There is no better reading on a Monday than Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback. It's always packed with insight and opinion.

This week, he had a quick thought on the Browns' quarterback battle:

I think Derek Anderson beating out Brady Quinn for the starting quarterback job in Cleveland would be only slightly less shocking than the Lions making the playoffs.

In other Quinn news, he's venturing off to a mysterious heavy training regimen soon.

Quinn wouldn't elaborate on where the training will take place, but will include running-agility drills, strength training and outside-the-box activity like boxing.

Anderson is going back home to Oregon for a couple weeks.

James Walker of ESPN.com is reporting that Brady Quinn holds the early lead in the Browns' quarterback competition.

Quinn has been receiving snaps with the first team ahead of former Pro Bowler Derek Anderson at voluntary minicamps that end today.

While head coach Eric Mangini has said the two quarterbacks will receive balanced repetitions, Quinn's performance has earned him the top spot.

"Brady will get the first reps today," Mangini told reporters today. "He started with the first reps on Wednesday, and that's because he's done a really outstanding job in the offseason program. Not that Derek hasn't done well, but [Quinn] gets the first reps."

Last season, Quinn started three games before a finger injury knocked him out for the final five games of the season. Quinn's best performance was his first start, a 34-30 loss to Denver. In the game, Quinn finished with 239 yards passing and two touchdowns.

After making the Pro Bowl in 2007, Anderson struggled last season. In 10 games, he had 1,615 yards passing, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Browns acquired quarterback Brett Ratliff from the Jets during a trade on the first day of the NFL Draft. Ronald Bartel is also on the roster.

Notes…
Tip of the hat to commentator Scott for pointing out this story. Matt Bowen of National Football Post says special teams star Josh Cribbs isn't worth a new contract.

Talks between Cribbs and Mangini have taken place, according to Beacon Journal beat writer Marla Ridenour.

ESPN reported this weekend that the Patriots intend to use their Franchise Tag on quarterback Matt Cassell, who played very well this season in relief of the injured Tom Brady.  Cassell is an unrestricted free agent after the season ends, and the Patriots intended to make sure they receive compensation should he intend to depart.

The Patriots are also protecting themselves, should Tom Brady not be ready to start the season due to lingering problems with his repaired knee ligaments. If Brady is healthy, New England will start shopping Cassell in hopes of pulling a trade prior to April's draft.

This will probably put a damper on the Browns ability to trade former starter Derek Anderson.  The Browns need to be able to peddle Anderson, in hopes of recovering picks lost from various trades through the 2008 NFL Draft.  The Patriots can do a few things that will damper the Browns chances of acquiring anything of value for Anderson.

Undercut the market:  If the Browns are asking for a first and third round pick, for example, and the Patriots are seeking less compensation, a team can easily just not make a deal with the Browns.

Take out the competition:  With two starting quality quarterbacks on the market, it limits at minimum one trading partner.

Ride out the storm: If the Patriots sit on Cassell because they don't like the offers, not even trading him until Day 2 of the Draft for either picks in the 2010 NFL Draft, or for a player, it will hurt the Browns also.  In a scenario like this, the general manager (whoever that might be), may get antsy and just trade Anderson early on Day 2 of the draft for lesser value, such as a fourth round selection.

All in all, it makes for a messy situation for the Browns no matter how it is sliced up.  The Browns need to trade Anderson, for at least a third round selection to recoup their own third round pick, traded to the Cowboys in the Martin Rucker trade.  With the t rookie GM, like George Kokinis, it just seems inevitable that the Browns will end getting less value for Anderson.

The one plus in this scenario is that several teams are in the hunt for a quarterback, depending on how free agency and roster shuffles go for them:

• Arizona Cardinals
• Detroit Lions
• New York Jets
• Kansas City Chiefs
• Minnesota Vikings
• San Francisco 49ers
• St. Louis Rams
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The only other positive to this is that Anderson and Cassell play different styles of football, so the same teams may not be fighting over them.  Cassell is more polished on underneath routes, and distributes the ball well.  He is a more mobile passer.  Anderson on the other hand, is a system quarterback.  He has only played in Air Coryell offense in college and the pro's, which focuses on deep passing patterns and a different overall system.  Cassell would probably be more attractive to like the Bucaneers, who play the West Coast Offense; while Anderson would be more coveted by the Chiefs, who run a spread offense with heavy roots in the Air Coryell.

