Although it was tough to see DL Robaire Smith go down for the season several weeks ago, we at least had backup Shaun Smith capable of stepping in as a starter (while also subbing for DT Shaun Rogers).

Before the bye week, Smith had surgery on his left hand, with the projection that he would be healed just in time for the Giants game. According to the Plain Dealer, his check-up on Friday apparently did not go too well, because he has now been downgraded to "doubtful" for Monday's game. At the moment, there is only a "25% chance" of him playing. He would be replaced by backup Louis Leonard. Not only is that a dropoff at defensive end, but it removes the experienced depth at nose tackle beyond Rogers.

How do QBs like Charlie Frye, Luke McCown, and Trent Dilfer get a starting opportunity before Tim Couch ever did?

Right tackle Kevin Shaffer was also downgraded to doubtful, though his diagnosis is less surprising. It was already rumored that the returning Ryan Tucker would take his spot in the starting lineup. Tucker will have his hands full in his first game of the season, as he'll have to go up against Justin Tuck.

Also, TE Kellen Winslow remained in the hospital Saturday afternoon with an undisclosed illness (Internet rumors have reported it as being "swollen testes").

Watch out for the Seattle Seahawks' game against the Green Bay Packers tomorrow. With quarterbacks Matt Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace ailing, head coach Mike Holmgren has stated that former Brown Charlie Frye will probably make his first start. Wouldn't it be ironic if on the week that Derek Anderson [potentially] loses his job to Brady Quinn, Frye makes his next NFL sart?

Yesterday, I mentioned that I had a little piece scheduled to appear Saturday morning on the New York Times' NFL website. You can now view my paragraph prediction about this Monday's contest.

At the conclusion of practice today, the training camp that the fans are exposed to is officially over. Now, it's all about the 3 games in a span of 13 days that begins Monday against the New York Giants (note: there will still be practices in Berea, it's just that they'll be either open to the media only, or a completely closed practice).

The notes today are very basic, as I'm sure you'll be able to tell:

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 25 (8/16/08)

1. Fun Atmosphere: Not that camp is always fun, but the music blasting and the entertainment provided on the final day of camp got the players more pumped than usual.
2. Rogers Sits Again: For the second straight practice, Shaun Rogers sat out as a precaution. He is still expected to start against the Giants.
3. Second Quarter: Crennel was quoted saying that the starters will play into the second quarter this Monday. The Giants have also mentioned that Eli Manning is expected to see 20-25 snaps before exiting.
4. Personal Absences: There haven't been many personal absences in camp this year compared to usual. However, on the final day, both Ken Dorsey and A.J. Davis were excused for personal reasons. Both players are expected to be available against the Giants.
5. Ali a Lock: Not directly related to today's practice, but Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer assesses that Charles Ali is a team favorite and a virtual lock.

That's it for today; no link collection even, as I'll just link you to one article.

There is something else worthy of mentioning from Saturday night though, and that is former Browns quarterback Charlie Frye. The Seahawks really want Frye to establish himself as the No. 2 so that they can use Seneca Wallace as a wide receiver with comfort.

Former Browns QB Charlie Frye, via d.yimg.com

The Seahawks beat the Redskins 29-26 on overtime, and Frye played the entire game at quarterback. The Seahawks were down 19-9 after the third quarter though, and it seems as though the only reason Seattle came back was due to their running game and some Bears' turnovers. Here is Frye's final line:

Charlie Frye: 20 of 35 for 209 yards, 0 touchdowns, 3 interceptions. He was sacked 3 times, and ran 4 times for 29 yards.

Overall, that doesn't sound like a way to zap confidence into your head coach. Thank goodness for Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn.

P.S. DBN Fantasy Footballers: Don't forget to check out the post below this one!

