Cleveland Browns QB Decision, Pt. I: Steps To Move On with Brady Quinn

Going into the final two games of the 2009 season, Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren, who is known as a master of evaluating quarterbacks, will be looking closely at what he has in Derek Anderson but unfortunately will not be able to evaluate Brady Quinn who is in Injured Reserve with a foot injury.

Browns fans, especially in the Bleacher Report community, are very torn as far as what the Browns are to do in the 2010 NFL Draft in regards to drafting another quarterback.

This article is part one of a two in what I would do if I was Holmgren and I was making the decision in this very important quarterback quandary for the Browns in 2010.

I am one of those fans that would rather have the Browns run with Quinn for another season in order to give him a full offseason and preseason knowing that he is the starter going into the 2010 regular season.

But I also have Quinn on a short leash already and in order to have Quinn grow and mature more as a quarterback there are several steps that need to occur for this process to happen, if Holmgren decides Quinn is the answer.

Step One   Holmgren needs to bring in a veteran backup quarterback who can help mentor Quinn, while he is the starter.

A guy like the Seahawks' Matt Hasselbeck would be a perfect fit, because he has pretty much worn out his welcome in Seattle, but he is Holmgren's "guy" and would serve the Browns better in this mentor role for Quinn and if Quinn struggles he still has enough of his game left to step in a start for another couple of years.

Step Two   In order to help Quinn succeed he needs a solid veteran starting wide receiver a la a Joe Jurevicius-type player who can also help mentor the young group of receiver that are on the Browns' roster.

Texans veteran receiver Kevin Walter will be a unrestricted free agent after 2009 and would be an ideal fit, if the Texans do not retain him.

Step Three   The Browns need to add a starting tight end who can block and catch passes. Evan Moore has been a pleasant surprise, but he is still young and not a starting caliber tight end yet.

Some here on Bleacher Report have said that the Dolphins Anthony Fasano would be a great fit in Cleveland especially if Quinn is retained as the starting quarterback since both he and Fasano were teammates at Notre Dame.

Step Four A true starting running back needs to be found, whether the player is currently on the roster remains to be seen, but a No. 1 is needed.

Whether it's Jerome Harrison, moving Josh Cribbs to running back, a rookie picked in the draft, a free agent, of even rookie James Davis who has been on IR since early in the season is all in question.

It could even be a running back by committee, but this position needs stability and consistency which the Browns haven't had since they came back into the NFL in 1999 with the exception of only a couple seasons (Ruben Droughns in 2005 and Jamal Lewis in 2007, 2008)

Running backs that may fit with the Browns are Clemson's CJ Spiller, Titans free agent LenDale White, possibly cut back in the Saints' Reggie Bush, a trade for Raiders back Michael Bush, and a few others.

A small in between step, which I will call Step 4a—Re-sign fullback Lawrence Vickers  to a long term deal since 2009 is his last year on his rookie contract and he has been instrumental in the Browns' running game since he became a full time starter in 2007.

Step Five Finally the Browns need to draft a good third string rookie in order to begin developing him for the future just in case Quinn does not work out beyond 2010 and/or to be the second string quarterback on the depth chart because a veteran quarterback doesn't get any younger.

My choices would be either Cincinnati's Tony Pike or Ole Miss' Jevan Snead.

Holmgren may want to draft a quarterback of his choice who might be the future face of the Browns franchise and he did help find Hasselbeck who the Packers originally drafted in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft.

Please stay tuned for part two of this article which will look at the opposite end of the Browns' quarterback decision that Holmgren may choose to go with for the future of the organization.