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General manager Tom Heckert clarified the Browns' quarterback competition Monday night, saying the team drafted Brandon Weeden with the intention of him starting as a rookie.

"The best guy is going to play and we fully expect Brandon to be that guy," Heckert said. "That's our goal is to have him be the guy. I think when we say, open competition, the best guy's going to play, that's just the way it is. But we drafted Brandon Weeden to be that guy. [You] draft a guy 22nd in the draft, you think he's going to be that guy."

This is what the Browns should have been saying all along. Team officials have been trying to present this as an open quarterback competition when it's clearly not.

The Browns should say they expect Weeden should be the starter. If Weeden is going to succeed in this division, he's going to have to get used to feeling pressure. He's going to have to battle more than expectations when he sees the defenses of the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals twice every season.

The Colts and Redskins have already given the starting jobs to Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. The Browns have been reluctant to do the same, and I understand the merits of wanting a quarterback to earn the starting job.

But the team isn't fooling anyone. Even if the Browns aren't saying it, the expectation of every Browns Backer is that Weeden will start and should start. The Browns already put that pressure on Weeden when they decided to draft him in the first round and not wait until the second. His arm strength, accuracy and size puts him ahead of Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace.

It doesn't matter if McCoy is the quarterback who takes the first snaps today when organized team activities begin. By the end of the preseason, this should be Weeden's offense unless he can't handle the pressure. But it's better to find out if Weeden can handle the pressure now than on Sept. 9 against the Eagles.

The AFC North quarterbacks received no love from NFL.com, which ranked the division's passers fifth in the league.

This is a little low in my estimation. Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton and Brandon Weeden (or Colt McCoy) should at least be No. 4. Here's how NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah assessed the division:

It was a tough call putting this group behind the AFC West QBs. Big Ben has two Super Bowl rings and is arguably the best in the league at extending the play. Last season, Flacco was a dropped pass away from making his Super Bowl debut, while Dalton would've been the talk of the league if not for Cam Newton's amazing rookie year. I'm not the biggest Weeden fan, but he does have size and a live arm.

For those reasons, I would put the AFC North ahead of the AFC West, which ranked fourth despite featuring a banged-up Peyton Manning and a struggling Philip Rivers, along with two quarterbacks on the hot seat (Matt Cassel and Carson Palmer). Roethlisberger has to be considered better than Manning at this point. Flacco outplayed Tom Brady in the AFC title game, and Rivers threw the third-most interceptions in the NFL (20). And Dalton made more of an impact on his team as a rookie than veterans Cassel and Palmer did last season.

The AFC North falls short of No. 3 with the NFC East, which has Eli Manning, Tony Romo, Michael Vick and Robert Griffin III. Roethlisberger has as many rings as Manning, but it's difficult to argue that Flacco had a better season than Romo (31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions). The nod goes to the NFC East in Dalton-Vick and Weeden-RG3.

The quarterback controversy has already begun in Browns minicamp, Damien Woody thinks the Jets should skip "Hard Knocks" and Herm says Vince Young will be more than just a backup in Buffalo.

Like all of the Browns' officials, coach Pat Shurmur made it clear in a conference call Thursday that rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden has to beat out Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace to be the team's starter in 2012.

I understand that the Browns want to make Weeden feel like he has to earn the job. But here's the reality of the situation: it's not his job to win. It's his job to lose.

The Browns will have a major problem if a first-round quarterback can't beat out McCoy.

When rookie minicamp begins for the Browns on Friday, Weeden will have to adjust to a new offensive system, more complex looks from the defense, and a different viewpoint when the ball is snapped.

At Oklahoma State, Weeden orchestrated a fast-paced, spread attack from the shotgun. With the Browns, he will be expected to take more snaps from under center.

While this doesn't seem like a challenging transition, Weeden will have to work on his footwork. The advantage is you don't have to take your eyes off the defense under center like you do when you catch the ball in shotgun.

Asked if he was looking forward to seeing Weeden under center, Shurmur said: "Yeah, I am looking forward to him executing as a quarterback, whether we are under center or in the shotgun, all of which happens in the NFL. I am looking forward to watching him operate.”

While Shurmur stuck with the party line that Weeden won't be anointed the starter just yet, most believe the Browns are looking for the 28-year-old rookie to play right away. Weeden would have to struggle in training camp and the preseason not to beat out McCoy.

