Randy Moss-to-Vikings trade rumors heat up…inevitably

October 5, 2010 By 1 Comment
vikings-chiefs preview, prediction, point spread pick, tv kickoff time, announcers

How could no one see this coming???

I cracked late Monday night that Randy Moss getting zero catches would overshadow the Patriots 41-14 trashing of the Miami Dolphins…

How little did I realize that Moss’s 0-fer could very well be his final act in New England and that Randy might very well be making a triumphant return to the Minnesota Vikings after 5+ years, finally giving quarterback Brett Favre his long-desired dream.

Not even Vince McMahon and the WWE can come up with this good of a storyline.

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Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: brett favre, Minnesota Vikings, nfl trade rumors, randy moss, randy moss trade rumors

Why Marshawn Lynch-for-AJ Hawk Won’t Happen

September 17, 2010 By 11 Comments
marshawn-lynch-traded-to-seattle-seahawks

Update 10/5/10: Marshawn Lynch has been traded, but not to Green Bay. Jay Glazer reported today that Lynch has been traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

The idea of the Green Bay Packers trading for Marshawn Lynch in return for equally disgruntled linebacker A.J. Hawk, on the surface, seems to make way too much sense – especially after quarterback Aaron Rodgers said publicly that he would give his stamp of approval to being reunited with his former Cal teammate. (Will Yahoo Sports’ Michael Silver propose a Scott Fujita to the Packers trade next week??)

The Buffalo Bills need help on defense (they actually need help everywhere, except for punter), especially with linebacker Paul Posluszny constantly hurt. After the loss of Ryan Grant, the Packers seem equally needy for running back depth. And the Bills and Packers just happen to be playing each other on Sunday. After the game Lynch could just pack up and head into the other locker room, while Hawk can hop on the Bills charter to Buffalo. Seems like an easy enough way to make a rare player-for-player swap in the NFL.

Don’t hold your breath if you think it’s happening.

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Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: aaron rodgers, aj hawk, brandon jackson, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, marshawn lynch, nfl trade rumors, Ryan Grant

Jay Cutler-to-Browns Trade Rumor a Lie Ironically Started by Someone Named “The Truth”

March 4, 2009 By 2 Comments

Jay Cutler to Browns Trade Rumors a LieYesterday, the big story in Cleveland was the possibility of a Jay Cutler for Brady Quinn and Shaun Rogers trade. I do not know this first-hand, but that is what people in Cleveland tell me. As many of you know, the genesis of this rumor was a website called BroncosFreaks.com, which originally “reported” that unnamed sources said such a deal could be in the works.

It turns out, the original source for the rumor was a complete a fabrication; and ironically, it was started by someone that calls himself (at least on one message board) “The Truth.”

If you want some background on the Cutler rumor, here you go:

And then all hell breaks loose from there. And I know this a) several of my Cleveland friends called to ask me about the rumor, and b) because the original post about the Jay Cutler trade rumors drew tons of traffic yesterday from Google searches, meaning people were hearing about this and looking for info. Traffic surges like the one experienced by that post yesterday usually happen when a radio or TV show mention something and then people hop on line to research.

Then later in the day yesterday, the rumor made its way to the Plain-Dealer, Yahoo Sports, apparently Colin Cowherd mentioned it, as did others, etc., etc.

And then late last night, I see traffic coming in from this site right here.

As usual, I follow the link because I am always interested in where our traffic comes from. If you go to that link, you see the person calling himself “The Truth” taking credit for starting the false Jay Cutler-to-the-Browns rumor, and then the ensuing back slapping from his lemmings in the forum.

I guess “The Truth” should be given some kind of backhanded credit for creating a lie that succeeded in getting a certain portion of the blogosphere and media worked up yesterday; but the actual truth is that all I have been able to find are people mentioning the existence of the rumor, and saying that it was highly unlikely.

Umm…that’s the truth.

