Browns: Anderson or Quinn?

Brady Quinn wants to be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. When Cleveland drafted Brady Quinn 22nd overall in the 2006 NFL Draft the Browns wanted Quinn to be their starting quarterback of the future.

Everyone agrees that the future for Cleveland is now.

Derek Anderson has ruined Quinn’s starting hopes, and it appears it will be 2009 before the former Notre Dame great has a chance to start. Phil Savage says he won’t decide between the two until the 2009 season, because Anderson’s performance in 2008 earned him the right to start.

Even Quinn agrees that Anderson, out of Oregon State, has earned the spot for now.

“People can say what they want to say,” Quinn said. “Derek had a good year. I think right now if you talk to coaches and the GM, they say he’s the starter going into it. That’s where we’re at. And he deserves that based on what he did last year.”

Last year Anderson completed 56.3% of his passes for 3,787 yards and 29 touchdown passes. He did throw 19 interceptions, but for his first year starting as a NFL quarterback the numbers aren’t too shabby.

It’s very disheartening for Quinn, a guy that was delved as Cleveland’s future during the 2006 NFL Draft. All weekend all you heard on television was how Quinn, and offensive tackle Joe Thomas, would lead Cleveland back from their many years of mediocrity.

So far, so good for Thomas. For Quinn, well it appears it is going to be a long 2008 season unless Anderson gets injured or plays completely different then he did in 2007.

The Browns are in a great situation here because they have a whole year before they have to decide to keep one, and it appears they have two guys that have the talent to be a NFL quarterback.

Some teams don’t even have one.

Quinn continues taking reps and continues working out. He’s working hard to get the spot, but if Anderson performs well on the field there’s nothing Quinn can do.

One thing is for sure, this next season will decide a lot in Cleveland and a lot for Quinn.