Next in Line

   This Sunday it looks like Colt McCoy is going to add his name to a distinguished list. Starting QB’s for the Cleveland Browns since their return in 1999. The complete list: (in alphabetical order so I did not have to give myself an aneurysm trying to judge levels of mediocrity)

Derek Anderson, Tim Couch, Jake Delhomme, Ty Detmer, Trent Dilfer, Ken Dorsey, Charlie Frye, Bruce Gradkowski, Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, Doug Pederson, Brady Quinn, Seneca Wallace, and Spergon Wynn,

  Ugghh, the CFL thinks these guys are cast offs. 11 seasons and only guy, Derek Anderson in 2007, was able to put together an above average season. That season was even heart breaking and capped off by Anderson doing the only thing that could have kept the Browns out of the playoffs, throwing the ball to the Bengals FOUR TIMES in week 16 and his QB rating that season 82.5 slightly above average at best. I am not even going to list the guys who have been on the Brownies and NOT had a chance to start since 1999…Despite my promise in the last sentence to try and refrain from listing the backup hacks, I can not control my impulse to do so, and here goes:

Josh Booty, Jeff Brohm, Lang Campbell, Tony Graziani, Josh Harris, Nate Hybl, Doug Johnson, Jamie Martin, Kevin Thompson, Colt McCoy, Brett Ratliff

  The only time the Browns went to the playoffs in 2002 Tim Couch had a QB rating of 76.8 or average at best. Even with poor schemes and incompetent GM’s, the Browns still haven't gotten lucky enough with their putrid record, or haven't been smart enough, to draft a franchise QB like Mark Sanchez, Aaron Rodgers, Phillip Rivers or Eli Manning. Or accidently drafted a quality NFL QB in the past 11 years. Here is a list of guys who have been drafted since 1999 that I would argue could put together 2 above average seasons, and that does not include free agents drafted before 1999 that could have been signed.

Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Kevin Kolb, Trent Edwards, Vince Young, Jay Cutler, Aaron Rodgers, Jason Campbell, Kyle Orton, Matt Cassel, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Schaub, Carson Palmer, Byron Leftwich, David Carr, David Garrard, Michael Vick, Drew Brees, Jesse Palmer (not a good QB but showed the world his superstar level frosted tips on a season of the Bachelor), Chad Pennington, Marc Bulger, Tom Brady, Donavan McNabb, Dante Culpepper, Aaron Brooks

  So here is to hoping that in Colt McCoy the averages finally catch up to Brownies and we will have our QB of the future. Raise your glasses for a toast: “Here is to lesbians, virgins, and Phil Savage… thanks for nothin’” “Go Browns”

Adam