  • A. There was a rumor that the Browns and Broncos were in trade talks…the rumor just happened to be based on false information.
  • B. The rumor had some big names in it, thus providing entertaining fodder for conversation on a slow weekday of sports news. That made discussion of it relevant, especially since no one that I can see reported the contents of the rumor as fact (although, please correct me if I am wrong on this) — just that there was a rumor out there.

So while I applaud “The Truth” for succeeding in his attempt to create a frenzy of activity about what was posted on BroncosFreaks.com, I think the primary thing that was accomplished is that no one will ever believe anything following the phrase “our sources” ever again on BroncosFreaks.com. So I hope your credibility was worth it.

The way I see it, we live in a 24-hour news cycle in which rumors come and go, but many times provide excellent prisms through which to view controversial or hot button topics. For instance, the Cutler rumor compelled Browns fans a chance to analyze their thoughts on:

  • Do you really believe Brady Quinn is the QB of the future in Cleveland?
  • Would you be behind a move to acquire Jay Cutler, who it has been reported for many days is on the trading block? (The Broncos came out and said yesterday that he is definitively not on the trading block anymore, however.)
  • What should be done with Shaun Rogers? Ship him out if his relationship with Mangini is too strained? Or do whatever is necessary to placate him because he irreplaceable?
  • And on and on…

Now that yesterday’s news cycle has passed, the Cutler-to-the-Browns rumor isn’t a story anymore. The only story today is that the rumor wasn’t actually a rumor to begin with. But for anyone who reported it for what it was — A RUMOR — I’m not sure it really warrants feeling bad about in any way, or thinking “The Truth” got the better of you. In both journalism and blogging you are only worth the extent of your credibility. Aanyone who reported the Jay Cutler-to-the-Browns story as a rumor, especially those who added conspicuous caveats that it was baseless other the line at BroncosFreaks.com, was simply reporting fact.

Take ProFootballTalk for instance. Their site is specifically geared towards being a repository for whatever NFL news and rumor is out there, and they have learned heard lessons in the past by reporting rumors as fact (e.g. the infamous Terry Bradshaw story). When they reported the Cutler story, they were very clear that it was a rumor and they were not saying it was true. Yet, somehow, “The Truth” and his band of sycophants have taken yesterday to be yet another example of why PFT is garbage.

Which is great, except for the fact that it completely misses the point.

PFT, and others, reported the truth yesterday: a rumor was, in fact, floating around. BroncosFreaks.com reported the lie: “We understand that the Browns have an attractive option in place…Our source tells us the players involved are: Brady Quinn and Shaun Rogers for Jay Cutler and the Broncos 3rd round draft pick.”

I only feel stupid for thinking that what was posted on BroncosFreaks.com potentially had even 1% validity. I’ve learned my lesson. Not that it will affect their traffic or blogging future in any way, but I won’t be reading them anymore or placing one ounce of credence in their reports that come from “sources.”

Anyone who hopped onto this story reporting rumor as fact was obviously wrong — just as wrong as “The Truth” and BroncosFreaks.com. Anyone who hopped onto the rumor and reported it for what it was, and then allowed it to serve as the starting point for compelling dialogue, well, I have a hard time calling those people to the mat. Sure, I’m one of them, but at least I don’t parade myself around as “The Truth” when the exact opposite is clearly the reality.

Well done “The Truth.” I hope you enjoyed the virtual hive fives from all of your forum buddies. You were successful in proving the irony of your name and in making everyone think twice in the future when BroncosFreaks.com posts information from an unnnamed and unlinked source. Other than that, I have to say that I rather enjoyed the speculation and worthwhile debate that proved to be the byproduct of your lie.  These were good issues for Browns fans address in what is no doubt a pivotal offseason and upcoming 2009 campaign.

I’ll just know not to come to you, or BroncosFreaks.com, for anything other than lies and disinformation any longer.  Thanks for the head’s up.

