Browns Fans: Prepare For The Worst QB Competition Ever
By thelandryhat
Written by theMBIIIeffect
Cleveland has never really been a quarterback’s town. It ain’t San Francisco, and it sure as hell ain’t Dallas.
Things aren’t looking up for Cleveland sports fans, either, as the Browns could be preparing to host the worst quarterback competitions the NFL has ever seen.
The Browns have already parted ways with Derek Anderson, a former Pro-Bowler. He got off a good shot off at the Dawg Pound before he left town:
"“The fans are ruthless and don’t deserve a winner,” Anderson wrote Tuesday in a terse e-mail when asked for a reaction to being released. “I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured.“I know at times I wasn’t great. I hope and pray I’m playing when my team comes to town and (we) roll them.”"
Anderson’s release came hot on the heels of news that the Browns had traded an undisclosed 2011 draft pick to the Seahawks in exchange for backup quarterback Seneca Wallace.
Wallace isn’t bad, but he’s far from a franchise quarterback, too. In the long run, the team might have been better off with Anderson, who was tall and had a big, strong arm. He’d had the best year of any Browns quarterback in recent memory when he threw for 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2007.
The aforementioned injury to Anderson, a torn knee ligament thanks to Colts defender Robert Mathis, brought his 2008 to a close. This season, coming back from injury and juggling starts with Brady Quinn, Anderson threw 10 interceptions in eight games. According to team president Mike Holmgren, Anderson threw too many interceptions.
So who are the Browns considering bringing in to fill Anderson’s shoes?
According to rumors, the Browns are courting Jake Delhomme, who threw many more interceptions than Anderson in 2009.
You can’t make this stuff up, people.
The other “Jake the Snake” threw five interceptions in a 2008 playoffs loss to the Cardinals and followed that up with 18 picks in 11 starts last season. That almost makes Anderson’s 10 picks in 8 starts look good. Or at least better.
So, Browns fans, what will it be? Which quarterback do you want to lead your team against the Bengals, Steelers and Ravens twice a year? A perennial backup in Seneca Wallace, turnover machine Jake Delhomme or current bum-in-charge Brady Quinn.
Apparently, Quinn is also on the trading block (quick, Cowboys fans-who would you rather have on your team? Quinn or Felix Jones?). But what do you get for him? It’ll probably be a late-round choice in a future draft, but who will be interested? He’ll probably be cut before he’s traded.
So, imagine with me, if you will, this quarterback competition: Quinn vs. Delhomme vs. Wallace.
There are still plenty of ways for this competition to go depending on who exactly the Browns sign, trade or release. Still, those three names should never be fighting over a starting job, except in the CFL.
The Browns won’t have a shot at improving, either. Their first-round pick, seventh overall, will probably come after Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen are off the board. So, if the Browns go for a quarterback, who do they go for?
There are more questions than answers for the Browns today. Are they banking that Jake Delhomme isn’t done and can find a way to stop throwing interceptions? Is Brady Quinn really a bust? Has Seneca Wallace done anything to show that he can handle a full season as a starter against dominant defenses? Are there any other free agents worth a look? How about someone in the draft?
If I were a Browns fan, Derek Anderson wouldn’t sound too bad right about now.