I was skeptical about Brady Quinn. I thought he was overhyped at Notre Dame and I was happy Phil Savage chose Joe Thomas with the third overall pick in the past draft. I’m still thrilled with the Thomas pick, but I have that same feeling about the deal the Browns made to move into the first round to pick the former Irish quarterback. Quinn looks like he has the goods to be a top flite NFL quarterback. I know it’s only the pre season, but he showed poise and pocket presence against the Broncos’ defensive starters, things good pro signal callers have. It’s also something the Browns other quarterbacks do not possess.
That still doesn’t mean Quinn should be start on September 9th against the Steelers. In fact, I continue to maintain the longer Romeo Crennel can wait to start the rookie the better. If the Browns can win enough games to keep Quinn out all season, that would be perfect. The more he can learn, and the less he can get hit, the better off the former ND quarterback will be. Charlie Frye should be the starter against Pittsburgh and hopefully an improved offensive line and better running game will hide Frye’s deficiencies.
So far it appears that Phil Savage has hit on all three of his top picks. Thomas will start at tackle and it would not be a surprise if Eric Wright starts at cornerback. And there is no question that if Quinn did not play the position he plays, he would be a starter as well. The GM needed a very good draft in 2007, and it appears he delivered the goods.
One position that doesn’t look as good is the kicking spot. Phil Dawson had a tough second half of last season, and has missed two field goals in the exhibition games. It would not be shocking to see the Browns bring in a kicker for a tryout after the first round of NFL cuts tomorrow and give him a shot this Thursday against the Bears. The Browns cannot afford to get into scoring territory and come away empty. There might be a new kicker in place by Week 1.
Another issue is the failure of another reliable pass catcher to step up. Joshua Cribbs has been the best of the non-starters and should be the #3 receiver because Tim Carter and Travis Wilson haven’t shown much. It does appear that Rob Chudzinski is willing to use Cribbs’ versatility on end arounds, and I’m guessing we will eventually see a pass off of that play. This is something past coordinators were hesitant to do. Chudzinski will probably split out Kellen Winslow Jr. as much as he can to replace the lack of quality wide outs.
This week’s game will be a waste. I’m sure Quinn will play and probably so will Ken Dorsey as the starters will make only token appearances to avoid injuries. Watch the special teams play. The guys who excel in that phase will be the front runners for back up spots. Jerome Harrison should earn a roster spot because of his play on special teams, and so has Chaun Thompson. The real fun will occur on Saturday when the final cuts will be announced. There are sure to be surprises.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 