On Friday Mike Holmgren said what we’ve long assumed: that either Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn will be traded or released this offseason. When asked if they’ll both be on the roster this season he responded:
“I think it’s a longshot, but never say never. But I’ve gone on record saying I don’t like quarterback competitions. They did that last year. And that didn’t work all that great.”
The odd man out is likely to be Derek Anderson. He’s due a $2M roster bonus on March 19, making it unlikely that the Browns will keep him around. Unfortunately for Holmgren and the Browns, the roster bonus means it will be extremely difficult to trade Anderson. Teams know that the Browns don’t want to pay his bonus, so if they want him they can pick him up after he is released by the Browns.
What further hurts the Browns is the number of available quarterbacks on the trade market. Jason Campbell and the Eagles three-headed quarterback monster all appear to be on the trading block and all are better options that Anderson.
Anderson has a big arm, but that’s about it. During his 2007 Pro Bowl season he benefited from playing behind a dominant offensive line and from the Pro Bowl-caliber play of Braylon Edwards. He could certainly be a serviceable starter again, but its unlikely that a team will acquire him with hopes of making him their long-term solution at the position.
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