Browns sign new WildDawg QB

[Tim Couch Pulls Out]

I'm starting to love Twitter.

Cleveland Browns Offseason: Browns Sign New WildDawg Quarterback Jarrett Brown

By Samuel Ingro (Analyst) on January 6, 2011

December 21st, Jarrett Brown tried out for the Cleveland Browns, and on January 6th, he has officially signed on board. The former West Virgina Mountaineer quarterback announced the deal Thursday morning himself via his Twitter account,

"I got some exciting new for you guys...wait let me catch my breath!!! Sigh, now, I'm officially a Brown!! http://plixi.com/p/68229248."

With three injured quarterback this season, it appears Tom Heckert is taking no chances, stockpiling passers this offseason. Brown will likely compete in Cleveland this training camp for a backup role, possibly in the often-elusive and seldom seen WildDawg set, in lieu of Seneca Wallace.

As Browns fans should recall, during the season Wallace publicly voiced his frustrations with not starting over Jake Delhomme, and shortly after, he saw a drop-off of his field time. While he has a history with team president Mike Holmgren, a disgruntled player in the locker room is something former-coach Eric Mangini worked hard to get rid of, and will likely be a tradition that will continue.

Seneca Wallace has played out the duration of his contract and will enter free agency this offseason, it is unlikely he will be brought back to the Browns sideline. Jake Delhomme currently has one more season left, but it is unknown if Colt McCoy's mentor will be brought back with his hefty $7 million dollar price tag.

The signing of Jarrett Brown will cushion the loss of Wallace, who scouts praise as a highly mobile passer with a quick release and a cannon for an arm.

After previously being considered a third round prospect, Brown went undrafted before being picked up afterwards by the San Francisco 49ers. He was released from the 49ers practice squad following the signing of former-Heisman winner Troy Smith when Nate Davis was demoted into his spot.

At West Virginia, the 6'3, 224 pound passer played in 38 games for the Mountaineers. He posted a 63.7% completion rate while racking up 2,983 yards and 16 touchdowns in a run-first offense. He also rushed 234 times for 1,138 yards and another 13 touchdowns.

The possibility of Colt McCoy being the starter and Jarrett Brown being the WildDawg backup for the next decade, is an new concept of stability that has rarely been seen on the shores of Lake Erie.

Welcome to Cleveland Jarrett, it's going to be an exciting season.

Goodbye Seneca. Thankfully, Holmgren apparently shares Mangini's beliefs on locker room cancers.

[miktoxic]

@tim-couch-pulls-out said:

Goodbye Seneca. Thankfully, Holmgren apparently shares Mangini's beliefs on locker room cancers.

i guess this is the only way that the signing of this guy makes sense.

sign a player but not have a HC is a head-scratcher.

[WRREBEL]

yeah cause we dont want guys who want to start!

[Kosar_For_President]

Are they keeping the Wild Cat?

[Tim Couch Pulls Out]

@miktoxic said:

i guess this is the only way that the signing of this guy makes sense.

sign a player but not have a HC is a head-scratcher.

Yeah. It's also a head-scratcher because Seneca was Holmgren's guy. Unless Holmgren knows of a trade in the works for Seneca, I don't understand this move at all.

But, for some reason I'm really liking what I've seen from Brown. It's way too early to say anything, but he looks like a great WildDawg QB. I just want us to actually throw from the WildDawg, or run an option, or do something that isn't 'Josh Cribbs run left on one.'

I want a Brad Smith.

[Gips]

@tim-couch-pulls-out said:

I'm starting to love Twitter.

Goodbye Seneca. Thankfully, Holmgren apparently shares Mangini's beliefs on locker room cancers.

I seriously doubt seneca is going anywhere afterall holmgren tolorated him for 7 years in seattle and he will be operating in an acceptable offense he knows all about instead of mangini's power punt system..

I think you are confusing a more open locker room under holmgren with cancer but why the FO brings a guy in instead of waiting to see what a coach thinks is confusing..of course holmgren is a coach..

[Tim Couch Pulls Out]

@gips said:

I seriously doubt seneca is going anywhere afterall holmgren tolorated him for 7 years in seattle and he will be operating in an acceptable offense he knows all about instead of mangini's power punt system..

I think you are confusing a more open locker room under holmgren with cancer but why the FO brings a guy in instead of waiting to see what a coach thinks is confusing..of course holmgren is a coach..

That's why it could be that maybe there's a trade brewing for Seneca. He's already voiced his displeasure with not starting, his contract expires, and he proved this year that he can handle the starting load with absolutely no WR's. Some team out there might want him (Carolina).

[WRREBEL]

I told you twitter is great. You should follow jay crawford and Jon gruden on there

[shepwrite]

Wallace isn't getting a starting gig anywhere... he played his whole career in the WCO that we'll likely install... and he was never a "locker room cancer" before. I kinda doubt he's one now. He said very little and it wasn't very provocative. He wanted to start. You want that from your quarterbacks. And anybody who DIDN'T think it was crazy to start Delhomme realizes it now.

Delhomme is not gonna be paid 7 mill next year by anybody including the Browns. I don't believe he's ever played in a WCO. He's 53 or at least looks like it on the field. Don't see why we'd bring him back just to be McCoy's babysitter.

