Link
Anderson has no hard feelings toward former team
JEFF SCHUDEL, Morning Journal Writer
12/14/2006
Email to a friend
Post a Comment
Printer-friendly
BEREA -- It wasn't like the Ravens were trying to sneak Johnny Unitas or Peyton Manning onto their practice squad when they waived their rookie third string quarterback after two regular season games in 2005.
Derek Anderson, a sixth-round draft choice from Oregon State, was sitting behind Kyle Boller and Anthony Wright. How good could he be?
Good enough to be claimed by Browns general manager Phil Savage. On Sunday, unless Charlie Frye makes a quick recovery from a wrist still too sore for him to throw a football, Anderson will start against the team that let him go.
''I saw the business side of this game a little earlier in my career than I'd have liked to,'' Anderson said yesterday in the Browns locker room. ''They said they were going to put me on waivers and hopefully get me on the practice squad. They called me in later and said, ?Phil's on the phone.'''
Teams have 24 hours after a player is waived to put in a claim. It is not a race, yet Savage said he claimed Anderson ''about five minutes'' after Anderson's name hit the waiver wire.
Waiver claims are rewarded in inverse order of the standings. The Browns were 1-1 when Anderson was waived. If a 0-2 team had put in a claim, that team would have assumed Anderson's contract.
Anderson played in two preseason games as a Ravens rookie.
He was 4-of-7 passing for 36 yards with one interception against the Falcons and had a 31.5 passer rating. He was 7-of-14 for 145 yards with two touchdown passes against Washington in the final preseason game of '05. The Ravens won, 26-20, when Anderson hooked up with Randy Hymes on a 66-yard pass in overtime.
Anderson did not play in either of the first two regular season games. Ravens coach Brian Billick figured Sept. 19 would be a safe time to move him and get Anderson on the practice squad. But Savage was watching.
''You always worry about that and probably do so too much, typically at quarterback, given what was out there,'' Billick said. ''It seems that the Browns are going to grab everybody we put out there anyway, so it wasn't a surprise.''
The Browns claimed quarterback Josh Harris, a former starter at Bowling Green, from the Ravens practice squad on Dec. 13, 2004. He never played a down.
It should be noted the Ravens are doing fine without Anderson. They are 10-3 and can clinch the AFC North by beating the Browns if the Bengals lose to Indianapolis.
Billick said the Ravens are preparing for Frye and Anderson. Their styles are about as opposite has any two quarterbacks can be. Anderson stands in the pockets and fires the ball quickly. Frye gets out of the pocket quickly and throws on the run.
''(Frye) has shown a propensity to make plays beyond the structure of the offense,'' Billick said. ''That is very dangerous. It caught us a couple of times and left us vulnerable the last time they played us.
''Derek does more within the structure of the offense, but shows a certain efficiency that you have to account for. You have to be ready for either one.''
Anderson said he does not hold a grudge against the Ravens. He said he was upset about being cut in the first place, but he regards being on a team's active roster, even being the third quarterback as he was with the Browns last year, is better than being on a practice squad.
Anderson did not take a snap last year. He handed off once in the Denver game Oct. 22, but did not throw a pass until he subbed for Frye against the Chiefs Dec. 3. He has completed 33-of-58 passes for 447 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He has been sacked once.
Anderson looked poised against the Chiefs and Steelers. If his receivers caught just half of the 10 passes they dropped his, completion percentage would be better than 65.0.
At Oregon State, he completed just 50.7 percent of his passes and he threw 57 interceptions to go with 79 touchdowns. He said the low completion percentage and high interception rate knocked him down to the sixth round of the draft.
The early returns show negative numbers are improving in his NFL career. If that's the case, the Browns might have a bargain, because there is no debating his arm strength. At 6-6, 229 pounds, he can see over the forest of pass rushers and blockers.
''It was immaturity at times in college,'' Anderson said. ''I was forcing balls in places I didn't have any business throwing. A lot of times we were playing from behind. We had the worst rush offense in the whole country my senior year.''
In that regard, Anderson should feel right at home. The Browns rush offense is 30th of 32 teams.
