<![CDATA[It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh")]]>It's a quarterback league. We know that. We know the best teams are generally the teams with the best quarterbacks, to paraphrase Aikman. The top of the Passer Ratings pretty much overlays the playoff field every year with one or two outliers.

So it makes sense that the "new era" Browns have had a quarterback complete a season of 10 or more starts with a PR over 80... exactly once. And not by much. Derek Anderson rang up an 82.6 in 2007 when the Browns won 10 games. That figure won't give you a lot of job security in this league. Ask Ryan Fitzpatrick, among others. 21 starters topped 80 last year. It's only rare in Cleveland.

The new "Mendoza Line" for starting quarterbacks is 90. It's very difficult to win double digit games with a QB ringing up less than that. It happens... but for the most part, playoff teams feature passers with a rating above 90.

For the Browns to win 10 or more games next year, Brandon Weeden needs to have a PR close to or above 90. He probably keeps his job at 88 with 9 wins... but the Browns have filled a lot of holes and aren't likely to pass on a passer if they pick in the top 10 or so. They can get a tight end or cornerback somewhere else, like with all those other draft picks and scads of cap space.

Top 10 picks are for pass rushers (done), left tackles (done), and quarterbacks unless you're damn sure you have a serious guy, a playoff-caliber starter younger than 32-ish.

So 2013 can be about a lot of things... but most of all, it's about Weeden.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/topic/26209/it-comes-down-to-weeden-or-duhRSS for NodeThu, 01 Oct 2026 12:05:45 GMTTue, 25 Jun 2013 18:03:30 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 15:38:50 GMT]]>He's on a one-year audition for sure. The Browns compiled draft assets by adding that 3 and 4 that could really help if we need to move up a little. We likely won't have a lot of needs so trading a 1, 2, and 3 to move up a few spots wouldn't be that big of a deal, really. We're too young as it is.

In that scenario, where you're moving from 4 to 2 to get Tajh Boyd after Bridgewater goes first (just an example) you still have a 3 and two 4s... that can become another three. Two threes can become a 2 and a 2 can become a really good TE. You sign a veteran corner with some size in free agency where we'll have top 5 cap space.

You hope the Browns don't draft that high but if Weeden blows, we will. I'd much rather he was awesome, we went 9-7, drafted 20th, and had a lot of picks and a lot of money to fill a few spots.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/343759https://brownsboard.com/post/343759Thu, 11 Jul 2013 15:38:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:31:49 GMT]]>I agree. If Weeden steps up and playes well, we don't have to think about a QB for a long time in football terms. Six or seven years with a team is a long time, and he can easily give us that.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/343709https://brownsboard.com/post/343709Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:31:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 15:10:41 GMT]]>Good points Shep and I hope you are right. But I still feel that unless Weeden performs at a pro bowl level we are taking a QB in '14. Hope I am wrong!

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/343599https://brownsboard.com/post/343599Wed, 10 Jul 2013 15:10:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Fri, 05 Jul 2013 16:12:05 GMT]]>If Weeden's good and the guy, he could easily start for the next 7 years. He'd turn 36 that 7th year, same age as Brady right now. Hell, he could start 8 years and it wouldn't be anything extraordinary.

The difference in Weeden coming into the league at 28 is he has to hit his prime pretty damn fast. As in now.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/343060https://brownsboard.com/post/343060Fri, 05 Jul 2013 16:12:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 04 Jul 2013 23:39:29 GMT]]>i like all the previous on Weeden and hope it works. that's obviously best case.

if Weedz lights it up this season they should try to extend him a couple more years this next offseason.

right now if they draft the future when Weeden has two years left...then they would draft him in 2014, yes?

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/343022https://brownsboard.com/post/343022Thu, 04 Jul 2013 23:39:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 04 Jul 2013 19:17:19 GMT]]>Oh, and if you want a guy who can run the RO, you also want him to have elite arm talent like Kaep or Wilson. Tajh Boyd has better arm talent than either. Insanely quick release, big arm, good accuracy. He's special and he can run. Biggest knock might be that he's 6'1"... but that's 2" taller than Wilson. Also a tough, fiery guy.

Tough to find something not to like.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/343009https://brownsboard.com/post/343009Thu, 04 Jul 2013 19:17:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 04 Jul 2013 19:15:48 GMT]]>If Weeden's good this year, his age isn't that much of a factor. If he starts for the next six seasons, he'll turn 35 in that sixth year. Younger than Tom Brady who had more wear on his arm coming in.

