Let's face it: Brady Quinn is just a rookie
By Terry Pluto
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/football/nfl/cleveland_browns/17194388.htm
After two days of watching Brady Quinn throw passes into the wind, with the wind, on target and way off target, here's what we know: He's a rookie quarterback.
Here's what else we know: The NFL is an unforgiving place for rookie quarterbacks.
Here's the good news: The Notre Dame star impressed the Browns by showing that some of the hype from Irish coach Charlie Weis is right. The kid is well-prepared for the pros.
``He's mentally sharp, he picks up things easily, the coaches enjoy him,'' Browns General Manager Phil Savage said. ``You can train him. He's a good student. He's in a unique situation, because he started for four years at Notre Dame and played the last two for a pro coach. That really helps.''
It doesn't make Quinn the opening-day starter.
Romeo Crennel said what most coaches do: The edge goes to Charlie Frye, the veteran with 18 starts. Derek Anderson is somewhere in the mix, having started three games in two NFL seasons. Then, there's Quinn.
How about bringing in a veteran quarterback?
``Right now, I don't see that happening,'' Savage said. ``I think it's time to move forward with the guys we have at quarterback.''
Savage mentioned that new offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski has an appreciation of Ken Dorsey, ``who was 35-1 for Chud when they were together at (the University of) Miami.'' Dorsey (10 career pro starts) is not going to start, but Savage said he does bring a veteran's knowledge and approach to the team.
Savage is far from endorsing Quinn as an opening-day starter, but he also won't rule it out.
``By the end of minicamp and heading into veterans camp, we at least want to be down to our top two,'' Savage said. ``If one emerges by veterans camp, then we'll go with him.''
As for Quinn?
``It's tough to start from Day One because of the speed of the game and everything else involved,'' Savage said. ``He doesn't move quite as well as Charlie (Frye), but he can move around in the pocket. He is fluid and polished. You can't expect him to start (Day One), but his background does give him a chance.''
Some history is in order. The following quarterbacks did not start a game as a rookie: Chad Pennington, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, Daunte Culpepper, Brett Favre and Tom Brady.
Super Bowl quarterback Steve McNair started six games in his first two years. Donovan McNabb had six starts as a rookie; Michael Vick had two.
Among active quarterbacks, I found only two who started all 16 games as a rookie: Peyton Manning and David Carr. Truly mixed result.
Other recent rookies receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine).
Rushing rookies into action rarely seems to work. Is it because they usually are high-profile players on bad teams, as was the case with Couch, Harrington and Carr? That often means any quarterback would struggle playing behind a poor line, and often playing from behind because of a shaky defense.
It's the worst circumstances for a young quarterback.
Or are the guys just not good enough?
Roethlisberger started 13 times as a rookie for a Pittsburgh Steelers team that went 15-1. How would he have fared with the 2004 Browns instead of the 2004 Steelers?
You don't know.
In most cases, teams playing a rookie quarterback lose, and the quarterback is beaten up physically and mentally. His confidence is shaken, doubts rise among the fans and the organization.
A year ago, the Browns gave the job to Frye with the motto of ``preserving, protecting and promoting'' the kid from the University of Akron. That was not exactly a successful mission.
So what should the Browns do?
At least start the season with Frye and give Quinn time to watch and learn. That never hurts a rookie quarterback.
