Trade Winds Blow at Combine: Will, and Should, the Browns Trade Derek Anderson?
The latest and most significant Cleveland Browns rumor coming out of the scouting combine in Indianapolis is the possibility that the Browns could trade quarterback Derek Anderson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for as little as a 3rd round pick.
If the season were to start today, the Buccaneers would most likely be taking the field with Luke McCown under center, a new head coach roaming the sidelines in Raheem Morris. And while Luke McCown has a few physical tools, it does not take a genius to figure out that the Bucs are looking to upgrade at that position this offseason.
A report yesterday in the Bucs Report at TBO.com by Roy Cummings says that the possibility of a Derek Anderson-to-the-Bucs trade is very real; and that Anderson apparently can be had for as little as a third round pick:
Anderson has one of the strongest arms in the league as well as just about every physical tool you need to be a difference maker at his position. What he doesn’t have is a great understanding of defenses or the game’s nuances.
With a little work and a bit of a push he could be developed into one of the game’s better quarterbacks and word is the Brown might take as little as a third-round pick for him.
When you consider that he’s younger than Luke McCown but has more experience than McCown it doesn’t sound like a bad option for the Bucs to consider, especially with Jeff Jagodzinski running the offense.
Sounds like a pretty good and accurate assessment of Anderson: great physically, lost mentally. One of my first thoughts when Eric Mangini took over the team was that Derek Anderson just is not going to be a good fit. Mangini seems like a very cerebral coach who would want his quarterback to share the same advantage that Mangini must exploit for success: intelligence. And while Brady Quinn is not anywhere near a Peyton Manning-level understanding of the game, the nuances of football seem to come easier for him and he has better instincts that the oft-plodding and perpetually confounded Anderson.
From Anderson’s perspective, this would probably be a great move. Browns fans have soured on him quickly after the surprise Pro Bowl appearance in 2007. Derek Anderson could lead the team to the playoffs, cure cancer, and discover an elixer that would allow Jim Brown to reverse age back to his 50s and 60s self…and Browns fans would still clamor for Brady Quinn to be the starter. In Tampa Bay, Derek would only have to beat out Luke McCown and would have a chance to grow with a new coach in a new system. If I’m Derek Anderson, I’m having my agent stay on this one and help push it along however possible.
From the Browns’ perspective, the obvious first thought is: a third round pick for Anderson? I guess it makes perfect sense after last season’s debacle; it is just obviously disappointing considering how high D.A.’s value was after 2007. But such is the NFL. We rolled the dice on having two above-average quarterbacks heading into 2008 and realized that all we had was wishful thinking and a still-muddled QB picture. Does anyone have 100% confidence in our Q
B situation heading into next season? Hardly.
Either way, the Browns should certainly look into getting what they can for Derek Anderson. The team claimed Anderson off waivers from Baltimore and, assuming the hypothetical that they can trade him, would have turned a waiver claim into 18 starts, one magical run to the doorstep of the playoffs, 34 TDs, and a 3rd round draft pick in return. All in all, that’s not too shabby.
At the end of the day, if you think you’ve seen the best that Derek Anderson can offer (and I think 2007 was exactly that), you might as well cash in now while there is a buyer in need and add another draft pick to improve other areas of the team.
Then we could just get on with the Brady Quinn era and see if it will be a two-year disappointment (that makes us all what to skydive without a parachute) or a ten-year run of success. I love the Browns and I think they have a chance to rebound in a big way next season, but a lot of it will be up to Brady Quinn — who still has plenty to prove.
What do you think?
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Tags: brady quinn, Cleveland Browns, derek anderson, eric mangini, nfl offseason, nfl scouting combine, nfl trade rumors, tampa bay buccaneers
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Personally I think the Browns should trade Brady Quinn’s nipples to Detroit for the number one pick… interesting choice of pics you made there, JRod.
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JRod Reply:
February 24th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
@Much Needed Reality Check,
Just trying to show Brady Quinn’s obvious toughness and grit, which will make him a star in Cleveland. Or something like that…or maybe not at all…
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