Rookies Could Help Brady Quinn Transition to Starting Role

Perhaps the best way to ease a young NFL quarterback into the starting job is to surround him with playmakers, the support of a suffocating defense, or both. That way, he's seldom in the position of having to win a game, but has the benefit of gaining experience.

The strategy worked for the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, and the Ravens and Joe Flacco and the Falcons and Matt Ryan last season. Pittsburgh was 15-1, Baltimore and Atlanta were 11-5. It helps to have most of the pieces in place before handing over the offense to a young QB, but it's not mandatory; the Ravens won five times the year before Flacco arrived, and the Falcons won four.

And now it looks like Brady Quinn's got the gig in Cleveland. Two weeks ago, the Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi heard through the grapevine that it was Quinn's job to lose. And this weekend, colleague Terry Pluto echoed those sentiments:

I believe that so far, [new head coach Eric] Mangini prefers Quinn. He wants Quinn to know that. He also wants Anderson to know that -- which is why he seemed almost anxious to discuss the topic at his press conference Thursday. In the past, Mangini seemed to be trying to win an award for making the most vague, meaningless comments about his quarterbacks. Not this time.

So that's one less thing Mangini has to worry about between now and September. But like Big Ben, Flacco and Ryan, Quinn's success will rest largely with the people around him. The Browns' offensive line is underrated, the running game is solid, but the passing game has plenty of questions.

Two years ago, Braylon Edwards was a Pro Bowler. Last year, he was not, and that's the nicest thing you can say about his 2008 season. Dante' Stallworth's future is still undecided, Joe Jurevicius was released, and Kellen Winslow was traded to Tampa Bay. But none of that could matter.

In April, Cleveland used two of their three second-round picks on wideouts Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi. More from Pluto:

In workouts, Brian Robiskie has come as advertised. He's smart, runs routes quickly, creates space to get open and shows excellent hands, especially in the end zone. The Browns have been impressed with Mohamed Massaquoi's ability to get open downfield, and think he is strong enough to handle cornerbacks who try to knock him off his routes.

In general, wide receivers take two or three years to transition to the NFL from college, but there are exceptions. As a rookie in 2007, Dwayne Bowe caught 70 passes for 995 yards on a bad Chiefs team, and the year before, Marques Colston went 70/1,038.

Robiskie seems the best equipped to play well immediately, and NFL Network's Mike Mayock called him the most polished receiver in the draft. That won't be enough to take the Browns from four wins to the playoffs, but it's a start. And if Mangini can fix the defense, who knows. The AFC North is a tough division, but Cleveland won 10 times in 2007 with Romeo Crennel and Derek Anderson. Unless you're the Lions, "there's always next season" holds some truth.