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BEREA, Ohio -- On the first day of minicamp Tuesday, rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden stepped right up and took the first set of reps with the starting offense in 11-on-11 drills.

Coach Pat Shurmur has asked the media not to read too much into that, but the great Bill Belichick taught us all long ago that you can only go by what you see -- what you see is that Weeden is already the guy.

He's the first guy up in team drills, he's the guy at the podium after practice and he's the guy dazzling everyone in drills.

Granted, Colt McCoy went first in the second team period of the day, but for all intents and purposes, Weeden is first on the imaginary depth chart and that doesn't figure to change anytime soon.

Does he already feel like the guy?

"Not yet, just because nothing is formal," Weeden said. "We're still two months out until we play our first pre-season game. I'm still working my tail off just to get better and keep learning.

"I'm getting more comfortable with what we are doing, but I still have a long ways to go."

What he does like is airing it out, something the Browns are giving him plenty of chances to do in practice.

"Sometimes in this West Coast offense it can get labeled as an underneath route, catch-and-run route [scheme], but anytime you can really step into one and let it rip, that's fun. And when you've got a guy like Travis that can go get it, it's even more fun. He can fly."

Weeden has also taken it upon himself to develop chemistry after-hours with other receivers such as Greg Little.

"Me and Greg stayed after practice the other day and worked on a particular route. I was telling Mo after practice, I love the way he runs that comeback. I love throwing it to him. He runs it well. I throw it to the sideline, he's right there and it's stealing, which feels good. I think that's when offenses get better is when their quarterbacks and receivers are on the same page."

Said Little: "He's very capable of making any play. When he's in the huddle, his presence is felt. Guys really understand that he commands excellence when he's in there, and that's what you want in a quarterback."

Added Jordan Norwood: "[His passes] are certainly more than catchable. Everybody knows he has a strong arm and he's doing a great job so far. There's a lot being thrown at him, but he's an older guy, so he knows how to be professional. The more he grasps the offense, the better he'll be."

Weeden also has no qualms about chiming in and telling the coaching staff what he wants.

"There's a couple of plays in the red zone, I told [quarterbacks coach Mark] Whipple that I wasn't a big fan of," he said. "If I don't like it I'm going to continue to tell him because if you're not comfortable with the quarterback throwing it, most coaches will tell you they won't call it. I like 99.8 percent of it."

He might not feel like the guy yet, but he certainly looks like it.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot