Showing posts with label Derek Anderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Derek Anderson. Show all posts

Monday, April 6, 2009

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!


Friday, February 27, 2009

After Winslow Trade, Firesale in Cleveland?

The recent trade of tight end Kellen Winslow to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers doesn't feel like the end of roster moves for the Browns. John Clayton reported on ESPN that the Browns were shopping many different players. One tends to think this might mean Braylon Edwards or Derek Anderson.
Braylon is in the last year in his contract and will most likely be looking for a long term deal to get done during the season. That means that he will have to put up numbers. That also means he will have to catch the ball. Maybe a contract incentive is what The Big Drop needs.
DA is gone before the season starts. Anybody who thinks any different is not thinking long term. He is starting quarterback in the NFL. The Browns need him to enhance his trade value. A strong showing in training camp or an injury to another team's guy could trigger a desperate, hopefully leading to a lucrative, trade for DA. I'm sure doesn't want to wait that long. Don't be suprised to see him in Tampa, folks.
Getting rid of K2 probably gets Cleveland the most amount of draft picks they could have gotten for him. Waiting too long can be a bad thing. But, they also get rid of his contract. This gives the Browns a little more room to sign either draft picks or free agents. Phil Savage did a pretty good job of draining the extra cash pool.
Without Winslow, Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson lose a phenomenal tight end. He was willing to go over the middle to catch the ball. He had the best hands on the offense last year, behind Josh Cribbs.
I also think he tanks on plays occassionally.
The point is, I won't know how to react until the Browns show why this was a good decision.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

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.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

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.