When I heard the stories several days ago that Kelly Holcomb and Trent Dilfer both retired in the same week, I started outlining a small piece I could write up (either discussing their tenure with the Browns, or if the pattern would continue with any other Cleveland quarterbacks). I think I can abort that now though, because two people have already covered it -- the folks over at Waiting for Next Year, and our favorite Plain Dealer writer, Terry Pluto. Here is link to Pluto's piece in today's paper: Beleagured ex-Brown QBs

Here is my favorite part, highlighting a quote from former Browns coach Butch Davis during a meeting Pluto and Akron Beacon Journal writer Patrick McManamon attended:

Anyway, Davis said: "If I had to win one game to keep my job, I'd start Holcomb. He can get as hot as anyone in the NFL." Then he went out the next Sunday and started Couch, the Browns winning, 22-14, at Cincinnati.

Don't ask me what that story means, but it seems to say a lot about the final two years of the Davis era. He had two quarterbacks, couldn't pick one and refused to make the major moves needed to bring in linemen so his quarterbacks actually would have a chance to succeed.

You can't argue with Davis' statement -- it was the "sudden start" games against the Kansas City Chiefs (Dwayne Rudd game), the Pittsburgh Steelers (in the postseason), and the Cincinnati Bengals (ridiculous 50-something to 40-something game) that inflated some fans', including my own, expectations for him.

As Pluto states, you have to settle on a quarterback, and the only way to do that is to properly build around him.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson were never projected to be great NFL quarterbacks. But Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, Hank Fraley, Kevin Shaffer, and a variation at right guard gave at least one of them the opportunity to succeed -- even to the point where he became a Pro Bowler.

I have been putting off my training camp previews in hopes that the Browns would sign some of their draft picks. This way, I wouldn't have to include or not include certain players that will or will not be with the team come July 25. However, if I wait any longer, training camp will have started before I've cranked any of these out.

The Browns are entering the 2008-2009 campaign with three of the four quarterbacks that were on their roster last year during training camp. In the 2007-2008 season, scouts and media experts heralded Cleveland as having one of the worst quarterback situations in the league (since Brady Quinn was holding out for awhile). Now, we have one of the most luxurious quarterback situations in all of football: two starters, a coach-like backup, and a firm decision.

Why is the last line highlighted? In every season since the Browns have returned to the league, the quarterback position was up for grabs. That's not the case this year. Let's take a look at the three signal-callers on this year's squad:

1. DEREK ANDERSON - STARTING QUARTERBACK

Derek Anderson (#3)
Height: 6-6
Weight: 229
College: Oregon State
Experience: 3 years
Stats: 3787 yds, 29 TD

After losing the starting job competition in training camp last season to current Seahawk Charlie Frye, Anderson quickly assumed the role of the team's starter in 2007. In fact, he started all 15 games after the opener, and saw a good chunk of playing time in the opener. Anderson has clearly been battle tested. This isn't a Kelly Holcomb who had huge games once every six weeks: this is a guy who consistently got the ball to our playmakers.

Worst Attribute: Middle Zone Throws - It's inevitable that Anderson is going to throw interceptions. He likes to take chances and fire the ball to Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow in tight situations. To try and take that natural instinct away from him would quite frankly ruin him, much like Frye was ruined when he stopped being a mobile quarterback. What does need to change is Anderson's stubbornness in certain situations. Two games come to mind from last season: one against the Oakland Raiders in Week 3, and the other against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16. Combined, those two games accounted for 31.5% of Anderson's picks on the season. After Week 3's mistakes of throwing the ball right into zone coverage over the middle, Anderson wasn't haunted again until what turned out to be our biggest game of the season against Cincinnati.

Best Attribute: Clock in Head - Last season, Anderson was sacked only 14 times. There were five games in which he wasn't even brought down a single time. That's unheard of for a Browns quarterback in today's day of age. As much as the offensive line deserves all of the props in the world for giving Anderson the "opportunity" to stand in the pocket, it also takes a quarterback with a good clock in his head to complete the package (we saw the opposite of that with Frye's Week 1 meltdown against the Steelers). Anderson's timing with Braylon Edwards was unparalleled to Frye's, and although his chemistry with Winslow still yielded for more desirable results, it was definitely adequate. With Donte Stallworth added to the mix to help stretch the field this year, Anderson's ability to get rid of the football at the right time can only improve: Stallworth has historically excelled at catching quick passes on crossing routes before turning them up the field for yards after the catch.

