BEREA – The Browns opened training camp Wednesday with a rookie practice. Veteran quarterbacks Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace joined Brandon Weeden, the No. 22 pick in the draft, and it didn’t take long before coach Pat Shurmur was asked when he would name a starter.
Once again, he was purposely vague. But the announcement could come before the preseason opener Aug. 10 in Detroit.
“Good question. I was expecting that one,” Shurmur said. “I’ve said it all along — sooner is better.
“I want to get all the guys out here and watch them work again. I’ve had a chance to go over what everybody did in the spring numerous times and I feel good about what I saw from Brandon and Colt and Seneca. So I’ll have some form of an announcement soon.”
Weeden is expected to get the starting job. Shurmur isn’t feeling rushed to make it official, but there is some sense of urgency to settle the issue.
“I think it makes sense to name the starter well before the start of the season, and so that’s probably what will happen,” he said. “I think it’s fair to say that between now and the first game, anywhere in here we could possibly name the starter.
“I don’t necessarily need to see so many snaps of a preseason game.”
Weeden said he isn’t focused on the timetable.
“Whenever they feel comfortable doing it, they’ll do it,” he said. “Whether that’s tomorrow, two weeks or before we kick it off against Philly for the opener, whatever they feel best. I’m going to keep competing and doing what I do and see how things shake out.
“Coach knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t need people or myself to worry about it. He told me to go play football and the rest will take care of itself.”
IN ON TIME
Weeden said it was a priority for him to be at camp from the start. He signed a four-year, $8.1 million deal Tuesday that includes a $4.3 million bonus, according to ESPN’s Andrew Brandt. The first three years of the contract are fully guaranteed, along with $920,000 of the $1.5 million in the final year.
“I’m not a guy that’s going to sit out and hold out and be that guy,” Weeden said. “I wanted to be with my teammates, I wanted to be here, compete for this job and help this team win games. The only way you can do that is show up Day 1.”
Weeden is 28 years old, but this is his first NFL training camp, so he asked the veterans what to expect.
“They’ve given me the rundown on how things go,” he said. “It’s ‘Groundhog Day.’ Mentally it’s a grind, especially at the quarterback position.
“There’s a lot of studying. A lot of stuff goes on, but you’re getting into a routine. I’m a big routine guy. I talked to a lot of veterans and picked their brains. It’s going to be tough, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
A BIG CHECK
Rookie running back Trent Richardson came from a humble home in a rough neighborhood of Pensacola, Fla. He just signed a four-year, $20.4 million contract with a signing bonus of $13.341 million.
“It’s a blessing, just a living dream,” he said. “It’s like surreal, man, because once you get money, it’s like, ‘OK, what do I do with it?’
“Now I’ve got to save and invest, make sure you can live your life for the rest of your life. After football, you’ve still got at least 45, 50 years you’ve got to live.”
READY TO GO
Richardson was asked what he did on his summer break.
“I ran,” he said. “I ran, got in shape and I was being a daddy at the same time. Being physically and mentally ready for this game that I’m going to have out here Sunday.”
Shurmur said he noticed a difference in Richardson from the workouts in May and June.
“I think he’s in better shape, most definitely,” Shurmur said. “Guys come in when they are drafted that high and as you might expect they are visiting a bunch of clubs, they end up going to New York for the draft, they get caught in that kind of whirlwind of being drafted. So when you see them initially, even though they did a lot of preparation up to the draft, they are a little bit out of shape and I don’t sense that now. I think he is in very good shape.”
EXTRA POINTS
The veterans report today, and the first full-squad practice is Friday. Camp opens to the public Saturday morning with a session at 8:45.
** Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar watched practice. He will be the analyst again on the preseason telecasts.
** Rookie defensive lineman Billy Winn was the long snapper in the absence of veteran Christian Yount.
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
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