15. Seneca Wallace, 2010–11 (7 starts, 2 seasons): Wallace, another Holmgren favorite, wound up starting early in the 2010 season after Delhomme’s injury before suffering a high ankle sprain of his own. He was released following the 2012 preseason and didn’t play again until 2013. He spent the offseason with the Saints and 49ers and wound up signing with the Packers, where he started one game in relief of an injured Aaron Rodgers. He suffered a groin injury after throwing an interception, was relieved by Scott Tolzien, and never played in the NFL again.
16. Colt McCoy, 2010-12 (21 starts, 3 seasons): McCoy was a folk-hero as a rookie after engineering two upsets over the Saints and Patriots in his second and third career start, but that’s where the magic ended. After a dismal 2011 season, he was replaced by rookie Brandon Weeden and spent the season as the backup. Following 2012, he was traded to the 49ers for a 5th and 7th round pick. He only threw one pass as a 49er and wound up signing with the Redskins as a free agent. After beginning the season as the third-string quarterback, McCoy was thrust into action late in the 2014 season and went 1-3 in four starts, with 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. This season, he beat out former No. 2-overall pick Robert Griffin for the backup spot behind Kirk Cousins and has not entered a game yet.
17. Brandon Weeden, 2012-13 (20 starts, 2 seasons): The 29-year-old Weeden was the Browns’ second first-round selection in 2012, 22nd overall. His second season, under his second owner, president, GM and head coach, Weeden shared time with Jason Campbell and Brian Hoyer and was given his outright release following the season. He has since signed with the Cowboys, where he’s been Tony Romo’s primary backup. Due to broken collarbone suffered by Romo early this season, Weeden was thrust into Dallas’ starting lineup but struggled. He’s started four games in two seasons, going 0-4 with 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He has since lost his job to recently-acquired Matt Cassel and is back to being the backup. He has not won a start since his rookie year with the Browns, losing 11 consecutive starts.
18. Thaddeus Lewis, 2011-12 (1 start, 2 seasons): Lewis was Pat Shurmer’s hand-picked project quarterback and spent most of his two seasons as the Browns’ third-string quarterback. However, due to injuries suffered by Weeden and McCoy, he started the season finale at Pittsburgh, losing. He was released following the season with a new regime coming in and, after being initially claimed by the Lions, wound up being traded to the Bills. Lewis wound up starting five games in 2013, going 2-3 with 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, but failed to make the team prior to the 2014 season. He signed with the Texans in November for the final six games, but never played. He wound up coming back to the Browns with Johnny Manziel in rehab, but was among the team’s final cuts following the preseason. He was subsequently claimed by the Eagles, where he serves as the third-string quarterback behind Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez – presumably, he looks better holding a clipboard in a track suit than Tim Tebow does.
19. Brian Hoyer, 2013-14 (16 starts, 2 seasons): All Hoyer did was win three starts in 2013 and have the Browns at 7-4 to start 2014. But the wheels came off quickly for the North Olmsted native and St. Ignatius grad, and he wound up being benched for the over-hyped Manziel. He wound up going 10-6 in his 16 starts with the Browns – the only one with a winning record since 1999. But, he was allowed to leave as a free agent and he signed with the Texans. After beating out former New England teammate Ryan Mallett in the preseason, he was benched midway through the season opener for the ex-Razorback. An injury to Mallett two weeks ago opened the door for Hoyer, who has played well since earning his job back. Hoyer is 1-1 in two starts with 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions and will be Houston’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Could he be the next Jeff Garcia? It’s too early to tell.
20. Jason Campbell, 2013 (8 starts, 1 season): A former 25th-overall pick in 2005, Campbell finally signed with the Browns after years of him being rumored to join the team, only to sign somewhere else. Initially Weeden’s primary backup, Campbell was leapfrogged by Hoyer to start Week 3 and eventually got the job when both Hoyer and Weeden were hurt. After throwing 11 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in 2013, Campbell was released and signed with the Bengals, where he was Dalton’s primary backup. Campbell only played in four games, one of which was a Thursday Night loss to the Browns in Cincinnati. He only threw for 74 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He has since retired from the NFL.
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