20 most disappointing Cleveland Browns quarterbacks of all-time
By Randy Gurzi
Most disappointing Cleveland Browns quarterbacks: 4. Brandon Weeden (2012-2013)
We should have all seen this one coming. The Browns did something in the 2012 NFL Draft that no one should do, they spent a first-round pick on a quarterback who was already nearly 30-years old. Brandon Weeden became the oldest player ever taken in the first round of the NFL Draft when Cleveland too the 28-year-old at pick No. 22.
Weeden, who tried his hand at baseball before returning to Oklahoma State to play quarterback, turned 29 early in his first season in the NFL meaning the team needed him to produce right away if they were going to get decent value out of him for where he was drafted. The good news was, Weeden did enough to win the starting job as a rookie, but the bad news was, he was just 5-10 in that stretch and had some unimpressive numbers.
On the season, he completed 57.4 percent of his passes for 3,385 yards with 14 touchdowns and 17 picks. The following season, he lost his starting job to Brian Hoyer but then regained it when Hoyer tore his ACL during a three-game winning streak.
That winning streak ended when Weeden took back over but his struggles continued. Cleveland ended up losing all five of his starts that season and he was benched later in the year for Jason Campbell. Following just his second season in the NFL, Weeden was released.
He could throw a beautiful pass but for whatever reason, he just couldn’t put it together and in all the team lost 15 of the 20 games he started in those two years.