Which Cleveland Browns Rumor Is Funnier?

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam punted his general manager and CEO today, and his late front-office shuffling has produced two interesting but dubious rumors. It's difficult to decide which is better, so judge for yourself.

The first:

Peyton Manning—yes, the quarterback Peyton Manning—will reportedly have the CEO position in Cleveland's front office reserved for him until he retires. Haslam and Manning are both from the University of Tennessee, and football seems like such an important part of Manning's life that he'd stay associated with it after his playing career ends. Peyton as an NFL executive makes sense, but with the Browns?

The second rumor, via a report from Mike Silver, is that quarterback Brandon Weeden, one of the worst quarterbacks in the league, is asking for a trade:

"Given the turmoil with the coaching staff and lack of public support from the most recent front office, he's interested in a fresh start, with a clean slate and an opportunity to compete to show he has the talent to develop into a productive player in the league."

Weeden's had his offensive coaching structure built and destroyed twice already, and though coaches aren't the only reason why he's been disappointing—23 passing touchdowns to 26 interceptions and a 71.6 QB rating in two seasons—numerous changes to the offensive scheme don't help. Cleveland will likely draft a quarterback in May, and quarterback Brian Hoyer showed more promise in three games than Weeden did in eight last season, so Weeden's looking like the odd man out. The quarterback has the trade value of a sack of rotten bananas right now, and the team can't release him without taking a sizable hit to its cap, but, hey, Brandon apparently wants to leave.

This is a copout, but while Weeden's demands are more plausible, both of these rumors are hilarious. Go Browns.

Photo: AP