Browns Quarterback Brandon Weeden Reportedly Seeking A Trade

The soap opera that has become the 2014 Cleveland Browns continues. After news of the team firing G.M. Michael Lombardi and moving on from CEO Joe Banner, one player has seemingly had enough of the carousel ride. Quarterback Brandon Weeden, entering his third season, is reportedly seeking a trade according to Mike Silver of the NFL Network and Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald.

"Given the turmoil with the coaching staff and lack of public support from the most recent front office, he’s interested in a fresh start with a clean slate and an opportunity to compete to show he has the talent to develop into a productive player in the league," Silver said Tuesday on NFL Network’s "Total Access."

Hard to blame him, isn't it? There were ups and downs in his lone season as a starter in 2012 when he was a rookie and threw for over 3,300 yards 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Ironically, his two best starts were against a stout Bengals unit in two shootouts. He started fifteen games in 2012, going 5-10 and started another five in 2013 going winless in those affairs.

There could be a limited market for Weeden somewhere out there, maybe even to compete for a starting job. He has good size and a strong arm, but accuracy issues and questionable surrounding talent have plagued him. He is a former first round pick and given the value of the position and the precedent of other unproven quarterbacks being dealt for surprising costs, we might see the same with Weeden this offseason.

One thing that could hurt Weeden's value is the deep crop of incoming quarterbacks in the draft. Weeden was almost unanimously thought of as a reach at his draft position and similarly talented players at the position could be available for a lesser cost. Still, Weeden has starting experience and hasn't hit the prime of his career yet--it's just a matter of how high of a ceiling that he possesses.