all know that (short of him setting himself on fire), Weeden will be the Cleveland Browns starter at the outset of the 2012 season. The evidence has been clear from the start. The Browns have pursued many avenues during this offseason in regards to replacing McCoy. They attempted to trade with the Rams in order to go after Robert Griffin III, Discussed possibly trading for Sam Bradford, and finally the selection of Weeden in the 1st round. And just in case that’s not enough evidence to convince you of a lack of faith in McCoy, they also played with the idea of trading him during the draft. All of it adds up to this “open Competition” for the starting QB role being nothing more than an exercise in futility for McCoy.  So for those of you hoping to see #12 under center at the start of the season, here are four things more likely to happen the Colt McCoy being named the Cleveland Browns starting QB.

Chances of being killed by a vending machine 112 million to 1
Believe it or not there is an average of two deaths a year in the United States occurring as a result of being crushed by a vending machine. How exactly this occurs I can’t even begin to speculate, but in the future you should probably rethink snacking at the office.

Left-handed people dying because they are left handed 4.4 million to 1
How does a left-handed person die because their left handed? As it turns out approximately 2,500 southpaws die each year as a result of misuse of right-hand bias products such as power saws. And if that’s not bad enough a left-handed person lives on average 14 years less than right-handed people. I have heard that the Jets Mark Sanchez recently purchased a power saw for Tim Tebow. I’m sure Marks fingers are crossed.

Being struck by lightning 576,000 to 1
Obviously if the odds are 576,000 to one of being struck by lightning, the chances of it ever happening are remote, right? Don’t tell that to Roy Sullivan who was a former park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Between 1942 -1977 poor Roy was hit by lightning seven times and is recognized as the record holder in the “Guinness Book of World Records”. As an ironic side note, Roy’s middle name was Cleveland. If I’m lying may God strike me……………never mind.

Being on a flight with a drunk pilot 117 to 1
According to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) statistics over the past decade, an average 12 pilots a year test positive for a blood alcohol level of over 0.04 percent. This average is out of a sample size of around 10,000 random tests a year. So does this mean that air turbulence is a real phenomenon, or just your pilot steering around a pink elephant?

At the end of the day Brandon Weeden will be given the opportunity over the incumbent starting quarterback Colt McCoy. Regardless of what any of the team’s coaches or personnel says, the Browns have chosen a different direction and that direction is Brandon Weeden.

http://www.clevelandbrownsreport.info/2012/05/colt-mccoy-is-long-shot-to-be-starting.html

Competition starts in Cleveland pitting Weeden, McCoy

BEREA, Ohio -- Brandon Weeden looked comfortable. In fact, he looked like a starting quarterback in the rookie minicamp played out over Mother's Day weekend, but the job isn't his yet.

Phase Two of Weeden's indoctrination began the next day when he, Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace were near each other in the locker room, sitting in the same meeting room and on the practice field together throwing passes to the same receivers.

Browns coaches are able to compare their quarterbacks side by side in the 45 minutes daily the CBA allows instruction to be carried onto the practice field.

In other words, the real competition has begun.

"Yeah, but I kind of thought that way coming in (to minicamp)," Weeden said. "We're human beings, and I think that's one thing that gets misinterpreted. We're going to help each other and get better. We're all playing for the name on the front of the jersey and we're all going to compete to have the best team and win as many games as possible.

"I'm going to be asking questions to those guys. They've been doing it for a couple years, Seneca for 10. Absolutely I think we're just going to compete. Nothing will change. I know Colt's a good guy. I know Seneca's a good guy. I met Seneca, so I'm looking forward to just being part of the other quarterbacks."

Weeden was picked 22nd in the first round last month, and even though the coaches and front office say competition will be open it will be a shock if Weeden doesn't win it.

The simple move would be to cut McCoy or trade him now that Coach Pat Shurmur, team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert all say Weeden will make suspect receivers better because Weeden is an accurate passer with a strong arm.

It's feasible the Browns might decide to part ways with Wallace instead. McCoy was supposedly the better quarterback last year. McCoy should improve in his third year, even if he doesn't start.

Wallace is scheduled to make $2.4 million in 2012. McCoy has a $540,000 salary. Keeping a backup earning almost $2 million less than the other guy seems logical if only because it creates salary cap room.

Weeden threw crisply and with velocity during the minicamp. There was no pass rush, so it wasn't a game conditions setting, but that doesn't change the fact he passed well and with authority. He did not look lost. He was poised like a veteran.

"I think he genuinely operated well," Shurmur said. "Other than a couple of plays, he did almost everything under center and I think he handled that extremely well. He is very accurate. You can see he throws a good ball. You could see that he has a chance to be a very good player."

During the draft Shurmur, Heckert and Holmgren insisted the Browns were not trying to trade McCoy. Shurmur said he expected McCoy to be in Berea for the offseason program the Monday after the draft and sure enough McCoy was there. He wants to compete with Weeden for the starting job because, if only in McCoy's opinion, it's his job to lose.

http://www.prosportsdaily.com/articles/competition-starts-in-cleveland-pitting-weeden-mccoy-662017.html