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: brady quinn, Cleveland Browns, denver broncos, jay cutler, NFL, nfl trade rumors, shaun rogers

Jay Cutler is Not a Brown, But Is He a Bitch? Denver Radio Host Scott Hastings, and Others, Think So

March 3, 2009 By 3 Comments

Jay Cutler Called a Little Bitch by Scott HastingsClearly I have decided to turn Midwest Sports Fans into JayCutler Sports Fans for one 24-hour sports news cycle. I thought I was done with the topic after my last post, which discussed why the Jay Cutler for Brady Quinn and Shaun Rogers trade rumors were highly unlikely to become reality, but then Deadspin has to go and post something that somehow seems to serve as the perfect cap on Jay Cutler Day here at MSF.

Earlier this afternoon, Deadspin posted a story (via With Leather) that cited an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show by former NBA player and current Denver-area radio personality Scott Hastings. And apparently Scott Hastings is not a real big fan of Jay Cutler, so much so that he went as far to say that Jay Cutler is a “little bitch.”

From the SI.com summary of the Scott Hastings appearance on The Dan Patrick Show:

Jay Cutler lost Hastings’ respect when he claimed his arm is stronger than John Elway‘s. This was just a stupid thing to say because Elway is a legend in Denver so saying something like that just angers the fanbase. He calls Cutler an “arrogant little punk” and should wake up to the reality that he’s the QB of an NFL football team and should act like a leader. He also referred to Cutler as a “little bitch.”

Now, obviously the next question is why is the opinion of Scott Hastings even relevant? And why is this story even relevant?

As for the first question, by itself Scott Hastings’ opinion is not that relevant. However, he does echo a similar sentiment about Jay Cutler made by Gene Wojciechowski on ESPN.com yesterday:

Don’t get me wrong — Cutler is a talent, possibly a major talent. His numbers keep tracking upward (4,526 passing yards, 25 touchdowns in ’08), but so do his turnovers (18 interceptions, including four in Denver’s last three games — all losses) and hissy fits.

And there have been other incidents that call Cutler’s alleged bitchiness and gigantic ego into question, like his strange boast about having a stronger arm than notoriously strong-armed Bronco legend John Elway. Seeing as how Elway is beloved in Denver and a two-time Super Bowl champion, it does seem to suggest a certain level of bitchiness and/or douchebaggery to place yourself not just on the same pedestal, but above, a living legend in whose gigantic footsteps you are ostensibly trying to follow.

And just ask Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers what they think of Jay Cutler. (And vice versa.)

As to the second question mentioned above — why is this story relevant? — Cutler’s name has come up in trade rumors with seemingly every team in the NFL over the past few days, most notably (for our audience anyway) with the Cleveland Browns. And I went on record as saying that even though the cap realities made a Cutler for Brady Quinn and Shaun Rogers trade extremely unlikely, that getting Cutler would be a huge coup for the Browns.

Talent and production-wise, this is certainly true. Jay Cutler has proven that he can rack up passing yards, win a decent amount of games, and move the chains. Had Denver’s defense been better over the last few years, he might have made and won a playoff game or two. However, with each new story that comes out about Jay Cutler, his public persona takes hit after hit. (And, truth be told, perhaps The Legend of Jay Cutler grew a bit too much after his torrid start to last season. Otherwise, he has been a pretty pedestrian QB despite obvious physical gifts.)

Cutler whined recently about being involved in trade talks, despite the fact that Peter King reported on Monday that Cutler had actually requested a trade once Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates were no longer in Denver. So what is it Jay? Did you really want to be traded? Or are you just a drama queen who enjoys stirring the pot and being the center of attention?

Either way, I can tell you this: such whining and histrionics would not play well in Cleveland, not one bit. Just ask Braylon Edwards. And it doesn’t look like it is necessarily playing well in Denver either.

