Frye will be Browns starter for opener

[BengalszoneBilly]

I say no more than 3 weeks, but I'll attach a poll to see what others think...

Frye will be Browns' starter for opener

September 3, 2007

BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- The suspense is over. Charlie Frye will start at quarterback for Cleveland's season opener Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Frye, who started 13 games last year, battled in training camp to keep his job after coach Romeo Crennel turned the starting position into an open competition. After offseason workouts and minicamps, Frye entered training camp slightly behind Derek Anderson.

But Frye outperformed Anderson during preseason games and directed one touchdown drive against the Denver Broncos. Anderson produced no touchdowns when he led the offense during preseason games.

Frye said he's made strides since last season.

"I think I'm a lot more poised and my game management is better," Frye said. "It comes from experience and being pushed by other guys. You make sacrifices and those sacrifices end up helping your game out."

Coach Romeo Crennel said Monday the position will be evaluated on a weekly basis.

"It doesn't do me any good to say a guy's the starter for the whole year," he said. "Every position, I've told them, is not set in stone. Roles change."

He also wouldn't say if Frye's backup was rookie Brady Quinn, a first-round draft pick, or Anderson.

Quinn, selected 22nd overall in April, missed 11 days of training camp in a holdout, but led four touchdown drives in three preseason games, mostly against backups.

Crennel said Frye's experience playing against Pittsburgh and as a team leader was the deciding factor.

"I think that gives us the best chance to win," he said.

Crennel tried to keep the competitors sharp by keeping quiet about who would start in the preseason and how much each would play. He flipped a coin to determine the starter for the first preseason game.

The treatment appeared to wear on Frye and Anderson as the preseason progressed, and Crennel gave the last two starts to Frye.

"Charlie just went about doing the job he has to do," Crennel said. "He didn't complain and just did what I asked him to do."

Frye said he's looking forward to facing the rival Steelers.

"Obviously I'm excited," he said. "I've been working hard. The competition's been going since minicamp, and I think all of us have benefited from it. It's going to help the team."

The Browns on Saturday released a fourth quarterback, Ken Dorsey, who acted as a mentor to Quinn during training camp.

"It was a sad day for me," Quinn said. "Ken was a mentor and friend. You couldn't meet a better guy."

Quinn, who started 46 straight games at Notre Dame, said it will be tough standing on the sideline.

"(Anderson) and myself will be ready for a what-if situation," he said. "My mind-set is to help the team by preparing Charlie and myself."

[James_Brooks21]

I say no more than 3 weeks, but I'll attach a poll to see what others think...

I say start Quinn against the Bengals pathetic defense, that's a great confidence boost right there. The Browns may not win the game but I bet Quinn throws for three hundred against them. Hopefully the Bengals will make me eat my words and play some lock down defense against decent offenses. Can't wait until next Monday. Also for those who have not seen it, it's a good little paragraph on sportline.com about Jonathan Joseph as one of the 10 breakout players for this year.

[ArmyBengal]

I'm going to go with Frye starting the first 4 weeks and if he blows, he will get the hook. No worse than week 5. Why ?? Well, the Browns open up against the Steelers, Bengals, Raiders, and Baltimore. They are looking at (In my opinion) a 1-3 record at best and 0-3 in the Division. That, in and of itself should be enough to warrant Quinn being thrown in against the Patriots the following week. That would give the fans some reason to be excited going into that game as well. God knows there would be no other reason to be excited about them playing AT New England... Oh yeah, ESPN would be all over that...

WHODEY !!!

[Stripes]

I think they'll try to hold him out as long as possible, but when the Browns are 2-4 or 1-5 after six games they'll put him in.

[chrishcovga]

It really won't matter. I just don't see their offense any better than what it was last year. They're still without a quality center. The left side of the line will be better, but we'll see how good Thomas really is after the SQueelers game and stunt him all day !

Lewis will never be the runningback that he was in '03. The jail time, the injuries, he's a decent starter now, but hardly the shadow of his former self.

Frye is the best option for a team that doesn't have many options at all.

1. Frye is like Kitna - good leader and competitor, average size and below average arm strength.

2. Derrick Anderson - Good arm, good size, can't put athletic ability and mental part of game together to be a starter in the League.

3. Quinn - Best option, but starting him early he's gonna get killed. He won't have the 3rd stringers to look good against.

* And while Cincinnati doesn't have a defense to fear, The Steelers and Ravens do ! Quinn will have to face them some time this year, and I expect Quinn to be reliving Roethlisbergers nightmare when the Steelers got lambasted by the Ravens in baltimore last year, when he does start.

[cincy9275]

i think quinn should sit for the whole season. the browns are going to be a very bad team and i see no reason to throw quinn in there and let him take a beating. that will take any confidence quinn has and just shread it to pieces. let the kid learn and and the o-line jel by next season. by then they should have a decent o-line and quinn would be better off to start then. if you put him in now he may very well be the next tim couch or david carr because of the beatings he will take if he starts this season.

[ArmyBengal]

The Browns aren't going to be in "that" much better shape to make a difference for Quinn in my opinion, but yeah I get the whole sit and wait thing. My thought on that is, who is he learning behind ?? Right, NO ONE WORTH A CRAP !!! I still say by the 4th or 5th week...

WHODEY !!!