The chants started shortly after back up QB Doug Johnson entered the game, and the volume increased with every incomplete pass…Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. The Browns’ fans weren’t yelling for the back up, they wanted the third stringer, local product Charlie Frye.
I think Charlie Frye has looked very good in the first three exhibitions, with the emphasis on the first two games, but the correct way to handle his career is to let him start very slowly. That is why the team brought in veterans Trent Dilfer and Johnson to handle the top two spots on the depth chart. Coach Romeo Crennel doesn’t want to be forced to throw Frye in there as the starter, it would only slow the maturation process.
Browns’ fans should remember the story of one of their favorite whipping boys, former #1 pick Tim Couch. Couch was thrown into the fray way before he was ready, and his career suffered for it. His play drew the wrath of the fans, and was eventually released by Butch Davis.
The correct way to handle the rookie from the University of Akron is to let him sit and watch, and then maybe allow him to get some playing time late in the season. The fear here is that if Dilfer struggles early, the crowd will start the chant for Frye. That is unfair to both Crennel and Frye.
In reality, the rookie didn’t play all that well versus Carolina. His biggest play was scrambling out of the pocket for a first down, and he guided the team to a touchdown assisted by a questionable personal foul penalty. He didn’t do much better than Johnson did.
This is not to say I’m sour on Frye. I think he is this team’s QB of the future. Many scouting reports said he was a "gamer", not a workout creation, and this has proved to be true. But it would be fair to let Charlie Frye sit and watch and learn from Trent Dilfer for awhile, and take over the reins in 2006 or 2007.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 