So maybe it’s a good thing that the Jay Cutler for Brady Quinn and Shaun Rogers trade rumors have turnedJay Cutler Called a Little Bitch out to be exactly just that: rumors; and moreover, rumors that appear to have no future legs because of the salary cap issues such a deal would present. Jay Cutler would give the Browns an immediate upgrade at the QB position in terms of arm strength and experience, but the organization and fans in Cleveland would also have to deal with his egomania and whining, which appears to be quite extensive and well documented.

And one more thing, before you ask why I’m even talking about this on Midwest Sports Fans: remember, Jay Cutler is from Santa Claus, Indiana. So it is well within our jurisdiction here. Unfortunately, Jay Cutler does not seem to have taken on many of the personality traits of his hometown’s namesake. On the contrary, the kid from the town named after Jolly ‘Ol St. Nick is quickly earning a reputation as Whiny ‘Ol Jay Bitch.

The more I think about it, the more I’m starting to come around to the opinion of Scott and many of the commenters over at Waiting For Next Year. We may not know what we have in Brady Quinn, but Jay Cutler may best be left as someone else’s problem.

Filed Under: Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: brady quinn, Cleveland Browns, denver broncos, jay cutler, nfl offseason, nfl trade rumors

LOTD: The Death the Cutler for Quinn-Rogers Trade Rumors — and the Mainstream Media

March 3, 2009 By 2 Comments

Cap Implications of Cutler for Quinn-Rogers TradeAs you can tell, today has been a day of pure Browns speculation.

After reading last night about the rumored discussions between the the Browns and Broncos regarding a Jay Cutler for Brady Quinn-Shaun Rogers trade, I threw up a post detailing the speculation, with the caveat that the cap ramifications made a trade highly unlikely. Then, after reading PFT’s piece about the Giants stock-piling defensive lineman, I decided to throw the Braylon Edwards for Mathias Kiwanuka trade speculation out there too.

And things kind of took off from there.

Now though, it is time to throw a little water on the fire, at least with respect to the Jay Cutler for Brady Quinn and Shaun Rogers rumors. And the water comes courtesy of today’s official MSF superstar Barry McBride, who dug a little deeper into the cap ramifications for the Browns of such a trade. His post is today’s Link of the Day, in an effort to bring the Cutler trade rumors somewhat full circle since last night:

LOTD: It’s More Fun to Watch the Media Collapse in Real-Time! — (Orange and Brown Report)

I put some duct-tape around my brain and figured out the cap impact today. Dealing Quinn and Rogers, assuming no new contracts, would give the Browns more than eight million in additional dead cap space for 2009.

That assumes the Browns make the deal before any roster bonuses are paid to Quinn and Rogers this year. If not, then add those to the dead cap pile.

Then you have to pay Jay Cutler, which would be another million at the very least, if you don’t re-do his contract. BTW, he gets a $4 million roster bonus next year.

So, let’s figure you just burned $10 million – slightly less than half your cap space on a team with many holes – to swap Quinn and Rogers for Cutler. That’s a little less than 10% of your total cap space to make that swap. At least that leaves 90% for the other 50 guys.

Wow. Hey. Brilliant move.

You’ll have to hop on over to the OBR Rumor Central to read the rest of the article, but it is highly worth it. The above excerpt is presented as part of a discussion about the challenges currently being faced by the real media as they come to terms with the Wild Wild West nature of the Internet. As McBride says:

Seriously, why would an ad-supported news site even bother to spend time and money breaking news? They maybe get 10% of the page views for breaking the story. Info-scavengers get the rest. The information eco-system is upside down.

He raises some extraordinarily interesting points, especially coming from the perspective of a guy who is helping to run a website that puts a good portion of its content behind a pay wall. You can access Rumor Central for free, but you have to pay the OBR to access the really good stuff. (And as I’ve said before, I am a paying subscriber and it is highly worth it.) There have been plenty of times where I have something interesting at the OBR and wanted to post about it here, but instead have just linked to their main site and suggested that you too should become a subscriber.

