by Wayne Reeves

Created on: March 24, 2010

Brady Quinn’s rookie season in 2007 consisted of watching (as then) unheralded starter Derek Anderson have a Pro Bowl calibre year.  On their way to a 10-6 winning season, the Browns offense appeared to click for the first time since the organisation was restarted back in 1999.

Not only was Anderson having his best year ever, so were WR Braylon Edwards and TE Kellen Winslow (both had over 80 catches, 1,000+ yards and scored 16 and five TDs respectively).  Quinn must have thought the wrong team had drafted him.

Despite the freakishly good season, Cleveland still missed the playoffs.  The following season it was Anderson again who took control of the offense, but flip-flopping of QBs was only a few months away.  Quinn had his chance but broke a finger to eventually end up on injured-reserve - cue Anderson back in the line-up (who also ended-up crocked for the year).

Coach Romeo Crennel at the time did not know who was the better option - Quinn was struggling to play with any consistency or conviction.  With new coach Eric Mangini at the helm in ’09 - Quinn got the start till week three and it was bench-time again for the former first-rounder.  Missing seven weeks until seeing any action again, the merry-go-round was borderline farce as Quinn and Anderson flirted with the idea of being an uncontested No.1 QB.

Whether it is the organisation’s fault to build a decent supporting cast or Quinn’s inability to adapt quickly to NFL football, the relationship between the two was a disaster.  It is only fair the new GM (Tom Heckart Jr.) and President (Mike Holmgren) get to ’clean-house’ and start anew by shipping Quinn out.

Now Quinn has been traded to the Denver Broncos, and Anderson released, the Browns can take a fresh look at the offense.  In return for Quinn, the Broncos sent the Browns a sixth-round pick in 2011 and conditional seventh-round selection in 2012 - plus FB Peyton Hillis.  Not a fantastic return on a 2007 22nd overall pick of the draft but better than nothing.

A stop-gap measure to ensure some experience is leading the Browns offense is the free-agent signing of ex-Carolina Panthers’ QB Jake Delhomme.  He is a fiery personality on the field and may be the spark the young offense needs to up their game.  Also in the mix is ex-Seattle Seahawks’ QB Seneca Wallace.

Quinn may still have a hard time trying to beat out incumbent Kyle Orton in his new surroundings in Denver; although the supporting cast has a better look to it than the still-developing Browns right now.  Despite the loss of a first-rounder in only three short years, the future for Cleveland can only get better.  

Their QB position has been settled for the next couple of seasons - more than enough time to find a long-term successor.  There is life after Brady Quinn - maybe the Browns will learn from the comedy-of-errors their offense has been for the last two years, maybe they won’t.

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