Cleveland Browns: How Mike Holmgren Undermined Brandon Weeden

ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that the Cleveland Browns wanted WR Kendall Wright with the 22nd pick before the ink had even dried on all of the first-round draft cards handed in to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

As with items we hear before the draft, it's hard to completely trust the veracity of any information about any team concerning its draft picks.

But Cleveland Browns team president Mike Holmgren removed any doubt in an interview on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland:

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#Browns Prez Holmgren acknowledged on 92.3 The Fan that B's wanted Kendall Wright at 22 and opted for Weeden when Wright was gone.

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 8, 2012

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What does this accomplish for the Browns?

While we can all appreciate Holmgren's candor, his admission casts a shadow over Weeden. If management was so certain about anointing Weeden as the team's quarterback of the future, why then make public its desire for another prospect who plays at a less-valued position? Wright is a high-quality wide receiver prospect but certainly not a player the Browns couldn't live without.

Even if the Browns had taken Wright with every intention of trading back into the first round to get Weeden, that still leaves questions.

If the team thought they could move back for Weeden, why didn't they entertain the idea of trading down to No. 31 with New England, which gave up a fourth-round pick to move up just three slots after the Browns took their QB?

Every year it becomes clearer that teams won't go far without first solving the quarterback position. While the selection of Brandon Weeden appears to be a strong attempt to do just that, Holmgren's comments on Tuesday cast doubt on whether the Browns themselves have conviction about Weeden's ability to be the answer.