Why the Cleveland Browns' Quarterback Competition May Have Ended Before It Began

There are more than a few quarterback competitions raging throughout the NFL, but none is gaining more attention than Brady Quinn vs. Derek Anderson in Cleveland.

Plenty of writers here at the Bleacher Report have given their opinions on why they feel the Golden Boy from Notre Dame or the Moose from Scappoose should be the man in charge of the Cleveland Browns offense. 

Some feel it's fate that Quinn leads the team he grew up rooting for, while others believe Anderson's long ball and Pro Bowl resume is more than enough reason to make him the starter.

Regardless of who's supporting who, coach Eric Mangini has already stated he is waiting until deep into the preseason to make an official decision on his starting quarterback.

However, while Mangini is notorious for holding his cards close to his chest, there are plenty of signs and indications leaving me to question whether there ever really was a quarterback competition to begin with.

As of now, Mangini claims the race between his two quarterbacks is dead even (yes, I said two quarterbacks, Brett Ratliff will not start for Cleveland). 

Honestly, though, I believe he's known the identity of his starter for quite some time now—Brady Quinn.

First off, let me state this will not be an article filled with Quinn praising and Anderson bashing.  There will be no "Quinn should start because he's awesome and DA is dumb" arguments.

Instead, I'm basing my stance on the fact that there are just too many factors with the Browns which do nothing but complement Quinn's style, while also highlighting Anderson's weaknesses.

The first thing to look at is what Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll are saying about their plans for the Browns offense.

Throughout the offseason, the coaching staff has claimed they are building a short-yardage, game-managing and run-first offense. The addition of bulk to the offensive line, along with Mangini's praise of backup running backs Jerome Harrison and James Davis, further solidifies this.

So, with the offensive coaches placing the running attack as top priority, it would seem as though Derek Anderson's flame-throwing ability will go underused if he's the starter.

Furthermore, Anderson has shown his struggles with short throws in the past. Many times in the last couple seasons, he's managed to be accurate with throws downfield, but oddly unreliable throwing screens or quick slant routes. 

In order to be an effective quarterback in a short-yardage game plan, these passes must be completed.

With Quinn, however, these routes are among his specialties. During his three games last year, he proved to be precise in hitting receivers and halfbacks running these patterns, even when he was flushed out of the pocket.

Another factor which leads me to believe Quinn may have already won the job is the criteria Mangini and crew are using to evaluate the signal-callers.

Mangini talked in a recent press conference about how he's looking for someone with huddle presence and command. He also wants a quarterback who can effectively run the two-minute drill and can keep his cool during these and other high pressure situations.

Again, the past has shown how Quinn comes out as the favorite in this category.

There were more than a few instances in the past two years where Anderson's helmet radio went faulty, causing him to have trouble hearing the call.  This, of course, is by no fault of his own. 

The problem was the fact that, instead of improvising and coming up with his own play, he instead wasted a valuable timeout so he could run to the sideline and get the correct call.

This is the NFL. Things go wrong at the most unexpected moments, and a quarterback has to be prepared for anything. If there is confusion with the play calls, it is up to him to think quickly on his feet and come up with the best solution to get the job done.

In regards to huddle presence, it has been documented that many players were unimpressed with Derek Anderson's ability to control the huddle. Some of his teammates have even been accused of insulting or yelling at Anderson as he attempted to call out the play. A quarterback cannot allow this to happen in his own huddle.

While Anderson has some issues with huddle presence, numerous teammates claimed Quinn was very effective in running the show. Kellen Winslow raved about Quinn's calming yet convincing demeanor, claiming he was able to effectively make sure everyone stayed focused. 

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