It's Always the Quarterback's Fault

Disclaimer: I'm a graduate of the University of Akron, so I am definitely biased…

The Browns traded Charlie Frye to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth round pick.

First of all, I'm happy for Charlie. He has been set up for failure since day one of this year. The plan was to make all the quarterbacks look incompetent, give none of them the appropriate amount of repetitions, and shatter their confidence so that golden boy Brady Quinn can take the helm. And, in doing so, Savage and Crennel hope to add one more year to their contracts. It's the only way they can save their jobs, given that the state of the Browns is about as bad as it was in 1999, when they returned to the NFL. Savage and Crennel sacrificed the future for Quinn, giving up a sure-to-be high first round draft pick in next year's draft to get him. Their built-in excuse will be that they're breaking in a future star quarterback, and look how much the team improved. Yep, the Browns have led the league in moral victories for the last eight years.

Quinn may turn out to be a good pro, but his track record in big games is poor. Maybe they bought into Charlie Weises' bluster in regard to his talent? Ohio State, USC, LSU, twenty-one other NFL teams, and even the vaunted Michigan Wolverines sure didn't. If you throw Quinn out there now, he has no chance. The line can't block, the receivers can't separate or catch, there is no talent at running back (please don't argue that Jamal still has anything in the tank), and Quinn will be sure to take a ton of hits, making him gun-shy. That's exactly what happened to Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, and Charlie Frye. Garcia goes to another team, and then all of the sudden regains his form. I expect Charlie to have similar results, in a system where the coaches will take advantage of his abilities, build his confidence, and work him into the rotation on a team with talent. Or, at the very worst, Charlie will serve as a solid backup throughout his career. That doesn't sound so bad, does it? Ask Tim Couch…

Charlie has had four offensive coordinators in three years. He has a head coach that flips coins to determine who will start prior to games. And, he had a fickle fan base who always thinks the backup quarterback is the best player on the team (see Holcomb, Jeff). Charlie will hold a clipboard in Seattle. But, when the time comes, be it when Hasselback retires or gets injured, or through free agency to another team, he'll get another shot. And, I think he'll show his true talent. I watched this kid in Akron for four years, under difficult circumstances, thrive. He is a winner, a team player, and fearless on the field. He has a good arm, and despite what the Browns would have you think, he can read defenses and make plays. He did lead the league in completion percentage last year, after all.

The Browns have many more problems than just the quarterback. Heck, they had four penalties on one punt play last week - the play that the punter let the ball go through his hands, to boot! They need a better offensive line, a good running back, dependable receivers, a pass rusher to compliment Wimbley, depth at linebacker, and some cornerbacks. Otherwise, they're ready to contend…

It's hard to watch this - the eighth year of this crap. At least I'm free from worrying about Frye having to be perfect to keep his job. Let's just see how good Anderson, Quinn, and Dorsey really are… And, ultimately, will it really win them any more games? I predict 2-14 for this crappy team...