Excuse Colt McCoy if his head is spinning.
One day after coach Pat Shurmur pointed to McCoy as the Browns' starter, sources told Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland the team talked with the Rams about trading for quarterback Sam Bradford.
"(Bradford's) name came up, not from us," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday. "Clubs inquired. But there was no consideration whatsoever on our part (to trade Bradford)."
The Plain Dealer cited a league source in reporting that Bradford was discussed earlier this month during trade talks for the Rams' No. 2 pick, but nothing serious came of the chatter.
The good: The Browns' front office, contrary to popular belief, hasn't been lost at sea. Working to improve a bone-dry roster, Cleveland made the call. It's no surprise. Shurmur adored working with Bradford in St. Louis in 2010, and when a coach feels that connection with a young quarterback, you explore his availability. It didn't happen. If you're McCoy, you file it away and pick up a copy of the new self-help book, "Are You There, Jim? It's me, Alex" -- by the 49ers' recently toyed-with starter -- and swiftly move on. BURY THE MATTER.
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The bad: Holmgren did the right thing by calling McCoy after the Robert Griffin III affair, and the quarterback responded well, leaving the Browns president to say: "He's a very capable young man, he cares, he works harder than any 10 people. I mean, he's what you want."
Except, to Colt, it just can't feel that way tonight. Time for another call to the McCoy household.
The ugly: Since their return to the league in 1999, the Browns have shown a knack for developing quarterback drama. Less of a knack for developing an actual quarterback. The biggest problem for this franchise has been turnover -- from the highest levels on down to young players too often placed into a position to fail.
The Browns can't possibly claim to have a complete read on McCoy. He's handing the ball off to nobody and passing to ghosts. Holmgren's vision implies sticking to the plan, but when you're a starting quarterback on trial, turning out a 4-9 record last season, the future is unclear.
What's clear is that people's jobs are on the line, and until the Browns find a franchise passer -- McCoy or elsewhere -- the painful Sundays will continue.
