Brady Quinn Trade Rumor
Vikings Offered a Pair of First Round Picks for the Browns Backup
Oct 22, 2008
When the Cleveland Browns drafted Notre Dame stand-out quarterback Brady Quinn, many observers of the team rejoiced the move. Nearly a season and a half has passed and Quinn has completed 3 passes for a meager 45 yards. Before the 2007 draft, Quinn was touted as the top quarterback and, quite possibly, the best player in the field. He slipped to the 22nd pick, loosened his tie, chewed his gum, and began his NFL career.
Quinn Trade Offer
The NFL trade deadline passed on October 14, 2008 and Quinn remained the Cleveland Browns’ backup quarterback. However, a major rumor swirled regarding a potential trade involving the Minnesota Vikings. In an October 13, 2008 Foxsports.com article entitled "Vikings Offer Browns Draft Picks for Quinn", NFL insider Jay Glazer reports that the Browns were presented with a significant trade offer. It involved the Vikings sending a 1st round draft pick in 2009 and another 1st round pick in 2010 to the Browns for Quinn. The deal was rejected by the Browns. Was Quinn in the Browns' future plans?
Derek Anderson
After the Pittsburgh Steelers thrashed the Cleveland Browns 35-7 in the opener of the 2007 season, the Browns quickly shipped then-starting quarterback Charlie Frye to the Seattle Seahawks for a 6th round pick in the 2008 draft. Derek Anderson was anointed the starter and has not relinquished that title except for a few quarters in the last game of the 2007 season. Anderson led the Browns to a 10-6 record and was named to the Pro Bowl team. Following the season, he accepted a 3-year contract with the Browns.
Cleveland Quarterback Controversy
The debate regarding the future of the quarterback position for the Browns spread like wildfire after the rumored trade. With the team struggling to a 2-4 record, many Browns fans are split between the quarterbacks. The homegrown Quinn played high school football outside of Columbus at Dublin Coffman High School and set 36 passing records at Notre Dame. He signed a 5-year contract worth as much as $30 million with incentives but languishes on the bench.
In his last college game at Oregon State, Derek Anderson defeated Quinn's Irish team and unleashed 4 touchdowns and 359 yards against his current teammate. He is 6' 6" and is a stout presence in the pocket.
The team is heavily invested in Quinn having used a 1st round pick and investing time and money into his development.
Carson Palmer and Brady Quinn
Not long ago, highly-touted quarterback Carson Palmer sat with a clipboard in hand for a season before rejuvenating the Bengals until recently. It was not until Carson Palmer’s 2nd season as a starter that he guided the Bengals to the playoffs. If Quinn and Palmer share similar career paths, then Quinn should start sooner rather than later if he is in the Browns’ long-term plans.
The problem is that Anderson is coming off a Pro Bowl season in which the Browns had their best record at 10-6 since rejoining the NFL. Anderson is also not Jon Kitna, the starter in front of Palmer. He is much younger and has more potential. The plan in Cincinnati was for Palmer to learn from Kitna and then take over starting quarterback duties in his second year. Browns’ Coach Romeo Crennel and GM Phil Savage have not made such promises to their 2nd year quarterback.
With the highest off-season expectations in over a decade, Browns’ fans expected their team to contend for the AFC North Division. They are currently sitting in third place after a loss to the Redskins in which Anderson’s offense mustered only 11 points. This debate will continue if Anderson’s erratic play contributes to more losses.
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