The Browns Wanted Brandon Weeden All Along (No, Really)

The time honored tradition continues. After a team drafts a player, often times they'll come out after the draft and say that the player was their target the entire time, even if common sense tells us otherwise. That's the case with the Cleveland Browns, who reportedly preferred Brandon Weeden to all the other available quarterbacks.

Matt Flynn? Weak arm.

Of the more realistic candidates, free agent Matt Flynn was no bigger than McCoy with a similarly popgun arm. He was never seriously considered.

Robert Griffin III? Too small.

Media darling Robert Griffin III also was too small. And too eager to show how fast he could run. The Browns never seemed all-in on Griffin. They pursued him just enough to say they tried.

Ryan Tannehill? Not a leader.

Ryan Tannehill had the size and the arm, but his maturity as a quarterback and field leader were so lacking that he turned them off in personal interviews. He didn't project as a leader.

Brandon Weeden? Just right.

So Brandon Weeden emerged as the best option. Great arm. Great size. Great production. And the very thing that scared off every other team - he's a 28-year-old rookie because of a failed five-year stint in professional baseball - actually became an attraction to the Browns.

Now, how many of you believe that?