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Change at Quarterback For Cleveland?

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exhawg said:
Someone buy Reuben Droughns a beer for a great day running the ball. Oh wait nevermind. :p

But really he and the O-Line had a pretty good day. They really started blowing open some huge holes in the second half and it looked like the Tits couldn't do anything to stop them. Even the new RB who was sleeping on the street outside of the stadium last week looked good late in the game.
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Dude... You doggin' Jason Wright? Oh wait.. I guess this is Northwestern Week... Cut his sorry ass.:wink2:
 
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Looks like Dilfer will get a few more weeks at least....:(

link

11/15/05


Crennel sticking with starting QB
Tuesday, November 15, 2005 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]BROWNS NOTEBOOK STEVE DOERSCHUK[/FONT]

BEREA - Sorry, Charlie fans.
Browns Head Coach Romeo Crennel still isn’t ready to send out rookie quarterback Charlie Frye.
Following a Sunday night loss in Pittsburgh, Crennel said Trent Dilfer will remain the starter against Miami.
But why? What do the 3-6 Browns have to lose in seeing if Frye’s strong preseason — he was 34-of-50 for 346 yards and a 92.8 passer rating — can translate into some zip in a real game?
“It’s just because I’m not ready,” Crennel said Monday. “My years of experience tell me to stay the line for a little while longer.”
Dilfer, 33, has taken every snap on offense since the regular season began. Frye has dressed as the No. 2 quarterback for all nine games.
Just a year ago, Frye was a University of Akron quarterback who was the guest of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger at Heinz Field.
Roethlisberger had enjoyed a Mid-American Conference rivalry with Frye, and was in the process of a sensational rookie year as Pittsburgh’s starter.
The Browns have concluded that Roethlisberger was on a more stable team and was less susceptible to psyche damage than Frye would be.
“Just take a look at last night,” Crennel said. “Do you want to throw the kid in there in that situation? I don’t, either.”
Dilfer went 17-of-34 for 253 yards, was sacked twice, and threw an interception while getting nailed by blitzing safety Troy Polamalu.
“I would rather try to pick and choose when I can give this young kid who has some talent and has some ability an opportunity to go play and have a chance for success,” Crennel said. “In time, it will happen. It’s just my time. It’ll be my time.
“We have to take a look at Charlie at some point to see what he can do. Whether that’s making him the starter or giving him a series here or there, I’ll have to make the decision.” General Manager Phil Savage said in Pittsburgh that it’s better to wait too long to play a rookie quarterback than to play him too soon. “Phil and I are on the same page,” Crennel said. “We’ve been on the same page ever since we’ve been here. Hopefully, we’ll stay on the same page.”
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Sober said:
that must be why I was awarded a "Great Post Award" for one of my posts on the Justin Zwick thread.
Did you get one of those today? thought so...
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I realize you're giddy with glee about pounding your goat soon, but now you've begun making up things to try and stir the pot. your attempts get weaker every day.
 
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yahoo.com

11/17/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Rookie moves</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports
November 16, 2005</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

For two weeks, Romeo Crennel has been fending off the questions, swatting away every inquiry that had anything to do with rookie quarterback Charlie Frye.


Then came Monday, and even Crennel had to submit to reality. With his Cleveland Browns sitting at 3-6 and out of the AFC playoff picture – and quarterback Trent Dilfer mired in a slump – it might be time to turn the team's focus to developing players.

"We have to take a look at Charlie at some point to see what he can do," Crennel said of Frye, whom the Browns chose in the third round of the 2005 draft. "Whether that's making him the starter or giving him a series here or there, I'll have to make the decision."

Asked why Frye hadn't gotten some playing time, Crennel pointed at Sunday's 34-21 loss to Pittsburgh and illustrated perfectly the struggle that pains most coaches in mid-November.

"Do you want to throw the kid in there (against Pittsburgh) in that situation?" Crennel asked. "I don't either. I would rather try to pick and choose my time when I can give this young kid who has some talent and has some ability an opportunity to go play and have a chance for some success. In time, it will happen. It's just my time. It'll be my time."

When it comes to young players, November is a month where a common struggle begins between head coaches and general managers, particularly on teams that have fallen out of playoff contention. While the goal of most coaches is to continue winning games – and maintaining the locker room by remaining loyal to veterans – GMs often force the broader picture into focus.

