Colt McCoy on the Block

Added on Apr 27, 2012 by Scott in

NFL

Once the dust settled from a fast and furious round one of the 2012 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns had themselves a new workhorse running back in Trent Richardson and a potential franchise quarterback in Brandon Weeden. Which could very well mean that incumbent starter Colt McCoy is on his way out of town. Browns general manager Tom Heckert said he would explore offers for McCoy, who is entering his third season.

The market for McCoy is probably a thin one. It’s highly unlikely any team considers him a starting caliber signal-caller, so his options will be limited to teams in need of a young backup. Green Bay, San Diego and Philadelphia are three teams that could use some depth under center.

The Packers lost Matt Flynn in free agency, the Chargers have yet to resign longtime backup Billy Volek and the Eagles currently have journeyman Trent Edwards and the still unproven Mike Kafka on the roster. Heckert’s relationship with the Philly front office is beneficial, although Andy Reid and Co. have shown little interest in adding another quarterback into the mix.

McCoy still has plenty of upside. Much of his struggles in 2011 can be attributed to youth and a lack of playmakers in the Browns offense; rookie Greg Little led the team in receiving with 61 catches for 701 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Cribbs was the only other player with over 40 receptions.

Needless to say, Cleveland is missing several parts to a cohesive offense. Richardson will be the go-to player in 2012 no matter who’s under center, but adding one or two more passing options in imperative. Especially since three of the top ten ranked secondaries reside in the AFC North.

Handing the keys to Weeden right away is not without risks. He played in a pass heavy attack at Oklahoma State and had the benefit of throwing to Justin Blackmon for the last two seasons. Whether or not he can adjust to a more conventional run-first scheme that lacks explosiveness on the outside remains to be seen.

Source: ESPN.com