Various Concerns / Comments - The biggest question mark is whether or not Anderson is a one-hit wonder. Any way you look at it though, the Browns should be in a win-win situation. If Anderson fails after six weeks, bring in Quinn. If Anderson excels, you either have a huge trade coming up in a year or two, or you have your franchise quarterback for the next decade.

Job Security: A-
Player Quality: A-
Final Roster Odds: 100%

2. BRADY QUINN - BACKUP QUARTERBACK

Brady Quinn (#10)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 235
College: Notre Dame
Experience: 1 year
Note: Pick No. 22 in '07

I called for him. You called for him. Heck, I'm sure even in the back of a lot of the minds in the Browns locker room, even the players were calling for him. After the disastrous first game last year against the Steelers, coupled with the mediocre performances from our other quarterbacks in training camp, everyone wanted to see just what the 22nd overall pick in the draft could deliver on gameday. Quinn's playing time never materialized due to Anderson's unforeseen year, but that doesn't mean the youngster is hanging his head.

How many times have we seen quarterbacks go down in this league? The Panthers seem screwed just about every season because Jake Delhomme goes down with an injury. Quinn is hungry to play, and that means he's going to be preparing his tail off. I'm sure he's hoping he won't have to wait as long as Aaron Rodgers had to wait in Green Bay (and Brett Favre may STILL be coming back), but Quinn knows he's going to start in this league sooner than later. Whether that be with the Browns or another team, it's hard to say. That all depends on how good Anderson is and the type of trade proposals that come our way next season or the year after.

Worst Attribute: Creation of a Distraction - This isn't a negative attribute of Quinn himself, but more so of what could develop. What we don't need is for fans to jump onto the Quinn bandwagon with the first mistake that Anderson makes. Also, Anderson was not a "great" quarterback in training camp last year. I actually expect Quinn to out-perform him somewhat in certain situations in camp, but I can only hope that it doesn't stir up discussions like "Quinn's ready now, why let him sit?" Anderson is our starting quarterback, period. Anything positive that we see from Quinn should only be interpreted as positive -- not confrontational.

Best Attribute: Taking Advantage - In the very limited time that Quinn was on the field against an opponent last season, he performed well. During two preseason games, he entered the games and wowed the fans. In his only appearance of the regular season last year -- Week 17 against the 49ers -- he was only 3-of-8 for 45 yards. However, Edwards and Winslow each had drops, and Quinn really should have had his first career touchdown pass if it weren't for that. Quinn is a gamer: if Anderson goes down for a quarter, I'm confident that our offense will not suffer a breakdown under Quinn.

Various Concerns / Comments - How long is too long to let him sit? If the Browns become the type of team that blow out opponents this year, should we give Quinn some playing time during the fourth quarter of games?

Player Quality: B+ (Incomplete)
Final Roster Odds: 100%

3. KEN DORSEY - VETERAN QUARTERBACK

Ken Dorsey (#11)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 220
College: Miami (FL)
Experience: 5 years
Note: 13 career games

Dorsey is exactly who the Browns should be comfortable with as the third quarterback: he has a coach's mentality and reportedly knows the system very well. If he had the gifted skills of an Anderson or a Quinn, he'd be a starter in this league. Since he doesn't, he's accepted his role and is lending his brain to the other two quarterbacks. On a note for the future though, if and when the Browns part ways with either Quinn or Anderson, I would not be comfortable leaving Dorsey as the No. 2. That's why you might see the Browns draft another quarterback in a year or two.