First came Derek Anderson, then he was benched.

Second was Brady Quinn, who played well then he hurt a finger.

Third was Ken Dorsey, only after Derek Anderson came back and got hurt.

And then finally, came Bruce Gradkowski.

Per ESPN's James Walker, the former University of Toledo signal caller will likely start on Sunday in his hometown of Pittburgh against the Steelers.  With Dorsey questionable due to a concussion, Gradkowski is heavily rumored to be the starter for the last game of the year.

This game is a big audition for Gradkowski.  He has bounced around since starting as a rookie in Tampa Bay in the 2006 season.  Right now, he's fighting for the third quarterback job currently held down by Dorsey. Gradkowski came into the league with a decent pedigree, and is a experienced backup.

Dorsey was bad enough in his threestarts this year to question whether he can be trusted at all.  His lack of arm strength and toughness in the pocket makes him a major liability, should the team be forced to play him due to injuries.  No matter how well he knows the Browns offense, he cannot excecute it.

With the Steelers playing mostly backups this week, the Browns could be able to pull out a cheap win, and get a decent idea of Gradkowski's long term future.

Marla Ridenour ran a story yesterday in which Browns head coach Romeo Crennel has proclaimed Brady Quinn his starter in 2009.  In the article, Crennel proclaims that whatever Derek Anderson does over the next five games, he's not the Browns starter in 2009.  Making things even more complicated, he says that Anderson could even make next year's squad as a backup.  Anyone else just get a cold shiver up their spine and think of Tim Couch vs Kelly Holcomb?

Reviewing Crennel's history with quarterbacks, this is just another twist down the road.  For all his faults, Crennel may have lost his job on any other team for his handling of the quarterback position during his time as the Brows head coach.

2005

July/August – Names Trent Dilfer the starter. Dilfer was to remain the starter throughout the season while the team groomed third round pick and local hero Charlie Frye.

November – Frye named starter in Week 13 after Dilfer struggled the previous few games.

2006

April – Names Frye the starter for the 2006 season after a strong showing to end the season.

May – Dilfer is traded to the San Francisco 49ers, rather controversially, for Ken Dorsey.

December – Frye hurts his wrist in a game against the Chiefs.  Anderson takes over, and leads the team to an overtime victory.  After Anderson becomes injured, Crennel waffles on whether to start an injured Frye or healthy but ineffective Dorsey in Week 17 against the Texans.  He settles on Frye.

2007

April – General manager Phil Savage drafts Brady Quinn in the first round of the draft, trading back into the first to select the Notre Dame quarterback.

July – Training camp begins with an open competition for the starting quarterback job.  Quinn is holding out, at this point.

August – Crennel "flips a coin" to determine the starter for the first preseason game, which ends up being Frye.  Anderson then starts the second game.

September – In Week 1, Frye, who had been named the starter at the end of preseason, is pulled.  Anderson takes over, and goes to a Pro Bowl season.  Frye is traded two days after being pulled to Seattle for a late round pick.

2008

February – Anderson is resigned on the eve of free agency to a three year contract.

November – After a terrible loss in Baltimore, the Crennel names Brady Quinn the starter, replacing Anderson.  Quinn starts three games, before being pulled against the Texans due to an injured finger.  His season ends, being put on injured reserve on 11/25/08.  Crennel names Anderson the starter for the remainder of the season, but that Quinn will be the starter for the 2009 season.

Summary:  Dilfer lost his job to Frye.  Frye becomes injured, and loses his job to Anderson.  Anderson then gets hurt, and hands the job back to Frye.  Quinn is drafted, and it causes a race for the starting job, which Frye wins, but not without ups and downs in preseason.  Frye gets benched, loses his job to Anderson, and gets traded to Seattle.  Anderson goes to the Pro Bowl, signs a big contract extension.  Then he loses his job to Quinn, who breaks a finger and gets benched.  Anderson gets to start five games (well, you never know what could happen), but will only be a backup if he returns in 2009.