“I’ll decide who the starter’s going to be when we play against Philadelphia,” Shurmur said.

Under criticism from ESPN's Merril Hoge and others, Kurt Warner has clarified his stance on concussions with a reasoned response that advances the conversation with civility.

Should we have expected anything less from the former St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals quarterback?

Warner disagrees with Hoge's contention that treatment for head trauma is the problem, more than the trauma itself. He personalizes the issue by noting that his own child has suffered effects from brain injury. He agrees with Hoge on the need for better treatment. He diffuses Hoge's contention that Warner should "get involved" with his kids' football programs to better ensure safety, pointing out how his 12-year-old son's Pop Warner league conducts baseline neurological testing.

Warner directly counters Hoge's contention that Warner was "uneducated" and "uninformed" on the subject matter. Drawing from his own experience as a player, Warner describes the pressure players feel to get back on the field. He points to the situation in Cleveland with Colt McCoy last season as evidence the NFL is still finding its way on the concussion issue.

Warner also differentiated between his approach as a player and his feelings as a parent.

"As a football player and a fan of the game, I want my kids to play the game that I am so passionate about," he wrote. "They currently play football, and there are few things that bring me more joy than watching them play and getting excited about the game I love. But, at the same time I am constantly concerned about my kids and the violence of the game of football. I worry about them suffering head trauma and developing any long-term issues as a result of that injury."

This was a nearly perfect followup to the less measured comments Warner made last week.

You can say Colt McCoy isn't a franchise quarterback. You can say McCoy doesn't have the accuracy or arm strength to succeed at this level.

But you can't say anything negative about McCoy's attitude. He remains a class act at a time when others might not be.

McCoy attended the Browns' voluntary offseason conditioning program just days after the team drafted a quarterback to replace him, according to the Associated Press.

There are other players in the league who are skipping these workouts even though they will be getting paid millions of dollars under the franchise tag. McCoy is participating in these voluntary sessions even though his job was essentially handed to Brandon Weeden, the 22nd overall pick of the draft.

This is why I believe McCoy would be fine with being the Browns' backup this season. I can see McCoy and Weeden coexisting as teammates, and team president Mike Holmgren feels the same way. "Of course he wants to play, they all want to play," Holmgren said of McCoy. "Again, nothing has been done yet, we don’t know how it is going to sort itself out. But, if that were to be the case, at some point, I think we have the best chance of making that work because of who the people are."

It's been a rough four months for McCoy ever since he suffered a season-ending head injury from James Harrison's hit. He got a vote of no confidence in March when Holmgren told season-ticket holders that the Browns were aggressively trying to trade up for quarterback Robert Griffin III in the draft.

The Browns tried to smooth things over by putting their support behind McCoy. Team officials even told ESPN's Bob Holtzman before the draft they expected McCoy to take "a big leap forward" in 2012. Then, the Browns selected Weeden in the first round and didn't rule out the possibility of trading McCoy.

But McCoy was at the team facility this week just like he was last week. In his first full season as the Browns' starter, McCoy proved he could take a hit. This week, McCoy proved his mental toughness by taking another blow and getting right back up.

CLEVELAND -- I'm headed back to AFC North headquarters after three long (but exciting) days here for the NFL draft. I'm hoping to return soon to see the start of a new Browns' offense with running back Trent Richardson and quarterback Brandon Weeden. The plan is to recharge the batteries today and come back Monday with tons of blogs filled with opinions and analysis.

Here are some of my impressions from the Browns' press conference with team president Mike Holmgren that wrapped up the draft:

• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Amy SancettaMike Holmgren said he had a conversation with the Colts about trading for the No. 1 pick. "It wasn't very long," he said.
  Perhaps the biggest shock came when Holmgren said he spoke to the Indianapolis Colts about trading up to the No. 1 spot to draft Andrew Luck. Asked how long the conversation went with Indianapolis regarding the top pick, Holmgren said with a smile, “Probably about five minutes. Actually I had two conversations. I had a conversation with Mr. [Jim] Irsay and also with their new general manager. I believe I was in the swimming pool at the owners meetings and I had a drink in my hand, on the second one. It wasn’t very long.”