You can feel that undercurrent in Cleveland, where Crennel continues to rely on Dilfer even as elements in the personnel department (notably GM Phil Savage) are getting the itch to see some positions turned over to younger players. The Browns are already trying to appease first-round pick Braylon Edwards, who has been vocal about wanting a larger role in the offense.
Edwards also hasn't been bashful about who he would like to see starting at quarterback, saying that he doesn't feel the offense (read: Trent Dilfer) is incorporating his playmaking skills enough on deep routes. Asked two weeks ago whether he thought a quarterback change might benefit the Browns, Edwards supported Frye, saying he thought the rookie would "bring a little more life" to the unit.
And the Browns aren't the only ones grappling with the question of age versus youth. Several teams across the league are on the verge of having to make decisions with rookies, particularly on offense. Here are five others who should get increased looks as the second half of the season wears on
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11/21/05

Sounds like Dilfer got his little bitty feelings hurt....:wink2:


Dilfer disturbed by decision to play Frye
Monday, November 21, 2005 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By STEVE DOERSCHUK [/FONT]
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Bob Rossiter Quarterbacks Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye discuss Frye’s fourth-quarter interception on a ball that first deflected off receiver Braylon Edwards.
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<HR align=left width="80%">Related Stories
Browns notes

Droughns has fun on big run

Edwards nails six catches; Frye debuts

Browns box score

Browns in depth

Finally, feel-good win

Droughns’ 166 yards demolishes Dolphins

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CLEVELAND - Trent Dilfer gave Charlie Frye a game ball after the Browns’ 22-0 win over Miami.
Ironically, Dilfer wasn’t wild about giving the ball to Frye during the game. For the first time this season, Dilfer was relieved by the rookie third-round pick.
“I’ve never been part of it,” Dilfer said of a quarterback rotation instituted Sunday. “It, uh ... I’m not gonna comment a lot on it, but it makes my job a lot harder and ... I disagree with it.”
Dilfer led the Browns to a 9-0 lead through three series.
Frye played the fourth series and directed the Browns to a field goal.
In the second half, Dilfer played three more series, leading the Browns to a 22-0 cushion. Then Frye appeared again for two series.
“I’ll support whatever decisions are made whole-heartedly,” Dilfer said in an interview area. “But I’m not gonna stand up here and say I agree with it.
“If you’ve ever played quarterback in this league, which nobody in this room has, rhythm is one of the biggest parts of it. When you take a guy’s rhythm away, it makes his job much harder.”
Dilfer was 11-of-18 for 137 yards Sunday with a 103.2 rating and a little smoke coming out his ears.
“I came here to win football games and to give this franchise everything I have,” Dilfer said. “I look myself in the mirror every morning and know that I’m doing that, and nothing will change that. I will not change one bit professionally, and I’ll support whatever decisions are made whole-heartedly.”
A writer asked Dilfer when he found out Frye might see action.
“That’s none of your business,” Dilfer said.
Dilfer acknowledged giving Frye a game ball.
“It’s Charlie’s first action in the NFL,” Dilfer said. “He deserved a game ball.”
Head Coach Romeo Crennel said Dilfer is still his starter.
“In the second half of the year, we’re gonna try to get (Frye) a series or two to get his feet wet,” Crennel said. “The plan doesn’t change. Trent is still the starter.”
Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail [email protected]
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11/29/05


Frye time? Crennel has elusive answers
Tuesday, November 29, 2005 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By STEVE DOERSCHUK[/FONT]

