Cleveland Browns acquire QB Jake Delhomme

[Auggie]

March 14, 2010 / ESPN News Services

CLEVELAND -- Jake Delhomme has a new NFL home, and the Cleveland Browns have another new quarterback.

Delhomme, released last week by the Carolina Panthers, has agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Browns, whose quarterback position has been nothing short of a merry-go-round of players since the club returned as an expansion team 11 years ago.

Delhomme's agent, Rick Smith, said the 35-year-old QB would sign his contract before the club's off-season conditioning program begins. Smith refused to comment beyond saying Delhomme would be resuming his career in Cleveland. Delhomme is expected to compete for Cleveland's starting job with Brady Quinn, who has yet to receive any endorsement from the club's new front office.

<snip>

Delhomme is coming off his worst season as a pro. :eyes: He threw 18 interceptions and the Panthers decided to cut him despite still owing him more than $12 million. Delhomme went 58-40 as a starter with Carolina, leading the franchise to its lone Super Bowl appearance to end the 2003 season.

LINK: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4992744

Mike Holmgren continues the extreme makeover. Quinn? Headed for the dog house, I imagine.

On edit: Delhomme spent three seasons learning Holmgren's scheme from Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, who was his offensive coordinator in New Orleans from 2000-02. Like Wallace, Delhomme is well-versed in the West Coast, to which the Browns are making a seismic shift.

[many a good man]

1. Why did he have such a miserable season last year?

He had Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in 2007 but came back the next year and was decent if subpar (15 TDs against 12 picks). He signed a giant new contract to start 2009 and proceeded to stink up the place. And he stunk it up bad. He had Derek Anderson type numbers.

Holmgren said he's opposed to a quarterback derby so Mangini has to pick his starter at the beginning of training camp. Who should he pick? Should we assume it will Delhomme? He's getting paid too much to be a tutor to Quinn or whoever the Browns might pick up in the draft. Most people now expect Quinn to be traded and H&H will find a prospect to groom.

After trading Anderson and picking up Seneca Wallace I thought the picture became clearer. Now it's as muddy as ever.

[Auggie]

2. Delhomme is short term

Has to be at the age of 35. Holmgren needs someone to step in to run a West Coast style of offense immediately. As we all know, that offense places emphasis on a short passing attack -- arm strength not necessarily required.

IMO the Browns will be drafting a QB for the future after dumping Brady Quinn. Sounds like a broken record, I know. Only this time they'll get it right.

This is an exciting time for Browns fans. I look back to when I moved to San Francisco in 1979 just as Bill Walsh was rebuilding a horrible 49ers team.

Hey -- you never know.

:thumbsup:

[joeybee12]

3. Agreed...they need someone who can peform right now, and maybe Jake

has a couple years left in him...they need to groom someone, and it sounds like it ain't going to be Brady.

[joeybee12]

4. Quinn traded to the Broncos...

...for Hillis and picks. Anderson and Quinn they basically got nothing in return for...are they gonna be spending big?

[Auggie]

5. What were Anderson and Quinn worth?

You have to cut your losses and move on. Browns are doing a good job of putting their history behind them.

I'm not privy to how the Browns coached their QBs or offense in the past. Suffice to say there's been a pattern of ineffectiveness which has happened to the best of them - witness Jeff Garcia's tenure at Cleveland. Maybe it's possible Anderson and Quinn can still prosper with the right kind of coaching for the respective talents. IMO the jury isn't out on either of them yet.

Hillis had some success in Denver before tearing his hamstring. He's familiar with Shanahan's offensive in Denver which might not be too different from where Cleveland is headed.

So they've added experienced, offensive skill position players in Hillis, Webster (TE), Delhomme and Wallace. With more to come, no doubt. Even if they don't spend big they're thinking big. At least bigger than before.

[joeybee12]

6. Monetarily, $10 million it cost them to unload Anderson, probably

about the same for Quinn.

[Auggie]

7. Ouch

[joeybee12]

8. That's what I mean...seems like they got some experience, but

really had to pay for it...well, no salary cap, so they're gonna go for it.

[Auggie]

9. I sincerely hope it works out for them

[many a good man]

10. Not a big hit to the pocketbook

Browns avoided a $2.7M signing bonus by dumping Anderson. I think if he signs on with someone else the Browns are off the hook. Quinn was only promised $700K this year guaranteed, the rest in incentives. Well worth it to end that pathetic soap opera. Delhomme will get $7M this year from Cleveland. That's a lot of money for someone coming off a horrible year and going to a team with no established wide receivers.

Lot of pressure on Watson now. Browns now have 13 draft picks, plenty to use if they want to move up to snare a Bradford or a Clausen. They traded former first round pick Kam Wimbley so they have to rely on hungry untested newcomers Matt Roth and Jason Trusnik to go along with Fujita. The defensive backfield is still the weakest area on the team. I think they'll pick one up in the first round and wait till the 3d to get a QB (LeFevour or Pike). That means they need a veteran WR in free agency or by trade. I'd like to see Brandon Marshall don the orange and brown. With luck, the Brownies will have a chance to go 8-8 next year.

[joeybee12]

11. I heard they were looking at Clausen or Bradford...they should take

Clausen, exchange one ND grad for another.

[many a good man]

12. Gag! Not another Domer!

I hear Clausen is an egotistical prick and all his teammates hate him. In Holmgren we trust; if he thinks Bradford is worth moving up I hope to God he is right.

[joeybee12]

13. Clausen was the only guy Weis worked with...he's probably good...

...I know he had quite an ego when he went to ND...don't know if that's toned done.

As for Domers, you could get another Joe Montana!!!!

[JonLP24]

14. Holmgren says Delhomme 'the leader I wanted'

BEREA, Ohio -- Mike Holmgren knows Jake Delhomme is 35 years old and coming off the worst season of his career.

It's his 92 starts, Pro Bowl season and Super Bowl appearance that appealed to the president of the Cleveland Browns.

Delhomme

"My own belief is this team needs an aging veteran," Holmgren said. "They need a guy that is going to grab everybody by the throat and say, 'Follow me through that door.' I don't look at him as an aging veteran, I look at him as the leader I wanted."

<snip>

The move to sign Delhomme and trade Quinn, though, completed a whirlwind week for the Browns in which Holmgren made his biggest impact during his brief tenure in Cleveland. He was trying to avoid the dilemma that engulfed Mangini last year, when Mangini couldn't decide between Quinn and Derek Anderson as his starting quarterback.

Now both are gone; Anderson was released last week. In their place are Delhomme and Seneca Wallace, acquired in a trade last week with Seattle. The Browns also have Brett Ratliff, who served as their third quarterback last season.

While Holmgren concedes that Quinn's 12 starts with the Browns weren't enough to make a fair assessment, he thought it was time to start over.

"I didn't want to go into training camp with the type of uncertainty that they went into training camp with last year," he said. "I don't think it's a healthy thing for the team."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4998541

[Auggie]

15. Or in other words, let's exorcise all the demons

:thumbsup:

[madinmaryland]

16. I had forgotten about this trade.

[trotsky]

17. Yes - so it's not all bad news for Cleveland sports fans now, is it?

[Auggie]

18. Correct -- they just have to endure yet another rebuilding phase