Who was the last Browns quarterback to start seven straight seasons? Kosar's "quality years" were way less than that. Sipe was a blip, basically. You'd have to go WAY back.

If Weeden's good, you don't draft his successor this soon because he's a free agent in four years (like the Mallett situation). I'd say you draft Weeden's possible successor when you think Weeds has maybe two more years left... like in four or five years.

Quarterbacks are very regularly playing into their late 30s. If Weeden started his last season in the year he turned 37 in October, it wouldn't be anything unusual.

And guess what? That would be 8 years!!

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/343008https://brownsboard.com/post/343008Thu, 04 Jul 2013 19:15:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 04 Jul 2013 19:09:56 GMT]]>I don't see it as a mutually exclusive situation. I always like talking quarterbacks... but I really hope we won't be drafting one high because the offense fits Weeds like a glove and he throws for 4,000 and 25 or more.

@hoorta said:

Let's wait until say week 8 to let Weeden fall flat on his face before we start discussing the 2014 qb class. I know you can't help yourself. 🙂

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/343007https://brownsboard.com/post/343007Thu, 04 Jul 2013 19:09:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 04 Jul 2013 18:21:42 GMT]]>well there is a back up plan on the horizon.

yep, jamarcus russell is making a comeback.

to what i don't know, but......

BWAHAHA!!

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/343001https://brownsboard.com/post/343001Thu, 04 Jul 2013 18:21:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 04 Jul 2013 16:05:10 GMT]]>For all we know an RGIII type QB will emerge this year (Braxton, Gardner, etc) and we'll get to hop on the new NFL craze

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342997https://brownsboard.com/post/342997Thu, 04 Jul 2013 16:05:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 04 Jul 2013 12:53:18 GMT]]>It's all a waste of time speculating over it right now. If we hadn't taken Weeden last year, gone in with Colt, people would have been saying "give him this year, then if he still sucks draft Matt Barkley in 2013" - look how that turned out.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342993https://brownsboard.com/post/342993Thu, 04 Jul 2013 12:53:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 04 Jul 2013 12:40:55 GMT]]>I believe we are drafting a QB in the first round next year regardless of how Weeden plays. With his age be a factor I think we draft our QB to lead this team when we are ready to make a serious run. Who that will be I do not know!

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342992https://brownsboard.com/post/342992Thu, 04 Jul 2013 12:40:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 04 Jul 2013 11:02:55 GMT]]>

@hoorta said:

Let's wait until say week 8 to let Weeden fall flat on his face before we start discussing the 2014 qb class. I know you can't help yourself. 🙂

If we have a 6-10 season then we'll be drafting high enough to get a QB. Assuming you'll see Clowney, Bridgewater and Boyd going top 3, probably to Buffalo, Jacksonville and Oakland. That leaves someone to pick up Manziel, which could be us. We won't be in the market for an LT, obviously, and presumably not an OLB.

Hopefully, though, we'll be going something more like 8-8, middle of the roud. That means maybe Weeden gets to keep his job for another year while we develop a 2nd/3rd round QB. It also means we get 1st round talent at one of the spots we all have concerns about this year, with rookies, sophomores and UDFAs filling in - ILB, CB, FS, TE.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342990https://brownsboard.com/post/342990Thu, 04 Jul 2013 11:02:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Thu, 04 Jul 2013 05:55:31 GMT]]>

@shep said:

Boyd's amazing. He's one of a few serious candidates for Heisman and I won't be shocked if he goes #1 overall in front of Bridgewater.

Let's wait until say week 8 to let Weeden fall flat on his face before we start discussing the 2014 qb class. I know you can't help yourself. 🙂

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342988https://brownsboard.com/post/342988Thu, 04 Jul 2013 05:55:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Wed, 03 Jul 2013 22:20:44 GMT]]>

@shep said:

Boyd's amazing. He's one of a few serious candidates for Heisman and I won't be shocked if he goes #1 overall in front of Bridgewater.