• Judging by Holmgren's comments, the Browns either thought about taking Weeden in the second round or considered trading back in the first round to take him. They ultimately drafted Weeden with the 22nd overall pick because they didn't want to risk losing him. "You got a little taste of it when he was in here of how he’s different than all the other quarterbacks that were drafted ahead of him or behind him is that his age and his maturity and what he brings immediately to the table," Holmgren said. "Now, you couple that with his skill level, which is pretty obvious on film and he has the potential I think to play well sooner because of that than other quarterbacks in the draft so he became very attractive to us."

• I get the feeling that Holmgren wants to keep Colt McCoy as the backup to Weeden. He doesn't think it would be difficult for McCoy to adjust to that role because he "is a special young man." Holmgren added, "Of course he wants to play, they all want to play. Again, nothing has been done yet, we don’t know how it is going to sort itself out. But, if that were to be the case, at some point, I think we have the best chance of making that work because of who the people are."

• Holmgren said he wouldn't be concerned about players choosing sides if McCoy remained. "Usually it's a problem if the players themselves kind of lead the charge on that," he said. "If I'm any judge at all about these young guys, that won't happen."

• Holmgren believes Richardson will be a better all-around running back than Shaun Alexander, who played under Holmgren with the Seattle Seahawks. "I love Shaun, if I could adopt Shaun I would, but he wouldn’t block anybody, nobody and I still love him," Holmgren said "The difference is Trent is an excellent pass receiver, not just a willing blocker but a very, very good blocker so when Pat’s calling the game and we’re running our offense you don’t have to be thinking, ‘Okay now how do we protect him in the passing game?’ You don’t have to do that so that’s different. But, again I have great affection for Shaun Alexander and what he did for Seattle and what he did for me. This young man, different player, and there is no reason he can’t do the same for us here.”

• Holmgren acknowledged the challenge of winning with a rookie quarterback in the NFL. "I don’t think it is easy, it is never easy," he said. "You look historically in the league. I always say, the only guy that shot lights out early was (Dan) Marino. Some of you may know someone else because you are a lot older than I am. But, I think Marino was the guy that sticks out because you talk to John Elway, Joe Montana, the guys I know, they all had these little growing pains."

The Cleveland Browns don't expect to trade quarterback Colt McCoy, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported.

There had been speculation that the Browns would move McCoy after using the 22nd overall pick on Brandon Weeden, who is expected to be the team's starter this season.

You have to wonder whether the Browns really want to keep McCoy or whether there was no interest in him from other teams. Either way, keeping McCoy is exactly what the Browns should do.

McCoy is their best option for backup quarterback. He's seven years younger than Seneca Wallace and has just as many career starts (21).

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns officials insist there's "no story" with Colt McCoy a day after they were the ones who said they would discuss trading the now-supplanted quarterback.

"I haven't talked to one person about him," said general manager Tom Heckert, who rolled his eyes after third question regarding McCoy was asked Friday night. "There's nothing to talk about."

Actually, there's a lot to talk about. This is what happens when you use the 22nd overall pick on a quarterback. These are the questions you get when Brandon Weeden is answering questions at a Friday news conference like a mature, composed starter.

Here's my suggestion on what the Browns should do with McCoy -- absolutely nothing. I don't understand why the Browns would trade a quarterback in whom they just invested a full season of starts. If anyone should go, it should be current backup Seneca Wallace. Browns coach Pat Shurmur said last month that Wallace wouldn't be given a chance to compete against McCoy for the starting job, so I'm puzzled on why he should he be the one who stays.

There are instances where it would be a bad situation to keep a starting quarterback who just lost his job. Judging by his personality, McCoy wouldn't create any problems or disruptions.

The Browns are noncommittal on McCoy's future, which isn't a sign that he's sticking around. Asked if McCoy would be here for offseason minicamps, Shurmur said, "I plan on Colt being here on Monday as part of the offseason program. There really is no story right now. There really isn't. We drafted a quarterback to come in and compete with him at this point, and that's where it's at."

The Browns, though, were very strong in denying a report that said they told McCoy they wouldn't draft a quarterback in the first round.

"That's absolutely false," Heckert said.

Shurmur added, "We don't consult our players about what we're doing in the draft. I think it's ridiculous to assume that we would say those things."

It would also be ridiculous to assume the Browns drafted a 28-year-old quarterback to sit. Unless Weeden struggles mightily in training camp, he should be the starter this season. And the best quarterback on this roster to back up Weeden is McCoy.

The hit from James Harrison doesn't seem as brutal after the beating Colt McCoy has taken this offseason.