Worst Attribute: Arm Strength - If we're down in a game and are without both Quinn and Anderson, we're going to have a difficult time coming back. Teams will sit back on Dorsey, giving him the short routes that he excels at.

Best Attribute: Managing an Offense - When presented with the right situation, Dorsey can do the little things to hold onto a lead and minimize the mistakes: he'll make the correct reads underneath and let the players try and get the job done after the catch.

Various Concerns / Comments - Dorsey has only played about two or three snaps during the regular season in two years with the Browns. If we get into a blowout situation, would it actually be more beneficial to play Dorsey?

Player Quality: C-
Final Roster Odds: 95%

QB Position Quality (Overall): A

The Browns should be scheduled to bring in a fourth quarterback soon, because it is usually unacceptable to overburn the arms of the three quarterbacks who will make the final roster. Anderson and Quinn will get the amount of reps they need, but with three quarterbacks, Dorsey will be unnecessarily overworked. Sometimes, you don't need an accurate quarterback for those third- and fourth-string receivers / backs: it's more about how they run their routes and stand out amongst the crowd.

As far as using Joshua Cribbs at the quarterback position, I'd give it a definitive "no". I'm not saying "no" for trick plays, I'm saying "no" for regular reps. The last thing we need is for one of the most important players on our team to suffer an arm injury practicing something he won't be needed for on gameday.

Finally, as far as who we'll bring in for our fourth quarterback, I have no idea. I'd recommend simply an undrafted free agent. If you have any thoughts you'd like to add to the Cleveland Browns quarterback situation heading into training camp, please feel free to elaborate to your heart's content!

NEXT UP (FRIDAY): Running Back

Leave it to Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto to provide another captivating editorial, this time regarding center LeCharles Bentley. If you're sick of hearing about Bentley, don't worry -- I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy reading this. I will highlight one of Pluto's points, which was brought up by a few of my readers several days ago:

So fans wondered why the Browns didn't try to trade him. Missing two full seasons and with his medical history, he has little value. Rather than hold up Bentley or limit him finding the right situation, they believed the fairest approach was the release. Some of the best, most cordial meetings, between Bentley and the Browns came during his final few days because it was now clear: Both parties had moved past each other.

The general vibe that Pluto presents is that the Browns didn't want a discontent player in camp. The staff now has the time to focus their attention on more important issues, like how we're going to move forward at the cornerback position. Also, consider the following if you're an opposing team:

• Teams still covet draft picks, and the Browns were the only team that had a clear view of Bentley's progression. How do other teams know that he won't suffer another serious injury the first time he takes part in team drills?
• Yes, players are always required to pass a physical before a trade is complete. For an injury that was as serious as Bentley's was, it's hard to say whether or not that assessment could be made in such a short period of time.
• When Bentley clearly told the Browns "it's over", that pretty much signified we were going to release him at some point. Teams would then have the opportunity to bring him in for more tests, interviews, etc.
  
• Chances are, Bentley's not going to want a bare-minimum contract if he's publicly stating that he's a definite starter. In a trade, I'd have to believe that he would've wanted his contract restructured. That process could take awhile -- did the Browns really want to be worried about that?
• The backlash from the fans surely would've been more extensive if we kept Bentley on our roster until we found a suitor in a trade. Knowing that Bentley sounded quite arrogant, the discussion for several weeks amongst fans after his meeting with Phil Savage would've been comparable to when everyone was asking "when are we going to ditch Kenny Wright already?" Now, it's blown over, and we can focus exclusively on upcoming training camp competition.

Pluto also provided some interesting statistics regarding quarterback accuracy in mini-camp:

A year ago in the OTAs and minicamp, Anderson and Quinn were completing 60-65 percent of their passes in drills, etc. Ken Dorsey was tops in the low 70s. They all struggled to learn the new offense. Now, Anderson is in the high 70s, Quinn approaching 75 percent along with Dorsey.

