If Weeden can't go, it should be Hoyer

If Brandon Weeden’s sore thumb prevents him from playing against the Vikings Sunday in Minnesota, Rob Chudzinski would be wise to elevate Brian Hoyer to replace him as the Browns’ starting quarterback.

Yes, Hoyer is the third stringer. The guy the Browns brought in strictly as insurance should Weeden and Jason Campbell go down. And yes, Campbell is more familiar with Norv Turner’s offense, having played one season in it.

But Campbell is nothing more than a journeyman, a guy whose career has been hit and miss to the point where you’re never going to win anything with him. He’s up, he’s down. You never know what you’re going to get on any given Sunday.

Hoyer, on the other hand, is the X factor. You don’t know what you’re going to get from the Clevelander, either, because he has no track record from which to make a judgment. He’s also four years younger than Campbell and much more mobile.

Bill Belichick thought enough of him to keep him around in New England for a few seasons before deciding to keep only two quarterbacks. And we all know that Cleveland General Manager Mike Lombardi has a crush on his talents.

Chudzinski will make the final decision should Weeden be given the week off to heal, but it will be interesting to see how much influence Lombardi has should he choose to weigh in on the decision.

Of course, we’re dealing with a potential hypothesis here. But what the heck, why not try Hoyer at this time? Give him a shot. What does the coach have to lose? Another game? He’s lost his first two already.

Let’s see what Hoyer can do when the game is much more meaningful than looking decent in a few exhibition games. You never know.

So he doesn’t have the throwing arm to successfully implement Turner’s down-the-field offense, especially now that Josh Gordon is back. Campbell, of course, does, But Hoyer’s positives outweigh his negatives.

He plays the game as much between the ears as he does from a physical standpoint. That’s right. He’s a thinking man’s quarterback. Now whether that translates into something that would generate positive results remains to be seen.

Time to find out and a good enough reason he should be the starter against the Vikings if Weeden can’t go. This might be his best opportunity, but only if Chudzinski chooses wisely.

Stranger things have happened to quarterbacks who weren’t deemed good enough and languished only to ultimately find themselves under center due to an injury. I give you Tom Brady and Kurt Warner. 

Obviously not comparing Hoyer to either man. Only the circumstances under which they eventually found their way to superstardom.