According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Browns selected Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick after they told McCoy they wouldn't take a quarterback in the first round. This comes a month after the Browns told season-ticket holders that they aggressively tried to trade up to get quarterback Robert Griffin III, which was a public vote of no confidence in McCoy.

You can't fault the Browns for wanting to upgrade the quarterback position. The offense was handcuffed by McCoy's lack of arm strength and inaccuracy. But they've mishandled the situation with McCoy at every turn this offseason.

Now, the Browns are considering trading McCoy over the weekend. As ESPN's John Clayton points out, Cleveland might want to move McCoy but there might not be a market for him. There has been speculation that the Browns have had trade talks with the Green Bay Packers.

I'm not sure why the Browns are so motivated to get rid of McCoy at this point. He's not a starter in this league, but he could be a capable backup. What is working against McCoy is the fact current backup Seneca Wallace is a favorite of team president Mike Holmgren.

So, while the Browns have repeatedly said they're fine with McCoy this offseason, their actions are speaking much louder than their words.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Colt McCoy era is over. A new one -- make that older one -- began Thursday night when the Cleveland Browns selected Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick.

The Browns have gone from a weak-armed quarterback to a geriatric one by NFL standards. At 28 years, 195 days, Weeden is the oldest player ever to be taken in the first round of the Common Draft era, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Weeden is only two years younger than Ben Roethlisberger. He's one year older than Brady Quinn, the last quarterback taken by the Browns in the first round.

Drafting running back Trent Richardson in the first round was a no-brainer. And, even though I think Weeden can be a quality starter in this league, taking him in the first round makes little sense for a team that is not a quarterback away from contending for a Super Bowl.

The Browns have too many other needs on offense to reach for a failed minor-league pitcher. The Cleveland front office believes it found a franchise quarterback in Weeden, but you have to wonder who is going to block for him at right tackle and who is going to catch the long passes from Weeden's big arm. The Browns are right that Weeden will be an upgrade over McCoy. But, like McCoy, he might have trouble reaching that potential with the holes surrounding him.

In a span of a few hours, the Dawg Pound went from high-fiving over the selection of Richardson to scratching their heads over Weeden.

Why didn't the Browns take a wide receiver like Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill? Why didn't Cleveland pick up an offensive tackle like Stanford's Jonathan Martin or Mississippi's Bobby Massie? Why did a rebuilding franchise select an older quarterback?

"We went through the process of evaluating him, we became very fond of him," Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. "We all did, from Randy [Lerner, owner] to Mike [Holmgren, team president] to Tom [Heckert, general manager] to myself. I came away saying this is a guy we'd like to have on our team. That's where we're at right now."

It was interesting that Shurmur pointed out that the owner had input on this decision. The pressure is on, and the clock is ticking.

At his age, Weeden has to start immediately. There's no time to let him sit and learn. And, because of his age, the expectation is to win immediately.

Browns officials shrugged off Weeden's age as being an issue. The number they concentrated on is 22, which is Weeden's wins in 25 starts in college.

"We feel like the kid's a winner," Shurmur said. "I wasn't concerned about his age."

The arrival of Weeden could mean the end of McCoy's days in Cleveland. The Browns gave McCoy a major vote of no confidence when they aggressively tried to trade up for Robert Griffin III last month.

The question now isn't whether McCoy will compete for the job. It's whether McCoy will even be on this team. Heckert didn't deny the possibility that the Browns could trade McCoy this weekend.

"To be honest, we haven't thought about that. We really haven't," Heckert said. "That's something we'll talk about tonight and tomorrow."

If it wasn't for Weeden's age, he would have been a top-10 pick. He has a strong arm. He's got a quick release. He is a hard worker. He is a respected leader.

There's a good chance that Weeden will be a productive quarterback and might end the string of other "franchise" quarterbacks like Tim Couch, Derek Anderson and Quinn. The problem is, teams draft quarterbacks in the first round to be the starter for the next decade. The odds are against that with Weeden, who will turn 30 in October next year.

The Browns have done such a great job in rebuilding the defense in the past two drafts that you want to give them the benefit of the doubt that they'll do the same on offense. When it came time for the Browns to pick at No. 22, Heckert said there was no decision to make especially after Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright was drafted by Tennessee at No. 20.

"Brandon was by far the best player for us," Heckert said. "There wasn't really even an afterthought. As soon as a couple of guys went, we knew we were going to take him."

