Browns Considering Franchise Tag?

Rich Eisen: "And now from the problems you wish for department, the Cleveland Browns moved up to select Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson looks fantastic.  He's on the same page, to use your phrase from a moment ago, with all his young receivers.  How in the world can the Cleveland Browns not continue on with Derek Anderson past this season?"

Adam Schefter: "Well they're going to continue on with him.  The question is how they do it.  And everybody has assumed up until now that it would be using the highest tender on him, which is about $2.45 million dollars.  It would mean that any team that signed Derek Anderson to an offer sheet, Cleveland would have the chance to match or get a 1st and 3rd round pick.  But now, the latest scenario floating around the league that was told to me on Thursday, is that the Cleveland Browns could decide to slap their franchise tag on Derek Anderson even when he's is a restricted free agent meaning that if another team signed him to an offer sheet and the Browns decided not to match it, Cleveland would get back 2 number 1 draft choices.  They're already without one for the trade for Brady Quinn.  I don't think Cleveland's letting Derek Anderson get away, but this is another scenario--the last RFA in the NFL to get the franchise tag was none other than Terrell Owens back in 1999 after his third year with San Francisco.  So it hasn't happened in eight years, but it could happen again with Derek Anderson."

Rich Eisen: "And again, with the way Anderson's playing, a 1 and a 3 isn't that steep of a price, perhaps, for a team to pay."

Adam Schefter: "A 1 and a 3 is a a a (he stuttered) wonderful price for some teams. The Browns know they're going to have to go more which is why the franchise tag, which is something that nobody's talked about, is now in play."