BEREA - On the Monday after, the throbbing pain in Trent Dilfer’s right knee had ebbed.
Browns Head Coach Romeo Crennel had said it’s not Charlie Frye time, that Dilfer will make his 12th straight start Sunday against Jacksonville, if his right knee lets him.
Dilfer had slept off a bad game and was in a good mood.
“Ah .... my favorite part of the day,” Dilfer said with harmless sarcasm as he approached his Monday-after press conference.
The questions began. A writer prefaced one by saying, “Since the wild card race is almost mathematically gone ...”
Dilfer grinned and broke in.
“Is it?”
He began to laugh. “There’s a shocker,” he said.
The rest of the question was about the idea of this being a good time, with the record at 4-7, for the Browns to give Frye a start.
Earlier, Head Coach Romeo Crennel was inclined to start the rookie Sunday against Jacksonville.
“Probably not this week,” Crennel said.
At another point, Crennel gave an intriguing one-word answer to the pivotal question of whether Dilfer might be the starting quarterback in 2006.
“Possibly,” Crennel said, leaving it at that.
What of the schedule for Frye over the last five games?
“Whether he gets a start or not,” Crennel said, “time will tell, and ... we’ll see.”
Sunday’s game at Minnesota got away with the Browns trailing 17-6 with 11 minutes left. Crennel said a combination of Dilfer’s knee problem and a desire to give Frye a series prompted him to insert the rookie.
The series lasted one play, with Frye throwing over the middle for an interception that led to a quick Viking touchdown.
Dilfer went back in and took 17 more snaps, the last resulting in a touchdown that created the final score, 24-12.
“It was never out of reach until the very end,” Dilfer said. “Sometimes a little decision here and a little decision there maybe helps you create momentum, and good things can happen after that.
“I’m sure that, watching the film, you’ll be kicking yourself in the tail a couple times.”
Dilfer has had trouble with fumbles this fall, and lost two more Sunday. On the first one, he seemed to hold the ball too long while moving around the pocket, finally getting blind-sided by rookie tackle C.J. Mosley.
“You’re definitely holding it too long when you’re taking three and four hitches,” Dilfer said. “The issue there was, I was going through my progression. They had everything covered. At the last second Antonio (Bryant) is popping open on the deep post.
“I guess I could have thrown it away earlier. At the same time, you see plays every week where you get that little extra time and a guy pops open deep and you throw a big touchdown.
“That’s what I was trying to do.”
Later, Dilfer fumbled while getting hit on a fake reverse. It was the seventh fumble he has lost in 2005.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “I have no explanation. I’ve played with fumblers. There’s reasons why quarterbacks fumble. I’ve always prided myself in not being one of those guys.
“It’s shocking. I’m as disappointed as anybody. It seems like the once or twice the ball gets away from my body I end up fumbling, and ... you just can’t have it. There’s no excuse for it.”
Dilfer and Viking QB Brad Johnson played different sports. Dilfer was under a steady rush and got sacked five times. Johnson had all day to throw almost all day. On Dilfer’s first play after Frye’s mini-fling in the fourth quarter, veteran Lance Johnstone clocked Dilfer with a cheap shot that drew a 15-yard penalty.
Crennel sounded optimistic about Dilfer playing against Jacksonville.
“I don’t anticipate any structural damage (to the knee),” he said. “He got banged on the turf a couple times and it’s probably just sore from the beationg he took.”
The pounding left Dilfer’s knee screaming.
“After the one hit, I thought I was done,” Dilfer said. “There was a sharp pain. I didn’t think I’d be able to get up.
“It was very painful, but I’ve played a lot throughout my career with pain and ... there’s nothing heroic about it unless you play good.”
Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail [email protected]

JAGUARS AT BROWNS
Sunday, 1 p.m. Cleveland Browns Stadium TV Channel 19
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scout.com (free)

12/1/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Passan: Don't Blame Dilfer

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Rich Passan

Date: Nov 29, 2005

Rich says the Browns are getting exactly what they should have expected from their quarterback.
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Opinions expressed by commentators do not necessarily reflect those of Bernie Kosar or the staff of BerniesInsiders.com

