It's Been Awhile

The Browns teed it up against the Ravens on Monday Night Football tonight in what could have been the most unheralded Monday night game of the season, or ever.

However, the announcers made the game a Browns love-fest. Innuendos were abound as Jon Gruden churched up Brady Quinn and the entire Cleveland Browns history. Will Gruden coach the Browns next season? Judging by the broadcast, there was no question.

However, Gruden signed a multi-year deal with media giant ESPN on Monday, leaving little doubt about his future as a head coach in the NFL next season.

The Browns got 90% of the talk Monday night and went as far as to show Gruden's childhood pictures in Browns gear, much like the pictures of Brady Quinn. They even showed a letter he wrote to Leroy Kelly, telling Kelly that he was Gruden's favorite player.

Browns fans were sadly misled. Gruden will not coach the Browns next season. Eric Mangini will. The team has 11 draft picks next season but no stars to build around.

Brady Quinn got the starting job at quarterback and was allowed to play an entire game. This is rare in Cleveland, where the position seems to be unsettled at best.

Browns fans were faced with the proposition to sit outside of their seats until after the opening kickoff as a protest to the team's poor performance and perceived lack of direction. That protest was not evident on television and the fans were as loud as ever, showing support for a team that has done little to deserve it.

Of course, the Ravens beat the Browns 16-0, and there does not seem to be much hope for the lowly Browns. 10-year veteran Steve Heiden was injured early and the best player on the team, Josh Cribbs, was carted off by an ambulance late in the game. By then the stadium was practically empty, and deservedly so.

This team is terrible. They seem to have no identity. The defense seems solid until the second half and the offense is suspect at best.

Who knows what owner Randy Lerner will do next. If changing coaches isn't the answer (and I don't think it is) then what the hell? There is a direction that leads to nowhere, and the Cleveland Browns are following all the way.

Sanchez could be good pick at 5

I know it is a stretch, but if Aaron Curry is not available at the fifth pick in this month's draft, then why not pick Mark Sanchez?

Sanchez supposedly had tremendous work outs and great reviews from guys like Trent Dilfer.  If the Browns end up trading Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson or both, a quarterback is not such a bad pick.  Why not Matthew Stafford?

I think Sanchez over Stafford because everyone thinks the opposite.  Seriously, everybody thought Tim Couch could be great.  I think Sanchez is better long-term.  We may have to wait a few years to see, but I'm sure we'll all remember, I called it!

Quinn To Be Traded?

It doesn't seem that he knows about it.

With all the trade rumors going around that involve Brady Quinn and Jay Cutler, it appears that the Browns quarterback has not heard anything.

Full story.

Could Derek Anderson Net the Browns a First Round Pick?

Word on the street is, the Detroit Lions are the worst team in the NFL, and apparantly they need a quarterback. Now, I know they just worked a deal for Duante Culpepper, but that deal extends his bonus out over three years where the Lions can let him go with no real penalties. That being the case, the Lions have a void at the quarterback spot, and draft picks.

With 2 first round picks, Detroit could keep the number 1 pick and send the second pick to Cleveland for Derek Anderson. The Browns could then use two first round picks on a linebacker and a defensive back.

Whatever they pick, this seems like a good deal for both teams. I think Anderson is better than Quinn right now and may have a better career, but if you can get a first round pick for a guy that had a year like DA had, go for it. Quinn will do. Really, all that matters is winning. To win, the Browns need some more talent and better attitudes. You get that in the draft. We haven't had one in a while, so this could be nice.

I say we get Kelly Holcomb in to back up Brady Quinn.

What is the meaning of life? Or more importantly, who is going to play quarterback for the Cleveland Browns next season?

How many Pro Bowl quarterbacks are on the Cleveland Browns' roster?
One.
How many first round draft pick quarterbacks are on the Cleveland Browns' roster?
One.

The trouble is, they're not the same guy.

Derek Anderson (the former) and Brady Quinn (the latter) both got the chance to start for the greatest franchise in the history of professional football this past season. The general perception is that Anderson is on his way out the door and Quinn is the man of the future. This perception is not unfounded, seeing as Anderson was replaced as the starter in week 10. Quinn subsequently started three games and then was sidelined for the rest of the season with a finger injury. Anderson replaced him for a short while before sustaining a season ending concussion.

And for all you Ken Dorsey fans, don't worry. There has never been a quarterback with a higher clipboard rating. He is a Brown for life.

So who will carry the torch for new head coach Eric Mangini? This is where the fun begins.

Derek Anderson can flat out toss the bladder. Let's have a look at a typical pass play on offense for the Browns this season. Shotgun formation with Jamal Lewis in the backfield next to Anderson. Edwards wide left, Josh Cribbs wide right. Kellen Winslow slot left, Syndric Steptoe slot right. Hank Fraley snaps the ball, good snap. Anderson controls, looks right, nobody open, looks left, linebacker, defensive end and defensive tackle in his face. A flick of the wrist and DA sends the ball 65 yards down the field to Braylon Edwards in stride, who then drops the ball on the six yard line.

In summary, the offensive line could not block an eighth-grader for large portions of the season, wide receivers were not up to par and, although not mentioned above, the O-line also had trouble getting holes for Jamal Lewis. "The Truck" was still able to plow his way to over a 1,000 yards, with some help from the playcalling during the Steeler game.

Brady Quinn ran into similar problems. He did not have much time to throw the ball and Edwards continued to drop passes. It seemed that Kellen Winslow was the only guy willing to make a catch for either quarterback. It is harder to assess Quinn because he didn't play much. There is no doubt excitement about the possibility of him leading the Browns to the playoffs and more, but I think we need to calm ourselves down a little bit. He throws a better short game than DA, but nobody besides Winslow wants to catch the ball over the middle.

Derek Anderson is by far the better choice for the Browns right now. Word on the street is that Mangini favors the short game. That's fine, let DA get into it in the offseason. He would be well suited to get with a system where he is comfortable and knows that he will have time to work through his check downs. His ability to throw the deep ball keeps safeties honest on the blitz, allowing Jamal to power his way to the second level and demoralize anyone in his way.

I say you give the Pro Bowler a chance with the new system and see what happens. It can't be any worse than last season. Brady will get his chance, but let Derek Anderson get our Team to the next level offensively.