It is quite possible that to survive, newspapers will have to begin structuring their websites the same way. Otherwise, the information poachers (and I am guilty as charged) can continue to drive traffic from commentary based off the “free” information provided by the hard-working journalists at these newspapers. The OBR seems to have a pretty good model, although I have no idea what their revenue or profit model looks like; and there is a good chance that we will see more and more websites who provide first-hand reporting (as they do at the OBR) go to a similar model.

I certainly can’t say I would blame them. It would just make the existence of run-of-the-mill bloggers like yours truly a little more difficult…and a lot more expensive. Don’t get me wrong, I am not writing this to decry bloggers or say that I think we are doing something inherently wrong by citing excerpts (so as long as links are provided). I work very hard at what I do and try to take the original source report and add my own spin, insights, commentary, or perspective. Even if I stopped, citing some grand altruistic intentions, what real difference would it make? We drive 2,500-5,000 visitors a day at Midwest Sports Fans, which is exciting to us, but hardly even a raindrop in the ocean of the sports blogosphere.

However, add those raindrops up from all the many sports blogs that primarily post second-hand commentary off of first-hand reporting, and you have part of the reason for the inclement storm currently rocking the mainstream media ships to the point of being capsized.

It’s a very interesting topic, and there is no doubt that the strategies newspapers employ to stay afloat could alter sports blogging, and blogging in general, in the months and years ahead. Post your thoughts down in the comments, but definitely check out the article at the OBR. It is very interesting food for thought.

Here is the link again:

LOTD: It’s More Fun to Watch the Media Collapse in Real-Time! — (Orange and Brown Report)

And more links from around the sports blogosphere:

Is Roberto Alomar telling us the truth? — (Deep Left Field)

The Week That Was College Basketball: March 3, 2009 — (Sparty and Friends)

Lou Piniella outraged by ESPN analyst’s criticism — (Chicago Tribune)

The Worst Contracts in Baseball — (Spring Training 09)

2009 NFL Mock Draft — (My Sports Rumors)

The Real Big Ben Vegas Picks — (Mondesi’s House)

Happy Birthday Ben Roethlisberger — (One For the Thumb)

The WBC and MLB’s Marketing Experiment (Revisited) — (The Biz of Baseball)

Jay Cutler photo courtesy of AP Photo/Ed Andrieski

Filed Under: CFB, Featured Column, MLB, NFL, Uncategorized Tagged With: brady quinn, jay cutler, lotd, NFL, nfl trade rumors, shaun rogers

More Browns Trade Rumors: Braylon Edwards to the Giants for Mathias Kiwanuka

March 3, 2009 By 2 Comments

Breaking News 10/7/09: The Browns have traded Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets for two players and two picks.

Browns Trade Rumor: Braylon Edwards to Giants for Mathias KiwanukaA few days ago I was informed of a rumor heard on the radio that there could be a potential trade brewing between the Browns and Giants that would send WR Braylon Edwards to the G-Men, ostensibly as a replacement for Plaxico Burress, with the Browns getting DE Mathias Kiwanuka in return.

Not knowing what to think, I did what I usually do in these situations: email Barry McBride at the Orange and Brown Report and see if there was anything to it.

He posted the Braylon Edwards-Mathias Kiwanuka trade rumor and had this to say upon initially hearing about it:

The deal makes sense for both teams on several levels. The Giants would be looking for a credible replacement for WR Plaxico Burress, and are keeping Kiwanuka as a defensive end in a three-man rotation after he switched from linebacker last year.

The 6’5”, 265 Kiwanuka is a classic tweener would like like an interesting option for the Browns manning an outside linebacker spot in the 3-4 defense. Kiwi successfully made the transition from a Boston College defensive end to a linebacker with the Giants, but was moved back as a defensive end following a season-ending injury to Osi Umenyiora.

Also of interest from Cleveland perspective is that Kiwanuka is under contract for two more years. Braylon Edwards can be a free agent after this season.

Kiwi as another OLB bookend with Crabtree perhaps available in the draft? Hmmm… count me in as interested.

