Immediate impact key to judging Weeden

By Bernie Kosar, Special Contributor to ClevelandBrowns.com

Here are some highlights from my latest appearance on “Cleveland Browns Daily, Driven by Liberty Ford”:

You can’t underestimate the importance of acquiring a potential franchise quarterback, as the Browns did by making Brandon Weeden the 22^nd overall pick of the draft.

That’s especially important for the Browns fans, given the last 13 years and the state of the record.

Does the fact he is 28 years old possibly take away from his ability to be a long-term answer? In a perfect world, I’d like to have someone in place for 10 to 15 years.

But at the end of the day, this world is not perfect and you have to adjust. And the next five years, the next couple of years, this pick definitely upgrades us and gives us a chance to be better and deeper at the quarterback position.

Marc Trestman, head coach of the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes and a guy I really respect and who had a big influence on my life professionally and personally, was one of the guys who worked out and prepared Weeden for the Senior Bowl, the Combine, and the draft. He loves Weeden’s ability to throw the ball – his release, his footwork, his intelligence, and his passion for the game. He’s a big believer in Brandon Weeden.

In addition to Weeden’s age, a lot has also been made of the fact he played professional baseball before establishing himself as a top quarterback at Oklahoma State, and the fact he played in a spread offense in college. The spread offense that Oklahoma State ran throws a lot of glorified running plays in the form of bubble screens and things of that nature.

But at the end of the day, Weeden went to the Senior Bowl from a pro-style offense and he’s able to make the pro-style throws. I don’t think the fact he played in a spread offense in college will be a problem.

And I think the fact that, in college, he has been able to throw the ball with some velocity in tough situations is going to allow him to progress in the pros.

Be sure to catch Bernie Kosar’s regular appearances with Vic Carucci on “Cleveland Browns Daily, Driven by Liberty Ford,” Monday through Friday, 6-7 p.m. ET, live on ESPN 850 WKNR and ClevelandBrowns.com