never forget

Really would have liked to see McBean join the Falcons, but oh well.

really don't care about your feelings about mcbean tbh

Really don't care about your lack of feelings for my feelings about McBean to be real.

This is really about McBean so stop making it about you or me, bro.

i'm really struggling with whipping up mcbean material

he just gave away the Patriots' blueprint.

F'n Chad...

Totally drafting ocho cinco in fantasy next year now.

he should be the 1st WR off the board.

Browns QB Brandon Weeden has a cannon of an arm
By TOM WITHERS | The Associated Press – Sat, May 12, 2012 7:02 PM EDT...


BEREA, Ohio (AP) Clay pigeons became clay particles.

In the blink of an eye, Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden's powerful right arm turned the tiny targets into dust.

As he prepared for the NFL draft, Weeden recently took part in an experiment on an episode of ESPN's ''Sports Science,'' where the former Oklahoma State star and one-time minor league baseball pitcher fired footballs at clay targets traveling at 43 mph.

During one stretch he downed four out of five, blasting the soaring projectiles into smithereens.

''Pretty impressive,'' said wide receiver Josh Cooper, Weeden's college teammate who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Browns. ''It's hard to do that with a shotgun.''

Weeden's got a cannon, and his major league arm was on display again Saturday as Cleveland's rookies continued their three-day minicamp with two practices.

The 28-year-old Weeden has shown he can throw any pass - any time. With a flick of his wrist, he has effortlessly flung the ball 55 yards down the field, stood tall in the pocket and delivered 15-yard sideline patterns to receivers in stride and showed nice touch in dumping balls off to running backs.

Weeden's arm strength has been well-documented, and not just by the TV science experiment. While in college, he dislocated two of Cooper's fingers with missiles over the middle.

''It's a tight spiral. It's coming fast and it's usually right on the money,'' said Cooper, who had 161 receptions for 1,696 yards and 11 touchdowns in college. ''He can either fire it in there or put some touch on it. He's that kind of quarterback. He knows what to do with the ball.''

The Browns selected Weeden with the No. 22 overall pick in last month's NFL draft, a selection that seemed to indicate the team is moving away from incumbent starter Colt McCoy, who has had two inconsistent seasons in Cleveland. And although coach Pat Shurmur maintains competition will determine the starter, Weeden's arm strength alone would appear to give him a huge edge over McCoy.

Weeden's ball whistles through the air.

Shurmur, who has coached Donovan McNabb and Sam Bradford, said Weeden has an innate ability to sling the football.

''He is a very smooth thrower,'' he said. ''He throws the ball easy and I think a guy that can throw the ball with a smooth motion, the ball presents itself to the receivers well. That helps them be more efficient catching it. I like what I've seen from him just in terms of throwing the football, for sure.

''His touch and accuracy are all part of it. It's kind of a natural thing, that they just know to take a little off of it because a guy's 5 yards away and then whether to put it on the right or left shoulder based on where the defender is so he can turn away from it, all things that we teach and we emphasize, but some guys kind of naturally get it.''

Weeden has also shown he can execute on the move.

On one play during the morning workout, Weeden rolled to his left, and while he was on the run. leaped off one foot and still fired a perfect pass 20 yards to tight end Joseph Halahuni.

The play caught everyone's attention.

''Nice throw, Weeds,'' hollered assistant coach Nolan Cromwell.

Weeden's more than just an arm.

''He's got decent feet and he is naturally accurate,'' Shurmur said. ''That is a natural component to his game and so it's just a matter of him getting used to how we do things and I think that accuracy will show.''

Cooper joked that Weeden's athleticism is underrated.

''For how old he is,'' he said, laughing. ''He's a very mobile quarterback.''

For now, the Browns are interested in seeing Weeden as much as possible under center. In college, he lined up primarily in the shotgun. Other than a few dropped snaps, Weeden has looked very fluid while making three-, five- and seven-step dropbacks and firing the ball.

One of his primary targets the past two days has been Alabama fullback Brad Smelley, who has shown excellent hands and could be used in a variety of ways by the Browns. Smelley, too, has been impressed with Weeden's throwing ability.

''He throws a really catchable ball,'' Smelley said. ''He's got some zip on it and he knows when to throttle down a pass if it's short or coming across the middle. He puts it where it needs to be.''

