How Brett Ratliff Is Suddenly The Most Popular Guy In Cleveland

(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

With training camp opening in just days, the quarterback competition will finally begin between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. After months of debate, it will finally be settled in the coming weeks.

The part of the debate that I have found most funny is how supporters of Quinn will bash Anderson and vice- versa. At the same time everybody loves Brett Ratliff. Anderson supporters say that Ratliff is better than Quinn. Quinn supporters think Ratliff is better than Anderson.

Everybody seems to love Brett Ratliff. Anderson and Quinn supporters both seem to want Ratliff as the No. 2. If everybody loves him, why don't they want him to start over the other two? Well I have heard a few say that they want him to.

My response to that is get real. Comparing Ratliff to Quinn and Anderson is just ridiculous. Many Browns fans do remember the great game Ratliff had against the Browns backups in the preseason. Considering most guys lit it up against the Browns starters last year, that is nothing to get excited about.

It is true that Eric Mangini wanted him in the blockbuster trade. But who knows why? Maybe Mangini knows that Ratliff is a really good scout team quarterback. That is an important job for a team. Maybe Mangini just wanted to see how Quinn and Anderson would respond to the team acquiring a new quarterback.

I seriously don't think Mangini has any intention of making Ratliff his quarterback of the future. Those plans could change but I don't think that is his plan now.

Let's look at resumes for the three quarterbacks. Derek Anderson has a Pro Bowl season on his. Brady Quinn holds most school passing records at a school that has produced other greats like Joe Theisman and Joe Montana. In limited NFL action he has shown promise.

Now here is Brett Ratliff's resume. He went to Utah. That is a school on the rise. They do have two BCS victories in recent years. But here is the thing one came before he was there and the other came after he left. In 2006 he didn't even play most of the year. He backed up Brian Johnson until he got hurt.

The most impressive thing on Ratliff's resume is an Emerald Bowl victory over Tulsa and a great preseason game against Browns backups. So there is really no comparison with his resume compared to the other two. I am not trying to bash the kid, I am really not. I am just trying to keep it real.

I don't know who ultimately wins the job. I prefer Quinn, but I know that Ratliff is not the guy to go with if Quinn goes down. No Browns fan should want him to play this year. If he does it will be due to disastrous situations.

Those fans who I hear talk about how they love Ratliff really make me laugh. The reason they like him is because they see him as less of a threat to the guy playing. While people like him, very few want him to start. In reality everybody loves Ratliff but nobody really likes him.

Again this is not a shot at the kid, I would love to be on an NFL roster as a scout team quarterback. I am just keeping it real.

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