The Browns' dilemma
11/26/2007
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Derek Anderson got the snap, took a five-step drop and immediately looked for his favorite target, wide receiver Braylon Edwards.
The Texans were in zone coverage with the outside linebackers covering the flats and the corners and safeties playing in deep quarters. There was only a small window in which Edwards was open and Anderson had to make a perfect pass.
He did.
Anderson threw a frozen rope to Edwards, splitting three defenders for a Browns’ touchdown early in the second quarter. The Browns trailed only once after that and eventually beat the Texans 27-17 this past weekend for their seventh win of the season.
Cleveland Brown fans have been waiting years for this. Their team is finally competitive and exciting, and for the first time since 2002, the Browns are actually contending for a playoff spot.
Since missing on first round picks Tim Couch, Courtney Brown, Gerard Warren, William Green and Jeff Faine, they have struck gold over the past four years with the selections of Kellen Winslow Jr., Edwards, Kamerion Wimbley and Joe Thomas.
They’ve not only hit on their first round picks, but also found value in later rounds as well. Second round picks D’Qwell Jackson, Sean Jones, Brodney Pool and Eric Wright (before he got hurt) have all made solid contributions on defense. And if he continues to play like he did last Sunday against the Texans, fifth round corner Brandon McDonald could wind up being a huge steal.
The job general manager Phil Savage has done in completely rebuilding one of the worst offensive lines in football can’t be overlooked either. With the additions of Thomas, Eric Steinbach, Hank Fraley and Kevin Shaffer, the Browns now have one of the best offenses in the NFL and it’s no coincidence that running back Jamal Lewis has resurrected his career.
So what’s the issue?
The problem is at the quarterback position and for once, it’s a good problem to have. Over the years, the Browns have churned out quarterbacks like Land O’Lakes churns out butter. Tim Couch, Ty Detmer, Doug Pederson, Spergon Wynn, Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye have all tried and subsequently failed under center for the Browns since 1999.
This year is different, however. This year, Anderson is doing his best Tony Romo impersonation by coming out of nowhere to lead the Browns to a 7-4 record. In 11 games this year, he’s thrown for 2,758 yards and 22 touchdowns. His QB rating of 89.5 ranks him 11th among all NFL quarterbacks and he’s only two points shy of leapfrogging Kurt Warner, Carson Palmer, Jay Cutler and Matt Hasselbeck in the rankings.
One of the more remarkable feats Anderson has achieved this season is that in seven of the 11 games he’s appeared in, he has thrown for at least two touchdowns. And other than a three-interception outing against New England in Week 5, he’s been taking care of the ball too.
So he’s having a good season, big deal, right? Wrong. He’s having a big season just in time to become a restricted free agent after the year. He’s having a big season at a time when the Bears, Falcons, Vikings and Ravens are desperately in need of a young signal caller.
What are the Browns to do? Since Anderson will be a restricted free agent, they have first right to match any offer made by another team. Plus, they can sign him to the highest restricted tender, which means that any team that wanted him would likely have to give up a draft pick in rounds one through three.
Regardless, the Browns are likely going to get good value for a guy they didn’t even draft last season (the Ravens drafted him in the sixth round.) So, again, what’s the problem?
The problem is that Derek Anderson is better than Brady Quinn (below), the same Brady Quinn in whom the Browns invested a number-one draft pick and a five-year, $9.2 million contract this past offseason.
Without Quinn taking one snap in the NFL, it’s not fair to compare him to anyone. However, I was never sold on Quinn being a top-10 quarterback in last year’s draft. While at Notre Dame, he often tried to make the perfect play instead of just taking what the defense gave him. That statement goes against what Quinn did this year in his few preseason appearances, but long term, I think he’s going to have trouble adjusting when defenses start game planning for his weaknesses. He also appears to shift his weight improperly when making short to intermediate throws and his accuracy may come into question down the road as well.
Anderson, on the other hand, has all the physical tools scouts drool over. He has a strong arm, will take shots downfield and most importantly, he’s proven this season that he can be a clutch playmaker. He also doesn’t get rattled in the pocket and throws a very catchable ball. The touchdown passes he threw to Edwards and Winslow against Houston last week were on a rope and in between multiple defenders. He doesn’t hesitate when he throws and while that can sometimes lead to turnovers, a quarterback without fear is going to have better odds to win than one who plays the game too cautiously.
Rumor has it that the Browns may try to trade Quinn in the offseason. Here’s why the Browns would have a harder time trading Quinn than Anderson:
- Anderson already has experience, which is highly valuable at the quarterback position.
- Anderson has already proven that he can play, while Quinn is still an unknown.
- 21 teams passed on Quinn in last year’s draft before the Browns traded back into the first round to snag him, so who’s to say anybody would even be interested in him now?
If you were a general manager, why would you give up multiple draft picks for an unknown quarterback as opposed to one who is having a breakout year and is only 24 years old? The only thing in Quinn’s corner is that he’s making just over $9 million, which is peanuts for a quarterback, especially one that may become a starter. Assuming Anderson continues to play at this level all season and doesn’t get hurt, he’s going to strike it rich somewhere.
Teams will pay big for what they believe is a quality starting quarterback, which Anderson is. It’s a good situation for the Browns to be in, because with how many holes they have on defense, they could parlay a trade for Anderson into two or three draft picks, just like the Falcons did this past offseason with Matt Schaub.
However, the problem is possibly trading away the wrong quarterback. Yeah, the Falcons got a couple of starters from the Schaub trade, but now also have a huge need at the most important position on the field. If the Browns net a couple of defensive starters for Anderson but Quinn turns out to be a bust, they’re back to square one with problems under center.
Another possibility for the Browns is to just stay pat with both quarterbacks. They could retain Anderson next year while Quinn continues to hold a clipboard and then make a decision following the 2008 season on which quarterback they’d like to keep. Plus, if Anderson continues to play well, his stock is only going to rise. The risk involved with that, however, is not getting anything for Anderson when he becomes a free agent in 2008 or sinking an enormous amount of long-term money into two players at one position.
Whichever way they decide to go, maybe the Browns will be fine in the end. Maybe it won’t matter which quarterback they keep with how Savage and coordinator Rob Chudzinksi have rebuilt the offense. Maybe the offensive line and play calling is so good that Tim Couch could come back and play at a top level.
But maybe it does matter. Trade the wrong signal caller and you could doom your franchise for years. This has been a fun season for Browns fans and it looks to only be getting better, but a serious dilemma is on the horizon.
Questions or comments? Send them to astalter@bullz-eye.com.