derek anderson to the lions?
>> 2.19.2009
Killer Kowalski put up a speculative piece today on the Lions making a play for Browns QB Derek Anderson. He made several great points in regards to cap and contracts: Culpepper's renegotiated deal makes him a lot easier to carry through training camp, but cut him before the season. DA's deal means the Browns are under the gun to get rid of him, if he's not going to start. As the draft approaches, the Lions have some great ammo to make this thing work.
Looking at DA's size (6'-6", 230#) his arm, and his great success in 2007, he seems to be perfectly tailored to what the Lions hope to do. Replace Braylon Edwards with Calvin Johnson, Jamal Lewis with Kevin Smith, and Kellen Winslow with . . . well, maybe 'perfect' is too strong of a word. While I thought that DA and the Browns were, to an extent, doing it with smoke and mirrors, I would take a 26-year-old who did it with smoke and mirrors two years ago over a broken shell of a 31-year-old who did it with smoke and mirrors five years ago.
In an interesting twist, our new Tight Ends coach, Tim Lappano was the offensive coordinator at Oregon State when Anderson was the QB there. Here's a great piece from the week before DA's first game starting for the Beavers, with some good quotes from Lappano about what he thought of the then-sophomore, as well as this one from Dennis Erickson:
"He's got unbelievable talent," OSU coach Dennis Erickson said. "I've been around a lot of them, and physically he has a chance to be as good as I've ever coached."
Nice. Like the Karmelowicz hire, the pieces on this possible trade fit together really, really well. If it happens, I think Mayhew will have done an unbelievable job of shoring up the QB position without leaning on someone we already know can't play (Culpepper) or has gone on a public anti-organization tirade (Kitna), burning the #1 overall pick, or otherwise handcuffing the organization's next five years to the wrist of someone we don't know can win in Detroit.
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5 comments:
"Killer" possesses an unrequited "man love" for Anderson. The only value in Scott Mitch, er I mean Derek Anderson is how cheaply he would come to the Lions.
What does Anderson possess that Culpepper and Kitna do not? He is younger, but he just strikes me as another Mitchell-clone who benefited from the talent around him, talent that either age (Lewis), contract discontent (Winslow, Jr.) or a lack of focus (Edwards) could not protect Anderson in '08.
Hopefully, you are right, but I am weary of Anderson's turnover propensity.
Anderson is no savior--that's the point. He's got a big frame and a big arm, and he's had success in this league. Culpepper is much the same, only his success was a LOT longer ago, and he's had extensive playing time with multiple different teams, including ours, proving he doesn't have any left of whatever he once had. Kitna is a superior stop-gap option to Culpepper, but he's due more money and is more poisoned against the organization.
DA would be a one-year tryout with a 26-year-old kid who has all the tools and plenty of experience. He might pan out, he might not--but we KNOW Culepper and Kitna won't "pan out".
Peace
Ty
I guess my feeling on Anderson is that he benefited from a healthy, quality O-line and a cadre of skill players who WERE hungry, happy, and talented, with all these confluent variables helping him to enjoy success, for one season.
I like Anderson's potential, too. The thing is, the Lions don't have a quality o-line, and enough skill players for him to thrive.
That is not even considering turnovers, which admittedly Kitna and Culpepper are proficient at, too.
In this particular case, given the likely interest in Anderson should he become available, I would trust the devil I know, over making any sort of commitment to Jay Schroede, ooops, I mean Stan Humphrie, whoah, wait a second, I mean Scott Mitchell,oh hold on, I mean Bubby Brist....I give up!
I think Killer is just re-issuing articles from last year, because he was saying all the same things last year. Look, if Anderson would have had a second good year, I'd be all for it. I'd rather get a young guy with experience than a rookie unknown by using our high draft picks. But Anderson himself is still a relative unknown. Which year was the real Anderson... 2007 or 2008? Who knows? What I do know is that I don't want to see the Lions wasting much needed draft picks to try and find out.
I agree with Steve above that Killer has an weird infatuation with Anderson. If they are going to trade for a guy, go after the other Brown, Brady Quinn or someone like Matt Cassel. At least those two guys played better than Anderson.
I agree with you on one point... I'd rather watch Anderson under center than Culpepper. Just not at the price of anything over a fourth round pick. Anything more than that is a waste for an unproven guy.
Steve--
If you examine Culpepper's play last year, it was just about as bad as you can get. When you're talking about a passer rating in the low sixties, then you might as well bring in ANYbody else, because maybe they MIGHT be better than that. Scott Mitchell would be an enormous upgrade over what we've got now, my friend.
Drew, we're agreed on the price being low--that was the gist of Killer's article, that the Browns were hemmed in by DA's contract and so had to get rid of him and would just be happy to get something for him. With the recent rumblings from PFT that the Browns are willing to roll with both of them for one more year, however, this all looks like a moot point.
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