Weeden might have been the best player available at that point. He was just not the right player for the Browns.

The Browns made one of the most questionable moves in the first round, drafting Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick.

Weeden will likely be the Browns' starting quarterback in 2012. The Browns wouldn't take a 28-year-old quarterback to come in and back up Colt McCoy for a season.

Weeden returned to Oklahoma State after an unsuccessful stint in minor league baseball. He has one of the strongest arms of any quarterback in the draft and was the most NFL-ready quarterback outside of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.

But Weeden's age and decision-making when pressured are cause for concern. It is a major reach to take Weeden in the first round.

I will file more on this after Browns officials talk about taking Weeden.

The 32 crew examines the latest Saints scandal, Hugh Douglas remembers his playing days with Brian Dawkins, and Mel and Todd on which quarterback would be a slam dunk in Cleveland.

The Baltimore Ravens are among three teams interested in Steelers free-agent quarterback Dennis Dixon, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The St. Louis Rams and Denver Broncos are also in the running for Dixon, who is not expected to return to Pittsburgh.

The Ravens have been inconsistent in how they've addressed the backup quarterback position recently. In 2010, Baltimore spent $3.8 million on Marc Bulger to have veteran insurance behind Joe Flacco. In 2011, the Ravens went with rookie sixth-round pick Tyrod Taylor.

One reason why the Ravens could go with Bulger in 2010 was the uncapped year, but it's definitely a major philosophical switch to go from a playoff-tested quarterback in Bulger to a raw prospect like Taylor. Of course, Baltimore hasn't needed a backup, because Flacco has never missed a start in his four-year career (64 straight, the third-longest current streak in the NFL). But the Ravens' playoff chances would get decimated if Flacco got hurt, and the team had to turn to Taylor for an extended period.

Dixon, 27, the No. 3 quarterback last season for Pittsburgh, has made three career starts in his four seasons with the Steelers. He has a 2-1 record, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Dixon's first start came against the Ravens in 2009, when his interception in overtime set up the winning field goal.

Here are the backup quarterback situations for the rest of the AFC North:

BENGALS: Cincinnati is set with journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. When Andy Dalton was hurt in last year's season opener, Gradkowski rallied the Bengals to a 27-17 win at Cleveland.

BROWNS: At this point, the Browns are going with Seneca Wallace, the team's backup for the past two seasons. But the depth chart could get moved around if Cleveland drafts a quarterback in the early rounds. If the Browns don't take a quarterback, Wallace won't be competing with Colt McCoy for the starting job, the team said.

STEELERS: Besides Ben Roethlisberger, the only quarterbacks on the roster are Troy Smith and Jerrod Johnson. The Steelers likely will bring back Byron Leftwich or Charlie Batch. The favorite to return is Leftwich, who reportedly drew interest from the Colts.

It amounted to fast-break basketball on grass: a summer tournament seven-on-seven football game.

Stratford High School coach Eliot Allen watched it unfold from his usual spot in the back of an end zone, not interacting with the kids representing his school against Dez Bryant and Lufkin High.

Over two 20-minute halves with a running clock, at a furious pace where he had to throw the ball within four seconds of the snap against coverages that had no concern for the run, Andrew Luck didn’t throw an incomplete pass.

“He’s accuracy was unbelievable,” Allen said. “That one game he didn’t have an incomplete pass, I’ve never see it before or since. He throws such a catchable ball.”

When the Indianapolis Colts make Luck the first pick in the draft on April 26, the Stanford quarterback will enter the league rated by many scouts and evaluators as the most pro-ready quarterback since John Elway.

While Luck’s refined his remarkable touch as the leader of the Cardinal, he honed it early on in Texas seven-on-seven summer ball. He participated even as a rising ninth-grader, and Allen says Luck easily played 75 such games before moving onto college, contests that were crucial to the early development of good habits and exquisite ball placement.

As coach of Cypress Falls High, David Raffield regularly saw Luck play during the summer, then coached against Stratford in regular season and playoff football during Luck’s junior and senior years.

“Watching Andrew grow and develop into a quarterback was nothing short of amazing,” said Raffield, who now coaches A&M Consolidated High School in College Station. “The seven-on-seven allowed him to really develop his game. When you are out there as a quarterback running the offense, it’s not plays being called by a coach. You’re the guy doing it. You’re becoming your own offensive coordinator …

“His junior and senior year he had an amazing ability to place the football. The accuracy was phenomenal. He understood pass coverages. It gave him such advantages. I didn’t know he’s wind up being an NFL first-round draft pick, but I knew he was special.”