This shouldn't be too surprising, because familiarity with anything should pay dividends over time. On the same note, I'd be curious to see Charlie Frye's progression numbers from the Maurice Carthon days. Would they have improved 10-15% like Anderson's (or Quinn's) did?

A little personal (and football) note here: I'm currently working on developing a PHP script that will allow users to record their picks for the upcoming NFL season, complete with standings and such. I've used a paid provider for my PFCritics contest the past several years, but as programming becomes more familiar to me, I figured I might as well make my own.

I have the fundamental database sections completed, as well as the user registration and picks sections. I still have a lot of admin interface and template work to focus on, but if anyone is interested in helping me as a beta tester (voluntary) whenever I get to that point, send me your email address and I'll contact you at that point.

Boy, are the Browns great when it comes to plotting public relations or what? The LeCharles Bentley situation was handled in a fairly calm manner -- despite the initial shock from the fans, I don't think anyone puts the organization at fault. On top of that, two stories can overshadow Bentley's departure: the official return of Gary Baxter, and  positive statements from Joe Jurevicius himself.

Reports came out a few days ago that hinted towards the fact that Jurevicius' season could be over due to the several surgeries he had during the offseason. And, a staph infection didn't help. For the first time at mini-camp yesterday, Jurevicius made it clear that he'll be ready for not only the first game of the season, but for training camp too:

 "The problem that I did have is now gone, and my rehab has probably gone better than expected. I have exceeded what the trainers had planned for me. I'm ready to get ready for training camp."

On top of Jurevicius' optimism heading into this season, he also provided some positive light for the future, referring to the fact that he could actually stick around for two more seasons instead of one:

"The biggest thing is I want to be part of something exciting here," he said. "Physically, if the wear and tear of an NFL season really takes its toll on me, then I'll have to sit down and make a decision. If I feel good, then I'll make a decision on that route."

The OBR also had some really nice details regarding Jurevicius. Their story focuses more so on the additional rest that skipping OTAs provides him with as he continues to get older.

And then, there was Baxter. For the first time since suffering a double pateller tendon injury against the Denver Broncos in 2006, the veteran defensive back participated in team drills, rather than individual drills. That is a major sign of progression for a guy who has persisted in his efforts to become the first player in NFL history to return from such an injury.

"Now that this day has come, it's a great joy," Baxter said. We've got seven to eight weeks before training camp, and when I come in, I'm going to be full tilt and ready to go."

After the Bentley situation settles down a little more, I expect there to be a lot of media coverage surrounding Baxter's comeback, and deservedly so. I think everyone will be more than appreciative on opening day if they see he's able to take a step on the field again.

Here are some other tidbits regarding Wednesday's minicamp from around the web:

• Undrafted rookie offensive lineman Nate Bennett got a name mention -- not for outstanding efforts, but for throwing punches in a minicamp fight against Antwan Peek. None of the punches actually landed, according to reports.
• No negatives for Travis Wilson, who continues to see extensive playing time with Jurevicius and Donte Stallworth being absent.
• While Brandon McDonald was away, veteran Terry Cousin filled in for him. It's already clear that Cousin is our third cornerback -- and I'm fairly certain that he'll be better than Ralph Brown and Kenny Wright.
• The OBR reports that Braylon Edwards and Jerome Harrison each had nifty catches from quarterback Derek Anderson.

Here is a big link collection for you today:

Charlie Frye believes he'll start again (Canadian Press)

Jones still growing, aiming high (Official Site)

Bentley: "Browns weren't the right fit anymore" (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Entire LeCharles Bentley Timeline (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Berea Report: Jurevicius says he'll be ready (OBR)

Bentley's decision is just business (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Browns Team Report [note: nice tidbits here] (Sporting News)

Be sure to stay tuned to Dawgs By Nature soon. I know some of my SB Nation colleagues like to do their position previews months in advance to training camp, but I like to do mine towards the end of June. If I would've previewed the offensive line awhile ago, it wouldn't have been as current with Ryan Tucker's injury and Bentley's departure.