BEREA — It’s way too soon to call what happened Wednesday at the Browns offseason practice a “changing of the guard.”
But Buckingham Palace remains poised.
The Browns gradual transition to make Brandon Weeden the starting quarterback took a micromini-step Wednesday as Weeden took snaps with the first-team offense. However, coach Pat Shurmur and Weeden himself cautioned not to read anything into it.
“I think last week Colt (McCoy) started all of the team drills,” Shurmur said. “This week, or at least (Wednesday) and it will change throughout the week, we had Brandon start the drill, but they all got similar amount of reps with guys that are competing at the skill positions to be starters.
“I wouldn’t read into that, no.”
“Colt’s been doing it for the first week,” Weeden said, “and I think they just kind of wanted to switch things up and see how we respond.”
How did they respond?
In typical practice fashion — with some good throws, and some bad ones. Reading too much into an offseason practice when only one day per week is open to the media is dangerous, so to read too much into some throws wouldn’t be right.
Weeden had some good throws in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11, but he struggled in his first try at the two-minute drill (with the second team). McCoy at times seemed to be pressing, as a few throws were off mark.
Weeden said his experience with the two-minute offense was completely new.
“We just put it in (Tuesday),” he said.
McCoy still seems to understand that he’s been told he can compete to start, but Weeden will have to trip over the sidelines not to be given the reins. At some point it will happen. For now, everyone is toeing the company line that it’s good competition.
“It’s just new guys,” Weeden said, “and you are trying to gain confidence with different guys you are on the field with. I don’t read into it. I just have to go out, whether it’s ones, twos, threes, it doesn’t matter, just continue to execute and make plays and the rest will take care of itself.”
