BEREA (92.3 The Fan) - It was the announcement that has been expected since April 26.

Brandon Weeden will be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.

It took 10 practices for coach Pat Shurmur to say what everyone not named Colt McCoy was waiting for him to say.

“Brandon Weeden will start the Detroit game [Friday] and he’ll will be our starter going forward,” Shurmur said. “The No. 2 position will be determined based on how things play out here in training camp.

“I told him that he was going to be the starter and I expected him to act that way. It’s nothing new for him, being in this position. It’s just new for him here with the Cleveland Browns.”

Shurmur informed Weeden, McCoy and the rest of team prior to Monday afternoon’s practice and he made the announcement following it.

“I sat down with all three guys separately and told them,” Shurmur said. “Colt was very professional. Disappointed, but he handled it well.”

Weeden was selected No. 22 overall by the Browns in the first round of the draft earlier this year and was expected to win the job over McCoy.

“Hearing the news, it’s obviously exciting but my preparation is not going to change,” Weeden said. “I’m going to go about it the same way I’ve been going about it and continue to get better, continue to be a leader on this football team. We play Friday.

“My job is to get this team better to start winning games on Friday.”

Weeden played it close to the vest during OTA’s and minicamp about his expectations to play this season. But the more work that he received with the first team offense the more clear that it became that he would be named the starter for week 1 eventually.

“Now that it’s official and I’m going to start the first [game], I think that’s what I wanted,” Weeden said. “That was my goal and I’m excited about it. Like I said, it’s a privilege. A lot of hard work has gone into it, but it’s a privilege to be a starting quarterback for this football team.”

Shurmur explained what made Weeden stand out.

“I think he’s an outstanding thrower,” Shurmur said. “He knows how to play the position. He’s a good decision maker. And he’s working through the progressions, and understanding where the ball goes. He’s accurate, and I think when he gets in the huddle, he’s wired right to play the position. So he’s going to be our guy right now.”

Being named the starter doesn’t change much for Weeden who is becoming more comfortable working with veterans on and off of the field.

“I know the plays well enough now to get in the huddle, joke with the guys, communicate with the guys who have been in there awhile,” Weeden said. “The chemistry’s great. I feel a lot more comfortable in the huddle now than at the beginning. I feel I have a lot more ability to say something, command more. But I’m going to go about it the same way.

“But it is all about wins and losses. I’ve got to show I’m the best guy to get wins.”

Colt McCoy, who went 6-15 and 0-for the AFC North as a starter over two seasons, tried to say all the right things after practice but made it clear that he didn’t think it was much of a competition

“Well I thought coming in it would be a competition,” McCoy said. “But, again, I’ve come out here and competed my tail off.

“I would like to say that I haven’t taken any snaps in walk through or in practice with the first group. I’ve come out here and made myself better with the reps that I’ve got.”

Shurmur expects to play Weeden for the first quarter Friday night’s preseason opener at Detroit but Weeden is anxious for more.

“Every rep is vital,” Weeden said. “You can’t get enough of them. You see guys in the league 12, 14 years like Peyton Manning, and they take as many as they can. I take every single one and learn.”

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