Picking on Trent Dilfer can become exceedingly boring, but the guy is such a massive target, it’s difficult to hold back.
If one buys into the notion that the Browns quarterback was, is and always will be mediocre, then any criticism that follows is unwarranted because he has played down to that level. He has not surprised anyone. Week in and week out, he takes mediocrity to new levels, all lower.
On the other hand, if one truly believed Dilfer’s arrival begat a new and wonderful beginning to the Browns after the Butch Davis debacle, then his performance thus far must be stunningly disappointing.
When he broke in with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1994, Dilfer committed numerous rookie mistakes, yet backed it up with the braggadocio of a veteran. Talked a great game. Played one that fell well short of great.
Eleven years later, Dilfer continues to make the same rookie mistakes. They have become his trademark. And yet, he remains positive in the wake of a 4-7 season.
Does he not know he is slow to recognize and correctly read defenses, holds the ball way too long and too low, lacks pocket presence, does not make intelligent decisions and mangles time management?
Some guys never learn. Dilfer is the poster boy for that group.
Don’t blame him for the club’s offensive passing woes this season. You see, he can’t help himself.
And don’t blame the offensive line. The fact Dilfer is still vertical after 11 games is silent testament.
Blame for Dilfer’s performance falls in the lap of Phil Savage, whose success rate for helping Ozzie Newsome draft quarterbacks in Baltimore fell somewhere between awful and abysmal.
There were some decent free-agent quarterbacks out there for the Browns’ general manager to choose from when it became obvious Kelly Holcomb was not coming back. Drew Bledsoe, for example, whose track record as a pro far exceeds Dilfer, would have been a much better choice to come here.
The Browns, instead, bought themselves a microcosm of their recent history when they traded for Dilfer. He arrived with the fanfare of an All-Pro. He impressed fans with his smooth and confident presence. He said all the right things and snowed a lot of fans.
He hadn’t thrown a pass for Cleveland, but a lot of the faithful pronounced themselves delighted the Browns had fleeced the Seattle Seahawks for his services. A fourth-round pick? A steal, they thought.
Then the Browns started playing games and the Dilfer factor surfaced. He continued to say all the right things, but the words were neutralized by the results on the field.
Reality set in. Play by play, series by series, game by game. And now it has come to this.
Dilfer’s continued presence at the position angers and frustrates a lot of fans. They don’t understand why Charlie Frye isn’t being given a chance. Can’t hurt, they reason.
Frye is not ready. Not nearly ready. He would be the No. 3 quarterback on this team had Savage made the correct move and brought in an experienced backup to Dilfer like Vinny Testaverde or Jeff Blake. He tried lamely with Doug Johnson, whose NFL resume was pockmarked with failure.
If Dilfer was brought in to shepherd Frye, then be prepared for what the kid will offer in the not-too-distant future. Perhaps as early as this Sunday at CBS against Jacksonville. It won’t be pretty.
Frye needs to learn the game at the hip of an established pro. Someone who does not turn the ball over four times like Dilfer did against Minnesota in the Browns’ latest loss. Someone who has a clue.
That established pro does not reside on the current roster.
Romeo Crennel exacerbated the situation by allowing Dilfer to totally screw up the final minute of the first half against the Vikings. With timeouts left and the clocking running out with the Browns on the Minnesota 5, he could have called a timeout from the sideline, but didn’t. Wonder what he was thinking? Or even if he was thinking.
He compounded that by rushing Frye into the game early in the fourth quarter after Dilfer banged up his right knee, then went back to Dilfer for the rest of the game after Frye’s only play resulted in an interception that led to the Vikings’ third touchdown.
If Dilfer was hurt badly enough to miss a series, why not rest him and let Frye finish the game? What harm would that have done? The game was lost at that point, anyway. Sends a wrong message to the team and the fans.
Bottom line is that the team and coaching staff continue to make the same mistakes although the season is nearly three-quarters gone. This team does not play smart. Hard, yes. Smart, no.
Crennel said it perfectly following the Vikings loss. “If you have to go back and re-teach and make up ground that you thought you covered,” he said, “you're not making progress.”
That’s a statement we hoped we wouldn’t hear after the 11th game of the season.
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12/6/05


Crennel mum on QB choice vs. Bengals
Tuesday, December 6, 2005 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]BROWNS NOTEBOOK STEVE DOERSCHUK[/FONT]