Weeden said the clay pigeon challenge was more difficult than it appeared on TV.

''That was kind of a timing deal, it's like a slant,'' he said. ''You try to get the ball and the clay pigeon to meet. I am not going to lie, the first one I threw I missed by about six feet because the timing was way off. Then I got closer and I think I hit my eighth one and as they showed I hit four out of five at one point.

''It was a lot tougher than I thought going in. They only had 100 clay pigeons so I was kind of nervous I wouldn't hit one. I was kind of sweating it.''

Notes: RB Trent Richardson may be only 5-foot-9 but he cuts an imposing figure on the field. ''Wow,'' Shurmur said of the No. 3 overall pick. ''He's a very powerful man and he's powerfully built. Don't let the 5-9 fool you, he is almost 230 pounds and that is a lot of muscle packed into that body.'' ... The Browns signed eight of their 11 draft picks with Weeden, Richardson and linebacker Emmanuel Acho, a sixth-round pick, remaining unsigned. ... WR Bert Reed has had consecutive solid days of practice. Shurmur said the Florida State product, who caught 170 passes for the Seminoles, was a ''high-priority'' signing. ... Shurmur said Sunday's morning practice will focus on red-zone drills.

Browns DT Phil Taylor has surgery on torn muscle
By TOM WITHERS | The Associated Press – 18 hours ago...


CLEVELAND (AP) Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor has undergone surgery to repair a torn chest muscle he injured while lifting weights.

Taylor tore his left pectoral muscle while bench pressing during the offseason conditioning program last week at the team's facility. A Browns spokesman said the surgery ''went well'' and the 335-pound Taylor is resting comfortably at the Cleveland Clinic.

The team did not provide a timetable for Taylor's return. Last week, Browns coach Pat Shurmur said Taylor would need ''months, not weeks'' to recover but would not rule him out for this season.

Injuries such as Taylor's typically take up to six months to heal. Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson missed most of two seasons with torn pectoral muscles.

If Taylor is sidelined, rookie defensive tackles John Hughes and Billy Winn could get significant playing time.

that reminds me of: http://www.theonion.com/video/mario-williams-out-for-season-with-torn-tit,26355/

Does Mickey Loomis realize that he and Sean Payton and that franchise in general are nothing without Drew Brees? They would be horrible.

I have no idea what they are doing. They need Brees now more than ever and they are doing their best to totally alienate him. Fuck the cap, pay him already.

Mickey backloaded the contracts of a lot of guys. Looks like he would vastly prefer to keep Brees under the cheap tag he's under now. I just don't get the Saints. Full disclosure, I'm a Falcons fan, so there's that. But I've lived through the public ridiculousness that was Michael Vick. We took our public lumps, vast segments of the fanbase were pissed off, a few cried that Vick was unfairly treated and "everybody does it" but we moved on.

Now they are leaving a seat open for Payton like he's dead? Seriously? Do they get who they are? Payton does a nice job calling plays. Brees is a master of executing them.

ONE superbowl. ONE. A decent run no doubt since Brees got here vastly out playing his contract. Brees KEPT them in the city. Brees is responsible for a vast part of that civic pride that the city and the Gulf feel for the Saints. They would love them win or lose, but it's a lot more fun when you win obviously.

Sean Payton is a nice coach no doubt, but he has nowhere near that success without the perfect QB. Now they are bringing all these lawsuits against the league? Ok. Good luck with that. I'm sort of facinated to see what they will come up with under discovery. This is exactly the reason the NFL hasn't released any information yet. Sort of stupid way to go about things for the Saints organization, but it's been that way since this group got there I guess.

I do not understand the incredible ammount of arrogance. If they just stayed quiet took thier lumps and played hard this would be over and they would be playing football and have thier QB. Just like Spygate. The league WANTS to keep this stuff under wraps. I'm hoping that Loomis has vastly misread Brees and Brees will hold out into the season. The amount of hubris and bullheadedness is staggering.

They have a really solid team shaping up with a nice defense, without Brees, they are totally fucked.

vick for brees

They might send you Aaron Brooks though.

Brees can come teach RG3 for a couple of seasons. I wouldn't mind that at all.

hey ya