Derek Anderson and his Angel

by GuamND on Nov 26, 2008 11:56 PM EST Comment 6 comments

One thing is definitely for sure, and that is there is an angel (No, I don’t think it’s Romeo Crennel, at least this time around) out there that is looking out for Derek Anderson. Back from the dead a.k.a. the bench is Derek Anderson.

With the Browns missing another playoffs and Brady Quinn out for the season, we are once again saying "there's always next year". But if you really think about it, that next year starts now or at least next week.

Derek Anderson's game for the remaining of the season will have lasting affects that will carry out next season or years to come. If Derek Anderson lights it up again just like last season, then what?

It probably means that we have two quarterbacks again next season. And I always hear people say "if you have two quarterbacks, then you don't have one" or something like that. And people will probably be happy with that, but remember that's what we were feeling at the beginning of the season when we had pro bowl quarterback and a first-round draft pick quarterback waiting on the wings just in case the pro bowler goes down, and look at where we're at.

Another outcome if DA plays well is that Brady Quinn gets traded which could fetch the Browns at least a second-round draft pick. Another outcome if DA plays well is that he gets traded and could fetch the Browns at least a second-round draft pick.

I just hope that either one of them gets traded because I just really don't believe in having two competing quarterbacks. And, they're both young enough to have time and really become a solid quarterback so long as the team around them is solid and as fans learn to have patience or two.

Now what if DA plays like the DA of this season, you know 50% completion, play bad two straight weeks then play great enough the third week to salvage his job and do it all over again, that probably means that he's gone.

If he's gone, he is either let go which means that we will get nothing out of him, not a pick. But then, the Browns could keep him, you know just in case Brady Quinn is just as big as a bust.

I just hope that if DA plays well, he'd play like the next coming of Joe Montana. And, if DA plays terrible, I hope he'd play like the next coming of Ryan Leaf. I just don't want him to play mediocre where we would be guessing who the real Derek Anderson is.

Now if Derek Anderson could just make his angel come and play with him on the field on Sundays or have his angel look out for Brady Quinn.

Poll

Do you want Derek Anderson to succeed?

No, just because I am a Brady Quinn Fan

5 votes

No, just No

3 votes

Yes

19 votes

27 votes | Poll has closed

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Questions about Derek Anderson

I’ve heard talk of the Browns trading him. What are the NFL ramifications of this happening? Don’t the Browns owe him alot of money if he is on the roster by a certain date in March? How much? If they trade him, does the new team have to pay him that money? Do the Browns? What’s going on with all of that in terms of money and salary commitment? Thanks.

Thoughtful discussion with a sense of history

by maryrose on Nov 27, 2008 12:30 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I believe the roster bonus is 5mil. Some dude on ESPN said that, but a lot of what the fans/media get to know about contracts is very very general stuff as I am sure you know.

If the Browns shipped DA or cut him before whatever the date the roster bonus is due, he would not be on our roster and we would not have to pay it to him.

We might take a salary cap hit after trading him, but I honestly don’t know. I think if a signing bonus or other bonuses/“guaranteed” money are paid to a player (say we paid him 8 million when he signed his latest contract) but the team “prorates” the guaranteed money over the course of the deal (we could count 2.66 million against our cap each of the 3 years instead of taking all 8 million at once) then the team must keep counting the prorated money toward the salary cap (so we would be counting 2.66 million against our cap the next two years, even though we weren’t actually paying anyone). This money has not been paid to Anderson, so if we got rid of him in time we would not have to pay him nor would we have to count money against our cap. This could be completely wrong, but this is the way I understand it.

If we shipped him, the new team would have to pay him the bonus, sign him to a new contract (without such a big bonus), or cut him if I understand things correctly. My guess is the new team would want to acquire him ASAP so they could work a new deal where they wouldn’t have to pay him that bonus. The new team would have leverage because DA has looked horrible this year, but DA could just hold out till they paid him the bonus or cut him and let him become a free agent.

by rufio on Nov 27, 2008 2:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Read in PD this morning

Anderson is guaranteed $5M this March. His base salary for 2009 (not guaranteed) is $1.45 mill. The Browns would be foolish to cut him since they would still owe the $5M and pertinent cap ramifications, only saving $1.45M, which is modest anyway for a back-up quarterback. If they trade him before March, the new team would on the books for the $5M plus $1.45, so the Browns would probably not get as much in return. If they pay him in March and then trade him, they would get much more in return, with the new team getting Anderson for just $1.45 in 2009, but the Browns would be out the $5M. All in all, if the Browns or anyone else thinks Anderson can get the job done, the money involved doesn’t seem like a whole lot these days. If Anderson is not anyone’s answer, then $6.5M is down the drain. I hope I got that right.

Thoughtful discussion with a sense of history

by maryrose on Nov 28, 2008 12:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If the Browns cut Derek before the March bonus, don’t they save that money as well? I thought there were usually decision dates on bonuses and that if you cut a player before that bonus date, then you are free of the cap charge

by Roger Dorn on Dec 1, 2008 9:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

As I understand it

The $5M is guaranteed and the $1.45M is not, meaning the $1.45 is saved if you cut him. Someone is going to pay that $5M, either the Browns or the new team, and depending on who it is, the Browns will get more or less in the trade. The cap charge is prorated if you keep the guy, or it lumps in if you cut him into either one or two years, team’s choice.

Thoughtful discussion with a sense of history

by maryrose on Dec 1, 2008 3:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs