With Derek Anderson still the starting quarterback after an abysmal 2-for-17 performance (yes, the Browns won even though Anderson completed just two passes), it would seem that it his job forever (forever, ever? Forever, ever) no matter how poorly he plays. So what do they do now with Brady Quinn? One possible answer: trade him.
Brady Quinn Reportedly Puts House on Market, Considers Demanding Trade
On Tuesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer ruminated thusly:
With the trading deadline looming Oct. 20, it wouldn't be surprising if Quinn went the way of Braylon Edwards and was dealt to another team. [...]
... Quinn is stuck on the bench, where he's watching $11 million slip away. This year was the last chance for Quinn to hit the escalators in his contract that would've earned him an additional $11 million -- on top of the $9.2 million over five years in his base contract. The only stipulation was that he had to take 70 percent of the snaps -- which is highly unlikely unless Anderson gets hurt.
Quinn would've needed to start about 11 games this season to hit the 70 percent. He's played in only 2 1/2 games with little chance of getting on the field anytime soon.
That’s essentially just laying out why a trade makes sense, although it doesn’t suggest any signs that a trade could actually go down. But on Wednesday, the Plain-Dealer reporting that Quinn’s levels of disgruntlement are increasing rapidly:
Brady Quinn's home in Avon Lake was listed for sale on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
The deposed Browns quarterback feels his time with the team is nearing an end. Since being replaced by Derek Anderson, Quinn has been at odds with coach Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, said a source.
Quinn's practice reps have dried up, and he has challenged Mangini about his demotion after 2½ games as the Browns' starting quarterback. [...]
The source said Quinn was weighing whether to formally ask the team to trade him.
One element that could help get a deal done is that there isn’t a huge financial risk for a team to take a chance on Quinn. He only making $1.72 million this season, assuming he doesn’t reach his contract escalator, which pays him about $11 million more if he plays 70% of the snaps this season. At this point, that isn’t going to happen anyway. (That certainly helps explain why Anderson is still starting over Quinn -- the Browns are doomed either way, so why let Quinn get snaps and potentially owe him millions more?) The main obstacle is Quinn’s stock right now -- there is that there isn’t exactly a huge market for a someone with a 1-5 record that hasn’t played in 2 1/2 games.
Having said that, the Browns obviously are a happy to make a trade (see: Winslow, Kellen; Edwards, Braylon), but right now there may just not be any teams willing to take a chance on Quinn.
If Cleveland does move the former Golden Domer, it would mark the eighth time since 1999 that the Browns would have traded away or released a first-round pick. Like Andrew said, Cleveland is busy teaching everyone how not to build a successful NFL franchise.
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