According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, quarterback Brady Quinn will miss the rest of the season due to a broken right index finger he suffered Nov. 17 at Buffalo.

Quinn elected to play Sunday against Houston, which reportedly caused the injury to worsen.

Team sources said that Quinn and the team made the decision together earlier today. Sources say that not only has the break in his right index finger worsened, but it is also starting to injure the tendons as well.

For the season, Quinn was 45 for 89 passing for 518 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The Browns were 1-2 in the three games Quinn started.

Derek Anderson will start Sunday against the 7-4 Indianapolis Colts.

"We've got our swagger back," Derek Anderson to Peter King of Sports Illustrated.

What? So, let's recap what it takes to get ones swagger back:

• Beat a winless team without it's starting quarterback
• Score three points through the first three quarters of the game
• Throw just one interception instead of the almost two a game you were averaging
• Pass for a whopping 138 yards on 24 attempts
• Get 24 yards on 13 carries in the second half from your starting running back
• Have your "star" receiver get an unnecessary roughness penalty, scream at the starting quarterback and play air guitar following his first touchdown of the year
• Have said receiver catch a whole three passes for 22 yards
• Convert on just half of your four red-zone appearances

Should the team be happy about getting its first win? Absolutely. Should the supposed leader of the offense gloat about it to, arguably, the most recognizable and read football writer in the country? No.

Stupid move on Anderson's part. Between this and the fact that he really hasn't taken a hold of this team emotionally makes me question his maturity a little.

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We've all lived through the horror that has been the past three weeks.  Underlying throughout each game was the sub-par performance of Browns quarterback Derek Anderson, with the second lowest QB Ratio so far this season in the NFL, 43.5  As a point of reference, an average quarterback should have around 83.0 as their rating.  Anderson's last rating in a single game over 83.0 was against the Jets in Week 14 of the 2007 season

Last year's surprise player has been in a funk that reaches back to Week 15 of last season.  The bad weather was partially to blame last year, but this year he's played in two games with beautiful weather.  Surprisingly, his best statistical week this year was the wind-swept Week 2 loss to the Steelers.  Realistically, Anderson's short leash could come to an end this week if under performs against the Bengals.  Last season's Week 1 debacle against the Steelers showed that head coach Romeo Crennel is not afraid to pull a quarterback mid-game. 

So what are they saying out there?

ESPN (James Walker):  Making the switch to Quinn is the right thing to do.

Sporting News (Bill Bender): Anderson will be benched within a week.

Baltimore Sun (Mike Preston):  Savage should have told Crennel to make a choice:  Anderon's job, or his. 

Akron Beacon Journal (George Thomas):   Quinn keeps on working like he's the starter.

CBS Sportsline (Pete Prisco):  Brady Quinn time is nearing. 

Who do you think should be the quarterback?  Comment!

Brady Quinn's lawyer has contacted a gay dating website and requested they remove a shirtless photo of Quinn from the site.  Find4Men.com has been given a cease and desist order by Quinn's attorney, who states that Quinn did not give authorization for the picture's use on the site.  Their apparently has been some confusion on the site, with users potentially thinking that Quinn was homosexual and a user of the site.

Who's fault is this?  Quinn's clearly.  Brady's an avid weight lifter, and should maybe cutback on the upper body workouts if he doesn't want this kind of attention.  To quote Jim Rome "Yo, Brady, this is the NFL, not 'Who can run the forty-yard dash with a Subaru strapped to their back."

Not having NFL Network kind of stinks. Fortunately, Canton Repository Browns writer Steve Doerschuk was able to tune in to catch an interview with quarterback Derek Anderson. Read Doerschuk's story here.

Anderson mostly talked about training camp last season when he had to beat out Charlie Frye and battle for snaps in camp with Brady Quinn. It's a good read, but nothing really new.

Notes…

Anyone worried about whether or not new defensive tackle Shaun Rogers will maintain a solid weight, realize he's not too fat to play basketball. He hooped it up for a charity event run by Michael Huff of the Oakland Raiders. Prior to the game he even managed to dunk the ball.

Sadly, Browns defensive back Kenny Wright has yet to make the Smoking Gun's mugshot index for his hilarious post-arrest head shot. If you haven't seen it, it is after the jump.

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