Anderson has no hard feelings toward former team
JEFF SCHUDEL, Morning Journal Writer
12/14/2006
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendlyBEREA -- It wasn't like the Ravens were trying to sneak Johnny Unitas or Peyton Manning onto their practice squad when they waived their rookie third string quarterback after two regular season games in 2005.
Derek Anderson, a sixth-round draft choice from Oregon State, was sitting behind Kyle Boller and Anthony Wright. How good could he be?
Good enough to be claimed by Browns general manager Phil Savage. On Sunday, unless Charlie Frye makes a quick recovery from a wrist still too sore for him to throw a football, Anderson will start against the team that let him go.
''I saw the business side of this game a little earlier in my career than I'd have liked to,'' Anderson said yesterday in the Browns locker room. ''They said they were going to put me on waivers and hopefully get me on the practice squad. They called me in later and said, ?Phil's on the phone.'''
Teams have 24 hours after a player is waived to put in a claim. It is not a race, yet Savage said he claimed Anderson ''about five minutes'' after Anderson's name hit the waiver wire.
Waiver claims are rewarded in inverse order of the standings. The Browns were 1-1 when Anderson was waived. If a 0-2 team had put in a claim, that team would have assumed Anderson's contract.
Anderson played in two preseason games as a Ravens rookie.
He was 4-of-7 passing for 36 yards with one interception against the Falcons and had a 31.5 passer rating. He was 7-of-14 for 145 yards with two touchdown passes against Washington in the final preseason game of '05. The Ravens won, 26-20, when Anderson hooked up with Randy Hymes on a 66-yard pass in overtime.
Anderson did not play in either of the first two regular season games. Ravens coach Brian Billick figured Sept. 19 would be a safe time to move him and get Anderson on the practice squad. But Savage was watching.
''You always worry about that and probably do so too much, typically at quarterback, given what was out there,'' Billick said. ''It seems that the Browns are going to grab everybody we put out there anyway, so it wasn't a surprise.''
The Browns claimed quarterback Josh Harris, a former starter at Bowling Green, from the Ravens practice squad on Dec. 13, 2004. He never played a down.
It should be noted the Ravens are doing fine without Anderson. They are 10-3 and can clinch the AFC North by beating the Browns if the Bengals lose to Indianapolis.
Billick said the Ravens are preparing for Frye and Anderson. Their styles are about as opposite has any two quarterbacks can be. Anderson stands in the pockets and fires the ball quickly. Frye gets out of the pocket quickly and throws on the run.
''(Frye) has shown a propensity to make plays beyond the structure of the offense,'' Billick said. ''That is very dangerous. It caught us a couple of times and left us vulnerable the last time they played us.
''Derek does more within the structure of the offense, but shows a certain efficiency that you have to account for. You have to be ready for either one.''
Anderson said he does not hold a grudge against the Ravens. He said he was upset about being cut in the first place, but he regards being on a team's active roster, even being the third quarterback as he was with the Browns last year, is better than being on a practice squad.
Anderson did not take a snap last year. He handed off once in the Denver game Oct. 22, but did not throw a pass until he subbed for Frye against the Chiefs Dec. 3. He has completed 33-of-58 passes for 447 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He has been sacked once.
Anderson looked poised against the Chiefs and Steelers. If his receivers caught just half of the 10 passes they dropped his, completion percentage would be better than 65.0.
At Oregon State, he completed just 50.7 percent of his passes and he threw 57 interceptions to go with 79 touchdowns. He said the low completion percentage and high interception rate knocked him down to the sixth round of the draft.
The early returns show negative numbers are improving in his NFL career. If that's the case, the Browns might have a bargain, because there is no debating his arm strength. At 6-6, 229 pounds, he can see over the forest of pass rushers and blockers.
''It was immaturity at times in college,'' Anderson said. ''I was forcing balls in places I didn't have any business throwing. A lot of times we were playing from behind. We had the worst rush offense in the whole country my senior year.''
In that regard, Anderson should feel right at home. The Browns rush offense is 30th of 32 teams.
Upvote
0