The summer before Luck’s senior year in 2007, his team finished second in Texas and played in a national tournament in Los Angeles. There, football staffs of high schools from California and Florida coached their players, Allen recalled.

It doesn’t work that way in Texas, where a state organization runs the leagues and tournaments. A high school’s coaches might help arrange leagues, tournaments and officials, but players work under the watch of others. Stratford uses former players from their team as summer ball coaches.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak was a St. Pius X High School (Houston) and Texas A&M quarterback well before seven-on-seven summers started. He joked if he had a chance to play that much, people would have discovered he wasn’t any good.

Klein Kubiak, a Strake Jesuit High School receiver who graduated in 2009 and now plays at Rice, played in the same district and overlapped with Luck. So as Gary Kubiak followed his son, he saw Luck play in tournaments. He’s also seen just how much the competition and setting have done for Texas signal-callers.

“He was very impressive,” Gary Kubiak said. “I think there is a lot of growth going on in those leagues right now. On a Saturday afternoon, those kids might play six of those games.

“I just think you can’t get enough of those repetitions. It’s almost like having two spring balls. It’s almost gotten a little bit year round, kind of like baseball.”

Such summer-league play takes place in a lot of states now. But Texas was a pioneer.

So it’s no coincidence that the three top quarterbacks in this draft -- Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill -- are all from Texas.

“Think about these names,” said Tennessee Titans quarterback coach Dowell Loggains, who started at quarterback for Cooper High School in Abilene in 1997 and 1998 in both summer seven-on-seven and regular fall football. “Ryan Mallett, Andy Dalton, Colt McCoy, Christian Ponder, Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford, Kevin Kolb, Robert Griffin, Case Keenum.

“I mean it’s huge. That’s why all these Texas high school quarterbacks are coming out and doing really well. They are so much further along than the rest of the states, plus they get 15 dates for spring practice just like a college. They are getting so many more reps than the rest of the country.”

Other states may be taking note and trying to copy, Loggains said. But it’ll be tough for many to match or top Texas because of the facilities and money high school football has in the Lone Star State.

Added ESPN analyst Jon Gruden when asked about Texas’ production of quarterbacks: “Obviously if you go to Texas, you can probably find passing tournaments going on right now, and if they're not going on right now, they'll be going on later this afternoon and for sure tomorrow and the next day. They throw the ball and have organized passing camps more than any place I've ever been.”

Allen said seven-on-seven forces quarterbacks to figure out ways to beat man-to-man coverage with two-deep safeties and that doing so at an early stage of their football careers is invaluable. Against such a look from the secondary in an actual high school game, a quarterback would hand off most of the time.

“You don’t win those games playing defense,” Allen said. “It reveals a quarterback’s accuracy and I don’t think you can simulate stiff coverage in a better way. Andrew was very good at it. He can throw the deep ball. A lot of people give him a hard time about not being able to throw the deep ball. He was great at it. But his deal is, he just wants to get first downs.”

As a high-schooler, Loggains said he thought the summer opportunity was “awesome.”

And it made it a heck of a lot easier to get time and work with receivers, who might not show up for an informal session on a Tuesday night, but wouldn’t miss a chance to play in a game with a score and a title on the line.

The proliferation of seven-on-seven play actually influenced the game at all levels.

Coaches found they had quarterbacks equipped to run spread offenses in high school, and moved away from traditional run-heavy, defense-centric schemes. They then fed those quarterbacks to colleges, where the spread continued to spread.

And when those quarterbacks landed in the NFL, teams had no choice but to employ some spread concepts, willingly or unwillingly, to try to take advantage of their quarterbacks’ strengths.

“When we had Vince Young, we had to mix in a lot of that with [offensive coordinators] Norm Chow and Mike Heimerdinger,” Loggains said.

Rather than an NFL idea trickling down, a byproduct of a high school idea trickled up.

And one scout I spoke with said he sees no end to it.

“That’s the new craze, the seven-on-seven stuff,” he said. “Texas has been doing it longer and it’s the most organized state. How many good quarterbacks have come out of Texas the last 10 years? A ton. The more reps you get at anything, the better you’ll be at it.

“It’s why I stink so bad at golf.”