BEREA - After sleeping on it, Romeo Crennel refused to say if Charlie Frye will get the call at Cincinnati.
In assorted ways, others may be making the starting quarterback announcement for the head coach.
Among those impressed by Frye’s first NFL start Sunday was Jacksonville defensive tackle Marcus Stroud.
“From the beginning,” Stroud said in a post-game chat with The Repository, “he was able to stand back there and get off some good passes that hurt us.”
Stroud, a brawny former first-round pick, was among Jaguar linemen trying to turn the rookie into a fried tortilla.
“In the second half,” Stroud said, “we were able to get on our horses.
“Even then, Frye seemed to have pretty good poise. He stayed in there and did a good job, even after we were able to get to him.
“Another thing ... I didn’t realize he’s as fast as he is.”
Frye got sacked five times in the second half, but Crennel hinted that protection was as much a problem as Frye not knowing when to unload. Other times, Frye used his feet to buy time. Once, he sprinted right and, just before going out of bounds, sailed a 45-yard strike to Dennis Northcutt.
Jeff Faine, who snapped the ball to Frye in Sunday’s 20-14 defeat, said he’s “in the dark” about who Crennel will use at quarterback at Cincinnati. The center said he didn’t know Frye would start against the Jaguars until Saturday night.
Frye shed a little light on his readiness in passing for 226 yards, two touchdowns and a 136.7 rating.
“It surprised me a little bit ... how composed he was,” Faine said Monday. “Not that I doubted him, but he came in there and acted like a vet almost.
“He had a great game for the most part.”
Browns players have been careful not to endorse either Frye or veteran Trent Dilfer.
Running back Reuben Droughns, though, didn’t hold back praise of Frye.
“Charlie did an exceptional job,” Droughns said. “Blitzes hurt us. That put a lot of pressure on Charlie.
“But he shows a lot of poise in the huddle and a lot of leadership. He threw the ball well and made great decisions.”
The braintrust has said all along it wanted to evaluate Frye as the season wore on. Given the way the third-round pick held up against the league’s No. 3-ranked defense — and the fact the 4-8 Browns aren’t playing for a Super Bowl — logic would seem to dictate another start.
Crennel, though, said Frye and Dilfer will split time in practice this week.
“It’ll be a game-time announcement on the quarterback,” he said.
Frye seemed anything but starstruck Monday, although he conceded he’d never been rushed so hard.
“Those were some big boys out there,” he said.
Frye didn’t even want to say how he’d played, other than in a snippet or two — his best throw of the day, he thought, was the long, late sideline pass on which Antonio Bryant was ruled an inch out of bounds.
“I’m going to get my grade sheet, watch the tape, and see what coach says during this offensive meeting,” Frye said.

THE ROAD BACK Crennel sees Braylon Edwards coming back from his knee injury more effectively than some young receivers might. “He studied in the classroom,” Crennel said. “His attitude and approach will help him. When he comes back, I don’t think there will be much of a drop-off.” Bryant (47 catches, 702 yards) will play out the year as the No. 1 receiver. After him? “Dennis (Northcutt) will probably move back up, and Frisman Jackson becomes more of a factor,” Crennel said. Rookie Josh Cribbs might see some action at receiver.
DAVIS UPDATE The concussion that knocked linebacker Andra Davis out of part of Sunday’s game — he returned and finished — apparently is not serious, Crennel indicated. Davis is on pace for a 200-tackle season, which started with a 16-tackle day against the Bengals on Sept. 11.
FOUR MORE WEEKS If Crennel winds up playing both Dilfer and Frye over the final four games, it might be partly because he doesn’t want to put the rookie through a meat grinder. “I think we have our toughest part of the schedule coming up,” he said. It includes rematches with each of the AFC North rivals who already have won games quarterbacked by Dilfer. The other foe is Oakland on the road.
EXTRA POINTS Crennel indicated run blocking has been decent, but pass blocking needs work. ... What of the lost replay challenge on Bryant’s deep catch on the left sideline? “It kind of looked like he was in on the coaches’ film,” Crennel said. ... Crennel on dropped passes: “That’s been a problem ... you can’t hide from that. We try to do concentration drills and things like that to try to help ... a coach hates to see the drops.” ... Crennel said he expects Kellen Winslow Jr. to be ready for at least limited action in post-draft minicamps. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail [email protected]
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Buckeyeskickbuttocks said:
Curious, so is the one I quoted. :p

Frye looks to be the future... so, if they've settled on a QB, Droughns looks to be a solid back for them... do they look at AJ Hawk with their 1st rounder?
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BKB,

Most predraft pubs. are saying the Saints would draft Hawk although he would be a good fit in Cleveland.

Although, I'd watch out for the Brown's first rounder getting some kind of freak injury based on their last two.
 
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I saw one site predicting Hawk would go in the first round to Cleveland and Carpenter later in the round to Carolina, for what its worth.

I think it's time the Browns see what they have in Frye. Their season is over for all practical purposes so they need to think about the future. Sorry, Trent.
 
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