Browns running back Trent Richardson says his fellow 2012 first-round draft pick, quarterback Brandon Weeden, had a tough time picking up the Xs and Os of the NFL game as a rookie.
Richardson told NFL Network’s Steve Wyche that Weeden struggled with reading defenses as a rookie. Wyche’s interview with Richardson was off camera, but Wyche relayed Richardson’s comments on NFL AM.
“He also told me a little bit more about Brandon Weeden,” Wyche said of his conversation with Richardson, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “He said as a rookie, [Weeden] really had trouble reading defenses from time to time and they had to skew their offense a little bit, sometimes somewhat predictable.”
Richardson added, however, that he’s optimistic about Weeden having a big year in 2013.
“I think he’ll be my quarterback,” Richardson said. “We can’t put too much on Brandon, especially as a rookie. . . . We want to make sure he believes, he knows he’s going to be our quarterback. When it comes to stuff like that, we’ve just all got to be behind him.”
It’s good that Richardson is behind his quarterback. But if Weeden can’t get better at reading defenses, Cleveland won’t be behind him as its starting quarterback for much longer.