The next day, after doing some digging, Barry posted about the Braylon Edwards-Mathias Kiwanuka trade rumor again, this time saying (half seriously and half tongue-in-cheek):

I love this Kiwi-Edwards rumor.

It’s just logical enough to be believable. Infuriatingly, it seems to make sense on some level for both clubs.

Sensing this, the Giants have done nothing but have done their best to torment us with their subsequent moves over the last few days. They went ahead and signed DT Rocky Bernard, and OLB Michael Boley, and DE Chris Canty, all four or five-star defenders according to our rankings.

Cool, cool. They got to have no more room at the inn for Kiwi now, right?

Right?

It all makes sense.

Only problem is that I reached out to a NY Giants beat writer, who told me that he got an email from one of the organization’s higher-ups saying that there’s absolutely nothing to it.

…

Pro Football Talk says that the Bucs were sworn to secrecy about K2 (other than that annoying chatter about a Winslow deal on the OBR prior to the trade), and maybe this front office guy is just lying to us.

In fact, IF they were talking about deal, they would DENY it, which means that by DENYING IT, they PROVE it’s absolutely true. The logic is flawless!

So, not a whole lot of hard parts to grab onto here. With Braylon Edwards heading into the final year of his contract, and a new regime at the helm in Berea, it is no secret that Eric Mangini and George Kokinis would like to sign Braylon to a contract extension — assuming Braylon is on board with the philosophies of the new regimeBrowns Trade Rumor: Braylon Edwards to Giants for Mathias Kiwauka and, you know, remembers where he misplaced his hands. However, Mangini and Kokins will also no doubt want to know either way whether Braylon Edwards can be counted on moving forward as they attempt to build a new foundation for success in Cleveland.

So if they can’t reach a contract extension…

Anyway, yesterday I obviously became enthralled with the basically unsubstantiated rumor that started making the rounds that the Browns and Broncos were discussing a trade of Jay Cutler and a 3rd round pick for Brady Quinn and Shaun Rogers. You know how the sports news cycle moves these days. It was only about 36 hours old, but the delicious conjecture of Braylon Edwards for Mathias Kiwanuka was already old news, and there wasn’t really anything else to go on.

Until this morning…kind of.

Over a ProFootballTalk, Mike Florio discusses the plethora of defensive lineman being assembled in New York and ends his post with an interesting, though non-specific, bit of his own conjecture:

As Thornton points out, the Giants now have nine defensive linemen under contract: tackles Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield, Barry Jay Alford, and Bernard, ends Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Dave Tollefson, and tackle-end Canty.

…

One possibility would be to move Kiwanuka back to linebacker. However, coach Tom Coughlin said at the Scouting Combine that Kiwanuka will be staying put.

Or maybe someone is getting traded. Maybe for a receiver. You know, a good one. A guy who commands double coverage, like the guy who blew a double hole in his leg with a single bullet last November.

I don’t know about you — and perhaps I’m reading too much into it — but I cannot think of too many other wide receivers rumored to be on the trading block that would fit the bill more perfectly as a replacement for Plaxico Burress than Braylon Edwards. And as anyone who has watched the Browns in recent years knows, one of the team’s biggest deficiencies has been its inability to consistently rush the passer. Slapping Mathias Kiwanuka on the other side of the talented and athletic, but highly inconsistent, Kamerion Wimbley would certainly upgrade the Browns’ pass rush.

Update — 3/3 10:55 am: I forgot that Florio addressed the Edwards rumors two days ago. The headline of the post says it all: No Truth to Braylon Trade Rumors — Yet. He went on to say:

We’ve received multiple inquiries over the past couple of days regarding the possibility that the Cleveland Browns are shopping receiver Braylon Edwards.

A source with knowledge of the situation predicts with a high degree of confidence that Edwards isn’t on the market, and won’t be traded this year.

That said, who would have imagined three days ago that tight end Kellen Winslow would be shipped to Tampa?

