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GANG’S ALL HERE
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Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden, shown here during a rookie camp practice in May, signed a four-year, $8.1 million contract on Tuesday. He is expected to win the starting job this summer.
— National Football League —
Cleveland Plain Dealer
BEREA
The Browns won’t have to wait even a day to begin installing Brandon Weeden as their starting quarterback.
Weeden, the team’s second pick in the first round of April’s draft, the 22nd overall, signed his four-year contract Tuesday on rookie reporting day and will be on the field today for a closed practice with the rest of the rookies, all of the quarterbacks and some first-year players.
Weeden’s deal is worth about $8.1 million, including a signing bonus of just over $4.3 million. The first three years and about $900,000 of the final year are guaranteed. The deal includes a club option for a fifth year.
Weeden’s agent, Sean Howard of Octagon, had hoped to secure a fully-guaranteed fourth year according to a source, but that would’ve been unprecedented for a No. 22 pick. Most players in the latter half of the first round receive three-year guarantees with either partial or no guarantees for the fourth year.
Weeden’s signing came a day after fellow first-rounder Trent Richardson signed his four-year contract, meaning all of the rookies will be in on time. Last season, in the first year of the NFL’s new rookie slotting system, defensive tackle Phil Taylor sat out the first four days of camp in hopes of receiving all four years guaranteed. Taylor also ended up with a partial guarantee for the final year.
Richardson’s fully-guaranteed contract is worth $20.5 million, including a $13.3 million signing bonus. The two new stars of the offense will practice for a few days with just the rookies and select veterans before the full squad takes the field on Friday.
The first practice open to the public is Saturday from 8:45 to 11:15 a.m. in just helmets and shorts. The first full-pad practice is Sunday, at the same time.
With all the quarterbacks set to practice today, Weeden will be working with Colt McCoy, Seneca Wallace and Thad Lewis before the rest of the veterans report. But when will coach Pat Shurmur name him the starter? During minicamp last month, he hinted the announcement could come early.
“Sooner than later, I think once we’ve made the decision, that’s the deal,” said Shurmur. “If you know that he’s going to be your guy, then make it happen so everybody gets comfortable working with that guy all the time.”
During organized team activities and minicamp, Weeden took the first set of first-team reps most of the time and received the majority of snaps. McCoy went second, Wallace third and Lewis fourth.
Shurmur was pleased with how quickly Weeden grasped the offense during the off-season.
“I think he understands our concepts, I think he’s quickly getting a feel for his receivers,” he said last month. “Some things have shown up in practice that may not be as obvious to the people that are watching that aren’t coaching it, is understanding what each receiver can do and why we have mirrored routes and why you pick the one side and not the other. Some of those things have shown up and he’s showing me that he understands how to play this game.”
Weeden was eager in minicamp to test his skills in live competition.
“As a competitor and as a football player, you want to throw the pads on,” he said then.
Today’s practice will also provide the first glimpse of former Baylor receiver Josh Gordon, picked in the second round of the supplemental draft July 12.
“I feel my potential is only limited to what I want it to be,” Gordon said after being selected. “I still believe I can be listed among the great receivers in the NFL and I have the ambition to be one of those guys someday.”