After failing to address the quarterback situation during the first few days of free agency, Mike Holmgren and company have been busy the past several days in their search for the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns next season.
If you look around the NFL, Cleveland has become the place for quarterback transactions. Based on the names that have been thrown around, it seems like Holmgren is merely looking for a one-year holdover at the position. I initially thought that Brady Quinn might be given a shot at the starting role, but the news of the Browns bringing in former Panthers QB Jake Delhomme for an interview sort of changes that.
There's no way that Quinn would be on the roster, let alone the starter, if Seneca Wallace and Delhomme were also on the roster. With one of the two, you could make the case that they would be a backup. One of them isn't going to be a third stringer though, and if we're exploring options beyond Wallace, then it wouldn't be too surprising to see Quinn follow in the footsteps of Derek Anderson not too long from now.
Speaking of Anderson, most of you have already seen his outlash at Cleveland fans followed by his retraction of sorts. Anderson had to of known all along that he was going to be released, so I don't buy it that he had some accidental emotional reaction in spite of being released. He said what he's wanted to say for a looonng time. If Anderson ever faces the Browns during his career, I hope Rob Ryan is still our defensive coordinator, because our defense is going to unleash hell on him. Anderson gave us some great memories as well as some horrible ones. In the end, he has no one to blame but himself for not being able to reach a 50 percent completion rate.
Anderson is going to visit the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks, according to ESPN. I wouldn't be surprised if either of those teams sign him, especially the Cardinals. Arizona might be intrigued with the thought of Anderson launching the ball around to Larry Fitzgerald, who can make incredible catches (alas Braylon Edwards in 2007) to help an average quarterback look above average.
Rumors have gone around today that Quinn is being shopped by the Browns. Between Delhomme and Quinn, I'd stick with Quinn because the possibility exists that he can still improve with a full season's worth of work. As much as I liked Delhomme for several years in Carolina, ever since his playoff meltdown two seasons ago, he has been awful -- perhaps just as bad, if not worse than Anderson.
What will the Browns inevitably do at quarterback? The possibilities seem endless at this point. Just about the only thing I'd feel secure about saying is that Brett Ratliff will be on the roster come training camp. The search for a holdover quarterback might seem meaningless, but you never know what could happen. There's always a chance that the right guy will have that one good season to put us into contention next season. Let's hope we find him. If not, we've still got Joshua Cribbs and the ground game to fall back on offensively.