Brown will probably compete with a fifth round pick to be the Browns developmental QB behind McCoy and a veteran who knows the WCO... perhaps Wallace.

Problem with Brown is he isn't very bright, has a learning disability. Tough to play NFL QB like that.

[longhorn]

It's a wild shot, but maybe they also convert this guy to play some scatback or a slot receiver.

[Gafreleets]

waste of roster space the wild dog/cat/bear/horse/platypuss (etc......) is no longer worth running in the NFL. miami was able to get a decent year with it because it took everyone by suprise.

making roster to run what is basically a gimick play is the wrong way to go...........especially when you don't have a HC.

but hey, it's the browns.......................what else would you expect?

[ballpeen]

@miktoxic said:

i guess this is the only way that the signing of this guy makes sense.

sign a player but not have a HC is a head-scratcher.

Not really....the new coach isn't going to be signing players.

The wave of the NFL dictates you have a wild package, and this kid can run it.

Wallace is all but gone and the Josh Cribbs experiment needs to end in so far a being a QB.

[Tim Couch Pulls Out]

@shepwrite said:

Wallace isn't getting a starting gig anywhere... he played his whole career in the WCO that we'll likely install... and he was never a "locker room cancer" before. I kinda doubt he's one now. He said very little and it wasn't very provocative. He wanted to start. You want that from your quarterbacks. And anybody who DIDN'T think it was crazy to start Delhomme realizes it now.

Delhomme is not gonna be paid 7 mill next year by anybody including the Browns. I don't believe he's ever played in a WCO. He's 53 or at least looks like it on the field. Don't see why we'd bring him back just to be McCoy's babysitter.

Brown will probably compete with a fifth round pick to be the Browns developmental QB behind McCoy and a veteran who knows the WCO... perhaps Wallace.

Problem with Brown is he isn't very bright, has a learning disability. Tough to play NFL QB like that.

I disagree about Wallace on the starting gig front. He's certainly shown he's capable of being a starter. There are teams out there that need that, teams like Minnesota, Carolina, San Fran, Arizona, and now even Tennessee. It's not crazy to think that he couldn't be a starter somewhere. But it is on the unlikely side.

As for him being a cancer, maybe that is taking it a bit too far. Of course you want your players to feel the itch to start. Of course you want them to voice their displeasure if they feel they're better suited than who's currently in place. But I think, as a coach, you'd want them to voice this displeasure with you and your staff. Not the media. Not the rest of the team. That's how factions start, how divisions are formed. And a locker room that's divided doesn't win on Sundays. I'd like us to keep Seneca insted of Jake. Jake needs to be gone yesterday. He was God-awful and he's not getting better.

And as far as the learning disability goes, I think that's something that's been blown out of proportion. The guy ran a fast-paced no-huddle Spread Option offense in West Virginia under Rich Rod and Bill Stewart. RichRod's offense (which is actually Stewart's offense), requires the QB to be fed a number of plays on the field and for the QB to check audible to whichever one best fit whatever the defense showed them, a la Peyton Manning (Note: I am not comparing Brown to Manning). And in the Spread Option, the QB has to read pitch man and know gap responsibility, as well as reading the blitzes and coverages during the play. I think his mind is sharp enough. Is he a Rhodes scholar? Maybe not, but that doesn't mean he's slow.

So what if it takes him a little longer to learn the plays. At least he'll pick them up faster than Daboll.

[Tim Couch Pulls Out]

@gafreleets said:

waste of roster space the wild dog/cat/bear/horse/platypuss (etc......) is no longer worth running in the NFL. miami was able to get a decent year with it because it took everyone by suprise.

making roster to run what is basically a gimick play is the wrong way to go...........especially when you don't have a HC.

but hey, it's the browns.......................what else would you expect?

Brad Smith is sure running it pretty well in New York.

But you wouldn't know about that, because you don't watch any other games except for the first half of Steeler games.

[miktoxic]

@wrrebel said:

I told you twitter is great. You should follow jay crawford and Jon gruden on there

both from my hometown. but twitter is for kids. just like texting. why text when you can talk to the person. OMG!!!!!!!!

[Harry Buffalo]

I personally don't view him as a cancer. I said he wanted to start ahead of a worse QB and didn't really speak out until Mangini was gone.

[Tim Couch Pulls Out]

@miktoxic said:

both from my hometown. but twitter is for kids. just like texting. why text when you can talk to the person. OMG!!!!!!!!

I thought so too. But it's a good way to get breaking news, actually. Since it's the new social network medium and theres an app for it available on any electronic device anymore, whenever someone hears something, it goes to Twitter instantly.

[c-dawg]

I like this pickup since Seneca is on the way out.

Jarret played well at WVU has some elusiveness. Better size than Pat White so I like the move.

[ClevelandBigDawg]

Could just be camp fodder, could be someone in the plans, as a WR/emergency QB type player/Special Teamer. Who knows this early in the offseason. If he proves himself he can make the squad, if others prove to be better options, we will go the other route.

[BendMeOver]

Why are you debating who this guy will replace on your team? This guy is a 4th string QB for training camp. He was signed for peanuts. If the browns find someone better, he's as likely gone as any of the other QB on your roster.