Brandon Weeden’s days in Cleveland have come to an end, officially.
The Browns announced on Wednesday afternoon that Weeden has been released.
Weeden, a first-round draft pick in 2012, has been a major disappointment while playing for a dysfunctional Browns franchise. He was a disappointment as a 15-game starter his rookie year and was every bit as bad in his second season, in 2013, when both Brian Hoyer and Jason Campbell were more effective running the Browns’ offense than Weeden was.
Although the Jaguars were able to finagle a sixth-round pick from the 49ers for Blaine Gabbert, Weeden wouldn’t even attract that kind of compensation. The Browns won’t get anything for him.
Now the question is whether Weeden can catch on anywhere else. Some team might let him compete for a backup job, but just two years after he was a first-round draft pick, it’s entirely possible that Weeden has thrown his last NFL pass.