BEREA, Ohio -- Clay pigeons became clay particles.
In the blink of an eye, Cleveland 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.
Weeden, 28, 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," Weeden 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."
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.
"He can either fire it in there or put some touch on it," said wide receiver Josh Cooper, Weeden's college teammate who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Browns. "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.
"He is a very smooth thrower," head coach Pat Shurmur 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."
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