Read the rest of the first PFT post on the Braylon Edwards trade rumors from 3/1.

Trade Rumor: Giants Mathias Kiwanuka to Browns for Braylon EdwardsSo, like the Cutler-to-the-Browns rumors, take this one about Braylon Edwards for Mathias Kiwanuka for what it is: informed speculation and conjecture. But I have to say that a trade of Braylon Edwards for Mathias Kiwanuka, assuming Kiwanuka is back to full health with no lingering issues from last season, is an intriguing option, especially with Michael Crabtree potentially sitting there at the #5 slot in the upcoming draft to fill the void of talented, diva-eque, productive-but-not-overly-fast #1 WR.

(Editor’s Note: I misspoke in the previous sentence and got Kiwanuka mixed up with Braylon’s 5 Hour Energy buddy Osi Umenyiora, who was injured last season. Kiwanuka was injured the year before, when the Giants won the Super Bowl. Last year, Mathias Kiwanuka had 8 sacks and 51 tackles.)

The fun part about these Browns trade rumors is that we know we will get almost nothing concrete or substantial to go on from inside Cleveland. The new regime will be as tight-lipped as they come, and I have no problem with that at all. In fact, in this day and age of the NFL, I think it’s probably the right way to go — as long as they understand the need to get in front of certain rumors if and when they do slip out. (And we saw from the Kellen Winslow trade to the Bucs, when deals do happen involving the Browns, they will likely come out of nowhere.) But with so little “hard” info to go on, something will have to fill the void as we patiently await next season.

And there is nothing more intriguing than seemingly legit trade rumors involving Braylon Edwards, Brady Quinn, and Shaun Rogers — three of the most significant current players on the roster.

Eric Mangini proved right away that he wanted to create a new era of Browns football, a new identity for the organization, and distance himself from the last decade of on-field and off-field struggles. Dealing three of the key players involved in last season’s collapse, after the surprise of 2007 — not that it was all their fault, especially in the case of Rogers, who was actually great — would certainly be one way to start with a clean slate.

UPDATE 3/23: There have been a few updates on the Braylon Edwards trade front since we posted this item.  Since it is still driving significant traffic, I figured I would update the post with the latest.  The OBR reported yesterday that the Browns and Giants have, in fact, discussed a Braylon Edwards trade.  However, Mathias Kiwanuka was apparently never in the mix.  The purported discusssion centered on Braylon Edwards to the Giants for a couple of draft picks plus another WR.  The Browns wanted Steve Smith while the Giants were only willing to part with Domenik Hixon or Mario Manningham.  Nothing has obviously gone further, but this apparently is not going away:

OBR: Latest on Braylon Edwards-to-Giants Trade Rumors

So what do you think?

Which of the three prominent Browns players who have been involved in recent trade speculation do you think is LEAST likely to be on the team in 2009?

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With all of the rumors floating around right now, what do you think will actually happen? What do you want to happen? The comments are open…let the speculation fly.

Braylon Edwards photo courtesy of AP Photo/Tony Dejak

Mathias Kiwanuka photo courtesy of Evan Pinkus/WireImage.com

Filed Under: Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: brady quinn, braylon edwards, eric mangini, george kokinis, jay cutler, mathias kiwanuka, new york giants, NFL, nfl offseason, nfl trade rumors, shaun rogers

Trade Winds Blow at Combine: Will, and Should, the Browns Trade Derek Anderson?

February 20, 2009 By 2 Comments

Trade Rumors: Browns to Trade Derek Anderson to Tampa Bay BuccaneersThe 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 QDerek Anderson to Tampa Bay Bucs Trade RumorB 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?

Should the Browns get what they can in a trade for Derek Anderson and move forward with Brady Quinn as the QB?

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Filed Under: Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: brady quinn, Cleveland Browns, derek anderson, eric mangini, nfl offseason, nfl scouting combine, nfl trade rumors, tampa bay buccaneers