NFL Rumors: Will the Cleveland Browns Trade Colt McCoy
The NFL rumors are sure to fly around the Cleveland Browns these days after the Browns announced rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden is the team’s starting quarterback on Monday. That announcement has renewed the speculation that former starter Colt McCoy is going to be traded and Seneca Wallace will back up Weeden.
The Browns dipped their feet in the trade waters earlier this year but decided against making a move at the time until they saw what they had in Weeden, the second of two 2012 NFL Draft picks for the Browns. Weeden, 28, got a late start in his football career because he spent several years trying to become a pitcher in the New York Yankees farm system but had an excellent career at Oklahoma State.
The Browns have a bit of a dilemma on their hands now. Both Seneca Wallace and Colt McCoy could bring in a decent extra draft pick for a team looking for a capable backup quarterback. Wallace has mostly been a backup quarterback throughout his career with the Seattle Seahawks and Browns, having started in only 21 games in a seven year career. Wallace, however, did put up decent numbers when he was asked to start 8 games in 2008 with the Seahawks, throwing for 1,532 with 11 TDs and 3 INTs. But Wallace is 32 years old and won’t bring back as much in a trade as the soon-to-be 25 year-old McCoy.
There is also the disgruntled factor. McCoy has made it known publicly that he is unhappy with the Browns and thinks he didn’t get a fair opportunity to showcase his talents as the starting quarterback. He has made these statements often and as lately as yesterday after he was approached by the media upon Weeden being named the starter. McCoy claims there was no competition for the starting quarterback job and he might have a point given that the Browns have yet to play a single preseason game.
McCoy also has drawn more interest than Wallace in trade talks with the Green Bay Packers leading the list of potential suitors. Graham Harrell and B.J. Coleman are currently the only quarterbacks not named Aaron Rodgers on the Packers and the need for an experienced quarterback to be ready should anything happen to Rodgers is evident. Harrell did set several NCAA records while at Texas Tech but has not appeared in a regular season NFL game and has a 75.7 passer rating during the preseason, completing 33-of-57 passes (57.9 percent) for 287 yards and two TDs with one INT. Coleman was the Packers’ 7th round draft choice out of Tennessee-Chatanooga and is not ready to step in to a pro offense if Rodgers were to go down for an extended period.
There is no sign of talks between the Browns and any NFL team regarding Colt McCoy at this point so a deal is far from imminent. However, it only makes sense for the Browns to try to move McCoy before his unhappiness becomes a weekly sideshow. If the Browns are committed to Weeden they don’t need the former starter running to the media and whining about not being the starter after every start Weeden makes. The Browns should take their aspirin before the headache becomes too much to bear.
