Frye Not Guaranteed Job in 2007

Second-year Browns quarterback Charlie Frye missed three of the last four games of the season due to a wrist injury. Before being replaced by former practice squadder Derek Anderson, Frye ranked near the bottom of the league on a value-per-play basis (ahead of only Bruce Gradkowski and Andrew Walter).

Anderson, in limited playing time, completed 56.4 percent of his passes, tossed five touchdowns and eight interceptions. And while those numbers aren't anything to get excited about, Anderson did lead the Browns to a come-from-behind victory over the Chiefs, and played well the following week against the Steelers.

Since Cleveland has won 10 games in two seasons, general manager Phil Savage is open to just about anything that might make this team better -- including mixing things up at quarterback:

...[Savage] acknowledged [the Browns] don't know who their quarterback will be next season, saying that while Charlie Frye is the incumbent starter, Derek Anderson, who started three games late in the season, will have the chance to beat him out in a training camp competition.

Savage brushed aside the idea of bringing in a veteran through free agency, saying there won't be an impressive group of quarterbacks on the market.

Savage added,"Right now, we have Charlie and Derek and Ken Dorsey," he said. "We ultimately could end up with those same three next year."

Let's hope not. I think Frye or Anderson could be adequate NFL starters one day, but I just don't see either of them leading Cleveland to the playoffs (or even a winning season) anytime soon. Some of that has to do with the other 21 positions on the field, but a lot of it doesn't.

Ohio State's Troy Smith might be an intriguing prospect for the Browns since he's from Ohio, and had a great senior season until the BCS Championship game. And maybe his poor performance against Florida will cause his draft stock to slip and the Browns can take him early in the second round. Just something to think about.