NFL

Another Way to Get Quinn Out of Cleveland: Trade Him to Denver

A year ago, Derek Anderson was coming off a Pro Bowl season and proved that he was an NFL starting quarterback in the process, if not for the Browns, then certainly somewhere. Now, after enduring a benching and a season-ending knee injury in 2008, his future seems much less certain.

The same can also be said about Cleveland's other quarterback, Brady Quinn, who was drafted in 2007 as the face of the franchise only to start just three games in two seasons. Earlier this week, the National Football Post's Mike Lombardi didn't rule out the possibility of the Browns drafting another quarterback this April.

Today, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi talks of trading Quinn, but not for the purposes of drafting another quarterback; instead to clear up the current quarterback quandary by making it a one-man competition.

The plan? A three-team trade -- the Broncos get Quinn (Grossi's logic: Charlie Weis loves Quinn, therefore, via the transitive property, Josh McDaniels would also love him), the Jets get Jay Cutler, and the Browns get a high-round pick in return. Grossi explains:
First, [trading Quinn] would unlock the logjam at quarterback and establish the offensive leader once and for all. The Browns say they're happy with bringing both passers back, but league sources insist the team is shopping either quarterback. They say the Browns can't decide which one they really want, so they would just keep the one they can't trade and move forward.

What does it matter, anyway? The decimation of the Browns' receiving corps (goodbye Winslow, Jurevicius and probably Donte Stallworth) leaves the offense in ball-control mode for 2009.

Second, a trade of Quinn would -- must -- net the Browns an additional high-round pick, which would help rebuild the team. And if that high-round pick happens to come from the Jets, now, wouldn't that make it a perfect deal for coach Eric Mangini?
All well and good, for sure, but as I mentioned previously, this still leaves the Browns in rebuilding mode for next season. There are better ways to excite a fan base. Not only that, but why fire Romeo Crennel if mediocrity is the plan for '09?

One argument: Making these moves now will pay off in the long term -- theoretically, anyway. It's just that this is a familiar story arc: new coach is hired, he upends the roster, builds for the future and a handful of four-win seasons later, the process repeats itself.

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