Cleveland Browns and New York Jets: A Match Trade in Heaven?

So the Browns are reportedly shopping Derek Anderson. At least one analyst at ESPN has even go so far as to say the Browns will be looking for at least a second-round pick for the quarterback. I think it's pretty safe to say that a second-rounder is probably the high trade value for Anderson right now though.

Actually, Anderson is a perplexing problem for the Browns. He has shown signs of inconsistency and mental lapses, but these are things that can be drilled in order to fix. He has the arm strength and athleticism to be a great quarterback if his problems can be limited.

He's also owed $5 million by March as a guaranteed roster bonus. To put it simply, the Browns need to decide if it's worth investing the money to try and train this guy while Brady Quinn still sits in the wings.

So who might be willing to take a chance on this guy when the Browns are reportedly asking so much. In the matter of about 48 hours, the New York Jets have become a great possibility.

As of a few days ago, the Jets were reportedly estimated to be above the 2009 NFL salary cap. Seeing as the NFL cap rule is a strict rule and not a guideline as in MLB and the NBA, the Jets had to find a way to make space or risk being fined or lose draft picks.

Yesterday, the Jets released defensive back David Barrett to put them slightly under the projected 2009 cap. Today, Brett Favre has told the team he will retire thus taking his $13 million contract off the books. This puts the Jets at about $15 million under the salary cap.

Now, what does that have to do with the Jets interest in DA? Eric Mangini was said to be the only one in the Jets organization to be against the Brett Favre trade. He was much more comfortable with the game-management style quarterback, than Brett's gun-slinger mentality. Many of Derek Anderson's critics have said that he is much like a young Brett Favre who made a lot of mistakes, but made up for them with athleticism.

Not only does this not bode well for DA staying in Cleveland, seeing as Mangini was recently hired by the Browns, but it also increases New York's likelihood of wanting DA. Rex Ryan, the new head coach of the Jets, recently even told Favre he'd like him to stay with the team. So now the Jets even have a head coach who likes the gunslinger mentality.

Okay, so we have the motives for the move, what about the means? Remember that DA is due a $5 million bonus in March whether he is cut or retained by the Browns. The only way for the Browns to avoid investing this money in the quarterback is if they trade him to a team willing to take on paying the bonus and taking the cap hit. Now that the Jets have made about $15 million of space, they have the room to make the trade.

What about that second-round draft pick the Browns are asking for? Well, the Browns are currently without picks in the third, fifth, and seventh rounds and the Jets have picks in every round and an extra fourth round pick. Seeing as the Browns only have a few weeks before they'll owe Anderson his bonus, they'll probably be willing to concede to a third round pick or even a lower pick package of some sort.

In fact, a lower pick plus a player maybe the best route for both teams. The Browns are in need of depth at every position and have glaring holes at many starter spots. The Jets have their own weaknesses on the roster, but lack the cap space to do much about it. Since trading for DA would take away at least $5-million in cap space, they might want to trade away a higher-paid under-performing player in order to make room for the quarterback's salary. The change of scenery could help both Anderson and whoever the Jets would choose to trade.

So are the Browns and Jets a match trade in heaven? Maybe not a perfect match, but the possibility is there.

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