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Weeden will stay home for NFL draft

Brandon Weeden passed on a chance to attend the NFL draft in New York, choosing instead to find out his future from the comfort of his parents' home in Edmond, Okla.

The Oklahoma State quarterback is being projected as a possible late first- or second-round pick.

He received an official invite to the draft from the NFL last week, but the thought of spending a night - or more - backstage at Radio City Music Hall waiting for his name to be called wasn't appealing.

"I really contemplated going," he said. "I hope to go in the first round, but there are a lot of unknowns."

Through the years, several high-profile quarterbacks have become the story of the draft because of when they weren't drafted.

Aaron Rodgers was perhaps the most famous draft day slider. San Francisco considered taking him first overall out of California, but instead chose Alex Smith of Utah. Rodgers, who was at the draft, waited hours before being picked No. 24 by Green Bay.

Brady Quinn had a similar slide in 2007 and ended up going to Cleveland with the 22st overall pick.

Weeden is not in the conversation to go at the very top of the draft. No. 1 will likely be Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck to the Colts and No. 2 is penciled in to be Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III to the Redskins.

There has been, however, more and more speculation about Weeden being selected in the first round, especially after he visited the Cleveland Browns earlier this week.

The Browns own the No. 4 pick - which could be used on Weeden's teammate, receiver Justin Blackmon - and the No. 22 pick. Cleveland also picks early in the second round, No. 36 overall.

The 28-year-old Weeden spent Sunday night and almost all day Monday at the Browns' facility in Berea, Ohio. He met with coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert and even spent some time with team president Mike Holmgren, the former Packers and Seahawks coach.

Getting to see where NFL players go to work got Weeden's competitive juices flowing.

"It makes you hungry," he said. "You get chomping at the bit to get to one of these places and go play."

The trips serve as second interviews of sorts of the players and teams. The first time they meet is at the combine in February. When a team brings a player in for another face-to-face meeting it can only speak to the player. No workouts allowed.

If a team wants another look at a player performing, the team must go to the player.

Weeden said he's had at least one team come to Stillwater, Okla., to watch him throw again, and he's set to make another trip early next week.

On Wednesday, he found out from his agent, Sean Howard, that two more teams want to bring him in - though those details are still to be worked out.

Before Weeden takes another business trip, he's got one scheduled for pleasure this weekend.

Weeden, along with his father, brother and wife, are heading to Augusta, Ga., for the Masters.

Weeden, a former minor league baseball player who also walked on Oklahoma State's golf team, attended the final round of last year's Masters. He's excited to take his dad to the most famous golf course in the country.

"I always wanted to have a way to get him there," he said. "He's tickled to death."

The Weedens have already started mapping out draft day plans, and it won't be a totally private party. ESPN will have a camera in the house to check in throughout the process and capture Weeden's reaction when he gets picked.

The Masters trip will be a welcome distraction for Weeden with the three-day draft, which starts April 26, getting closer.

"When it starts to settle in that it's only three weeks out, I get pretty anxious," he said.


Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP