The Browns want Brandon Weeden to be their starter, but he has to earn it.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Quarterback is one of the unsettled positions on the Browns? Yes, that's what coach Rob Chudzinski said the other day.
That's enough start some fans thinking the coaches don't believe in Brandon Weeden. Or how about this -- they don't want Weeden to be a success.
Let's consider the context of Chudzinski's remarks. He listed the following positions under where he's not prepared to name a starter: Free safety, receiver, an offensive guard, lots of jobs on the special teams. And yes, quarterback was on the list.
But Chudzinski also said Weeden will continue to work with the starters, just as he did in the minicamps. That's because this coaching staff believes Weeden has the physical talent to be successful in the offense designed by Norv Turner and Chudzinski.
As Turner said Tuesday, "[Weeden] has taken to what we're doing, and I expect him to play at a high level."
The Browns want Weeden to become at least a good starting quarterback. If that happens, everyone wins. Not just on the field, but it terms of building a team over the next few seasons. It's a relief to not always be seeking the next quarterback.
But they want Weeden to know he has to earn the job. They are not dividing up snaps and time with the first unit between Weeden, Jason Campbell and Brian Hoyer. Weeden is at the heart of the offense. But Weeden knows Campbell is experienced and talented enough to be a decent starter.
As Browns CEO Joe Banner mentioned to me the other day, "Jason was 11-7 with Oakland. He's a good guy, a veteran who can work with Weeden ... but who also can play if we need him."
The message to Weeden is clear: The job is yours, but you can lose it. There are alternatives.
The shotgun
Turner mentioned that one goal for Weeden is to play with "more of a sense of urgency ... play faster." That means he must really know the offense so plays are called and executed at a quick pace. He also has to do his homework so that he's not confused at the line of scrimmage by defenses.
The coaches are installing the shotgun, a comfort level for Weeden. Turner (San Diego) and Chudzinski (Carolina) had their quarterbacks in the shotgun more than 70 percent of the time last season. The NFL average was 67 percent. Weeden was at 43 percent, ranking 38th out of the 40th quarterbacks who threw at least 100 passes last season.
That's a tough adjustment for a rookie who threw nearly every pass out of the shotgun at Oklahoma State.
Turner said more teams are using the shotgun because it allows the quarterback more time to deal with the pass rush -- in a league obsessed with pressuring the QB. In the Browns' old West Coast Offense, Weeden was usually under center (as opposed to five yards behind the line of scrimmage). The previous staff believed being under center made it better for the QB to see the defense.
But it also made it easier for the defense to reach him.
The hesitation
Over the last few months, Chudzinski has said there is no reason to officially name a starter. Remember, this regime is at war with what they believed was an entitlement culture with some of the players.
Notice that receiver was on the list on uncertain spots. Do you really believe that someone besides Davone Bess, Greg Little and Josh Gordon will start at receiver? That's right, Gordon is suspended for the first two games after flunking an NFL drug test. So Travis Benjamin will probably start in his place. But the big three receivers should be Bess, Little and Gordon.
From the moment Banner and his crew took over, they have been very guarded with their praise of Gordon. Now we know why. Gordon had already flunked one NFL drug test, because a player isn't suspended until he fails a second one.
When I asked Banner about Little, he said that he liked how the receiver played in the second half of last season. "Now, he has to carry it over into this year."
The big picture of a Turner/Chudzinski offense is a deep passing attack combined with a power running game. But these NFL lifers are flexible enough to adapt to the talent. When Chudzinski had the scrambling Cam Newton as a rookie in Carolina, he brought about 20 percent of the plays from Newton's Auburn playbook for use in the NFL.
The idea is find an offense that is right for the quarterback, not genuflect in front of any set system.
The Browns are doing that for Weeden, and now it's up to him to make it work.