As stated in this blog last week, the trade for Seneca Wallace was not the last move by the Mike Holmgren led front office in regards to the Browns’ starting quarterback decision. On Saturday, the brown and orange signed free agent QB Jake Delhomme to a two year deal. The former Carolina Panther is expected to compete with Wallace for the starting job.
In a related move, the Browns then shipped Brady Quinn to Denver for RB Peyton Hillis, a 6th round draft pick in 2011, and another choice in the 2012 draft which depends on Quinn’s playing time.
Already, there has been outrage from the fans of the Browns complaining about Delhomme, who is coming off of a poor season with Carolina in 2009. Why? They need to ask one question before being critical–Are the Browns better off at the position with Delhomme and Wallace or with Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn? The honest answer is absolutely yes!
Despite his poor season last fall, Delhomme has started 81 NFL games, more than Anderson and Quinn combined, and has guided three teams to the playoffs. Don’t recall anywhere close to that kind of success from the team’s previous signal callers.
In fact, Delhomme started ten or more games in five seasons prior to 2009, and had a winning record in four of them. He’s quarterbacked the Panthers to two NFC title games and one Super Bowl.
You can make statistics say just about anything, but of Delhomme’s 18 interceptions last season, 11 came in three truly awful games (a 38-10 loss to the Eagles, a 20-9 loss to Buffalo, and a 17-6 loss to the Jets). In his other eight starts, he threw 8 touchdowns and seven picks. Overall, he 54-38 as a starter. That’s a better success rate than any QB to wear a Browns’ uniform since they returned to the NFL in 1999.
The Browns will try to coach Delhomme to be safer with his throws and make the smart play. Don’t force the ball. However, if he continues to turn the ball over, then Eric Mangini can go to Wallace, who has started games in the NFL, and has been an efficient quarterback at the pro level. Plus, as an added benefit, both Delhomme and Wallace will provide some leadership at the position.
You also have to remember that Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert are also going to pick a QB to develop in this year’s draft. The stockpiling of draft picks, including another 3rd rounder in exchange for Kamerion Wimbley (more on that later), enables the Browns to have the ability to move up if they need to to get the guy that they want.
The value for Quinn dropped considerably from where it was prior to last season. That’s probably the biggest problem Mangini created since his arrival. The two potential starters he had going into last season went from being worth high draft picks, to being released and bringing a journeyman running back and a couple of lower choices in the draft.
That said, Hillis is intriguing. He ran well in college and also against the Browns when he played against them in 2008.
As for Wimbley, apparently the front office looked at Marvin Benard, Matt Roth, and Jason Trusnick as being the equal of Wimbley in terms of production, so they cashed in their ticket and picked up another 3rd round draft choice. Wimbley has had two good seasons with the Browns, but although he played better last season, he still didn’t approach his rookie year. It’s not like we are talking about the second coming of Lawrence Taylor here.
The new regime may be doing things differently, but you can’t argue that the quarterback situation for the 2010 Browns is better than that of the 2009 edition. If you take the emotion out of the decision, you will realize it’s true Browns’ fans.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 