Apparently the term amazing is being used very liberally nowadays.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342981https://brownsboard.com/post/342981Wed, 03 Jul 2013 22:20:44 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Wed, 03 Jul 2013 21:17:14 GMT]]>Boyd's amazing. He's one of a few serious candidates for Heisman and I won't be shocked if he goes #1 overall in front of Bridgewater.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342977https://brownsboard.com/post/342977Wed, 03 Jul 2013 21:17:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Sun, 30 Jun 2013 20:41:42 GMT]]>

@shep said:

It's all good news so far, publicly and according to "sources." The braintrust put some heat on him with Campbell and Hoyer, both way bigger threats than Freckles. He's impressed with his work habits so far which was a bit of an issue. He's taken coaching well and improved in some key areas (footwork, eyes). He has rare arm talent and you want to do all you can to make that work out, but in the end you either have it or you don't. You can either process and act fast and correctly or you can't. You can either deliver the ball on time and in the right place over and over or you can't. You can either deal with a crumbling pocket or you can't.

It's obviously early but next year looks like a terrific QB draft. I'm a huge Tajh Boyd fan and could certainly get excited about that. I'd far prefer that Weeden steps up, though.

Tajh Boyd is a fat vagina.

I saw him last weekend at a bar and he was drinking a baybreeze.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342741https://brownsboard.com/post/342741Sun, 30 Jun 2013 20:41:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Sun, 30 Jun 2013 17:18:22 GMT]]>It's all good news so far, publicly and according to "sources." The braintrust put some heat on him with Campbell and Hoyer, both way bigger threats than Freckles. He's impressed with his work habits so far which was a bit of an issue. He's taken coaching well and improved in some key areas (footwork, eyes). He has rare arm talent and you want to do all you can to make that work out, but in the end you either have it or you don't. You can either process and act fast and correctly or you can't. You can either deliver the ball on time and in the right place over and over or you can't. You can either deal with a crumbling pocket or you can't.

It's obviously early but next year looks like a terrific QB draft. I'm a huge Tajh Boyd fan and could certainly get excited about that. I'd far prefer that Weeden steps up, though.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342732https://brownsboard.com/post/342732Sun, 30 Jun 2013 17:18:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Sun, 30 Jun 2013 14:12:34 GMT]]>Hopefully Weeden improves a ton in this offense. My concern is he never seemed to have a "pocket presence" last year, never felt the pass rush when looking to throw.

Our schedule is tougher (AFC East, NFC North), so he's going to have to step his game up for sure.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342727https://brownsboard.com/post/342727Sun, 30 Jun 2013 14:12:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Sun, 30 Jun 2013 03:46:02 GMT]]>i agree. but if we are correct then i think next year's class of QBs will get bum-rushed fast and furiously early throughout round one of the 2014 draft.

if weeden steps up and shows the team he can do the job great, then we can focus on one of many problem spots that i'm sure will pop up during this season. could be the OL, the DBs or any of another glaring holes that could arise.

right now the kid better get his head in the game and start to act like a leader not only in the locker room and huddle but by making actual game winning plays at this nfl level.

if not god knows who'll be the #1-5 QB prospects of 2014. let's hope we don't have to go down that road.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342716https://brownsboard.com/post/342716Sun, 30 Jun 2013 03:46:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Sun, 30 Jun 2013 03:23:21 GMT]]>Good enough isn't at quarterback in today's NFL. Best teams are the teams with the best quarterbacks. Fitzpatrick was serviceable, solid, decent, whatever you wanna call it... and now he's sitting. He had an 83 PR and not all that long ago (10-12 years) that kept you in the driver's seat.

It's not good enough anymore. You either have a great quarterback or you're actively looking for one.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342713https://brownsboard.com/post/342713Sun, 30 Jun 2013 03:23:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 20:33:38 GMT]]>

Zombo said:

He's either going to be "good" or "really good".

and if he isn't he'll be 'gone'.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342704https://brownsboard.com/post/342704Sat, 29 Jun 2013 20:33:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 20:19:04 GMT]]>How can your excitement level be "3" as a rookie starter in the NFL ... regardless of how dismal of an offense you were entrusted with.

Zombo

--Best arm we've had since Testeverde, easily ... he'll be fine in this offense. He's either going to be "good" or "really good".

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342702https://brownsboard.com/post/342702Sat, 29 Jun 2013 20:19:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to It Comes Down To Weeden (Or, "duh") on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 23:15:21 GMT]]>Somewhat related: Weeden says last year his excitement level was 3. This year it's "12." Word is he show significant improvement in his footwork and pace, making the read and getting the ball out. Part of B is traceable to A, of course. He just feels more comfortable in the shotgun.

Guy's being put in the absolute perfect situation. No excuses. Love the arm, hated the downfield whiffs last year.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/342642https://brownsboard.com/post/342642Fri, 28 Jun 2013 23:15:21 GMT