It is very clear at this point in time that Brandon Weeden is not the answer at the quarterback position for the Cleveland Browns.
He lacks ability to feel pressure in the pocket. He also has an inability to go through his progressions properly. The worst thing about Weeden is that he just does not have enough football I.Q. to play the position at the NFL level. The decision to throw the shovel pass against the Detroit Lions is the play that sealed his fate, if there wasn’t a doubt already. The Browns have moved on from him, and need to plan for the 2014 draft.
Regardless of what their record is, they will need to take a quarterback. Some would say that Brian Hoyer should get the chance to lead the team. He has only won three games.
Hoyer hardly showed any signs that he was a franchise player. He has just been more competent than Weeden has. My preference is that the Browns don’t win that many games. They will have to give up several premium picks to move up to get one of the top prospects. So it is quite the conundrum the team is in.
The 2014 draft has an excellent QB class if all of them come out. These prospects include: Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, Marcus Mariota, Tajh Boyd, Brett Hundley, Aaron Murray, Derek Carr and A.J. McCarron.
Bridgewater is regarded as the best in this class. The Jacksonville Jaguars are most likely going to have the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. They will choose Bridgewater to succeed the incompetent Blaine Gabbert. The Browns will have to go with one of the other quarterbacks depending on who fits their scheme. The Browns like to run a vertical passing offense under Rob Chudzinski and Norv Turner. Manziel is the most well-known and flashy of all the prospects.
It would make the Browns relevant in the sense that he would bring national attention to the team. He has good accuracy, but he may not have ideal arm strength for the scheme. The front office may feel that Manziel’s off-the-field antics may not be worth the trouble. Murray has been successful at Georgia, but he may be too small. There is also the criticism of his lack of success against ranked teams in college.
McCarron may be looked as someone who is only a game manager. Boyd and Hundley may not be ready at this point. Mariota is quickly becoming an excellent player who makes quick decisions, and is an explosive play-maker. He would be my pick right now for the Browns’ franchise signal-caller in 2014 and beyond.
The front office has to get this right because it could set the team back for years, or it could lead the Browns back to prominence. For the sake of the people in Cleveland, I hope they get this one right. There is too much at stake to be wrong.
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