Browns get great value by adding Quinn

By Anthony Bialy  |   Tuesday, May 01, 2007  |  Comments( 2 )

Cleveland Browns
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The list of Browns quarterbacks since the franchise's return to Cleveland in 1999 is longer than the inventory of lame Will Ferrell movies, but the former roster could conceivably have just one name added to it during the next decade. Getting a quarterback like Brady Quinn is an uncommon opportunity, and picking him up with the draft's 22nd pick is remarkable for a team trying to put frustration in the past.

Quinn's greatest strength as a quarterback, other than having the best QB name since Roman Gabriel, is what can't be measured by the passer rating: intangibles. In school, his greatest feat was showing that he could be calm, focused and steady under pocket pressure. The top candidate for the most stressed-out college kid in the nation is whoever is Notre Dame's quarterback, and starting at South Bend for four years is a testament to Quinn's ability to both absorb pressure and lead an offense.

As for the more physically measurable aspects, Quinn's accuracy has improved, and, more importantly, he has the arm strength to get the ball downfield. It's better to have enough power to throw long than to be accurate without the strength, as precision is much easier to learn, obtain and refine. He was tough enough to take multiple hits in the course of using that arm force, too, and such fearlessness and willingness to exchange pain for success is desirable for any quarterback and especially one who plays for a no-nonsense fan base like Cleveland's.

Of course, there are also knocks on him. Without running down his entire college career game by game, it is fair to say that Quinn did lose some prominent contests. Mentioning Quinn's last collegiate game to Notre Dame followers, the Sugar Bowl, is like bringing up Scott Norwood to a Bills fan: It's painful, and it's an understatement to say they're already aware of the underwhelming performance. Plus, he's already heard and will continue to hear an endless string of comparisons to the draft's first quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, who could be described as Brady Quinn in an athlete's body.

But quarterbacks don't necessarily need to be animated David sculptures to be effective. Peyton Manning is built like a guy who should be cleaning Peyton Manning's pool, and he's in the "best ever" argument; as long as Quinn can be evasive in the pocket, he'll do fine.

Already quite fine was Cleveland's front office last weekend. The Browns pulled off a fantastic first round: They got a potential franchise quarterback, plus his guardian, Joe Thomas, with the third pick, a spot at which some thought even Quinn might be gone. They waited until dinnertime and still got their man after he was passed over by teams that didn't need a quarterback and some, bafflingly, that did; for example, the Dolphins passed him up in favor of wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., who unfortunately has nobody to throw him the ball for now. But not having a passer in the fold is someone else's problem, and, hopefully for the Browns, the 2008 first-round pick they dealt away to get Quinn will come late in the day thanks to the success he'll bring starting this season.

It's certainly a better strategy than not taking the risk of moving up, tanking 2007, and hoping there will be a better quarterback than Quinn available early in next year's draft.

Original Cleveland Browns insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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