Hey Tony and Wile E.

Q: Hey, Tony: What do you think of the possibility that Brady Quinn picks up the offense quicker than Charlie Frye, (since it's new to them both) and he starts. Many are saying don't start him his first year. Also, do you see any validity in what [Notre Dame coach] Charlie Weis says about him being the smartest QB he's coached?
A: Hey, Steve: I think Quinn and the Browns know that he has a long ways to go before he is ready to play against the likes of Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincinnati. Unfortunately, the Browns' schedule does not include games against Navy, Air Force and Michigan.
Hey Tony: lol. lol lol lol (just getting them out of the way. God am I sick of reading that. lol lol. Buncha sheep.
Q: Hey, Tony: I love your ex pertise. Do you think Brady Quinn might have a chance of being a decent QB if he starts by midseason? - Logan Linen, Cleveland
A: Hey, Logan: Let's put it this way: the longer it takes for Quinn to start, the better off he will be in the long run.
Hey Logan: Tony is right. THIS time.
Q: Hey, Tony:What do you feel is the weakest part of this team now that the draft is over and how is the team looking to try to fix this weakness? Jerry Carrel, Moore, Okla.
A: Hey, Jerry: Good question. We're still talking #=cm DSQ=#on paper#=cm DEQ=# until the team starts its preseason schedule. On paper, I think the defense against the run still is a major concern. Newcomer Shaun Smith certainly has the right build for a nose tackle, but we'll have to reserve judgment until we see him in action. Also, the running#-#back depth chart is scary. I'm at a loss to explain why the team is showing no interest in a proven running back to back up Jamal Lewis.
Hey bonehead: Robaire Smith is a tackling machine. 100 tackles per season. Those are twilight-zone numbers for a DT or a 3-4 DE. Smith was protected by Cinci because he was about the best run-stuffing lineman they had. The rookies and young guys will all be better, and there are a lot of them. You won't buy improvement until they replace the rest of the line 2-deep. Stop it you're killing me.
They don't want to release Jerome Harrison, and no affordable FA is better than Jason Wright. Jerome Jackson is something special, too. Might or might not be special enough, but quit assuming the all suck.
Q: Hey, Tony: Do the Browns have any interest in former two#-#time 1,000#-#yard rusher Domanick Davis? Jason Brunner, Elyria
A: Hey, Jason: Not to my knowledge. There are serious concerns around the league about the player's health and durability.
Q: Hey, Tony: Does former Bengals DT Sam Adams hold any interest for the Browns? Greg Shearer, Hilliard, Ohio
A: Hey, Greg: Zero interest.
Q: Hey, Tony: Let me start by saying that I've been a longtime ND fan, but remain a little skeptical on Quinn as a pro. Just by taking what we know about Tim Couch and Brady Quinn coming out of college, what are the differences that will make a Browns fan feel better about the most recent first#-#rounder? Travis Chappie, Charleston, S.C.
A: Hey, Travis: Quinn was a four-year starter for one of the highest#-#profile college teams in the country. His last two years he operated a sophisticated offense installed by a pro-style coach. Couch ran a gimmicky offense for mostly two full seasons. Kentucky's playbook consisted of four loose-leaf pages (OK, I'm exaggerating). Further, Couch was rushed in on an expansion team after one measly game. The Browns of today are much stronger than the 1999 team. I find the comparison of Quinn and Couch totally off base.
Hey, Travis: What he said, plus you're a dumbass.
Q: Hey, Tony: I noticed on ESPN.com and Yahoo sports that William Green is still on our roster. Is he back on our team? Might be a nice backup for Jamal Lewis. What do you think? Joe Braucher, San Francisco
A: Hey, Joe: Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. Green is not on the Browns' roster and probably never will play in the NFL again.
Q: Hey, Tony: Aren't people overlooking the fact that although the Browns' defense isn't great, they play well for the first half and are in the game but by the second half they have been on the field so long they are dead. Now, hopefully with an improved offensive line, the offense might be able to give the D that much-needed rest, thus improving the defense some? Joe Ribar, Crestview, Fla.
A: Hey, Joe: The Browns are hoping your theory is right on the mark.
Hey, Joe: thanks for proving that there really is intelligent life in Cleveland. What you said is true both in games, and over the course of the season. Prior to losing their top three cornerbacks, and then Roye, this was one of the better defenses in the NFL. And by the way, it just got quite a bit better.
Q: Hey, Tony: You know every time you ask the Browns about LeCharles Bentley, they kind of downplay or kind of dodge the question. I know he is going to talk to the doctors about another operation but do you think he is making a push to come back this season? If so, where would Hank Fraley play would he move over to guard or be a backup? When [Braylon] Edwards came back it was kind of a shot in the arm to the team. I just was thinking that's what they were doing with Bentley to bring up the morale of the team. Your thoughts, Tony. Mark Field, Columbus
A: Hey, Mark: I believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, but I don't believe your scenario. If Bentley had any chance of playing in 2007, we would be seeing him at the off-season practices or at least he would be rehabilitating under the auspices of team trainers.
Q: Hey, Tony: Just out of curiosity, did Charlie Frye and Brady Quinn ever face off in an Ohio high school football game? Jason, Monterey, Calif.
A: Hey, Jason: Not to my knowledge.
Q: Hey, Tony: Since the Browns should be on the lookout for a new kicker, what is the status of Mike Vanderjagt, the one time all#-#world kicker who has missed a few lately and was released by the Cowboys? History says he misses kicks in the playoffs. I would love for him to have the opportunity to miss one in the playoffs for us. What is the kicker situation with the Browns? Mark Miller, Springfield, Ohio
A: Hey, Mark: The Browns have expressed some concern with Phil Dawson and may believe he is losing distance and accuracy. They signed an undrafted free-agent kicker who has a howitzer for a leg but is not accurate. Perhaps they will tinker with the prospect of carrying a kickoff specialist, but I doubt it. Dawson had a sub-par season last year, but I always have contended he suffers from rusting out, not wearing out. The Browns' offense simply has not afforded him enough opportunities from year to year.
Q: Hey, Tony: I know this requires a great deal of speculation, but just for discussion's sake, if Charlie Frye has a Drew Brees-like season, who becomes the trade bait, Frye or Quinn? Alex Aldoory, Akron
A: Hey, Alex: If Frye has a Brees-like season I would suspect neither would go. The longer Quinn sits on the bench, the better off he will be in the long run. Brees left San Diego because his contract was up.
Hey guys: If Rodney Andersonfield or Charlie Frye have a Breezy season, Phil would absolutely consider an offer he couldn't refuse. It might be best for Quinn to have two years, but it's far less important than you, Tony, believe. If the non-Quinn could be converted into a stud running back or whatever, of course you make that deal!
Q: Hey, Tony: You stated that Savage has authority over the draft and roster. So who decides on the cuts in training camp? Does Romeo Crennel have the authority to decide the final roster on his own, or is he required to get Phil's approval to cut a player? Rich Duwelius, Gales Ferry, Conn.
A: Hey, Rich: Savage is involved in every cut. If there are disagreements, the GM may accede to the coach on occasion, but Savage ultimately has final say.
Q: Hey, Tony: In response to a question comparing Brady Quinn to Mike Phipps, you joked that at least Quinn wasn't traded for a future Hall of Famer (Paul Warfield). Don't you think you should have at least waited to see who the Cowboys take with our No. 1 pick next year? Al Ruscitto, Cincinnati
A: Hey, Al: Of course we will revisit this issue next April when the Cowboys are on the clock with the Browns' No. 1 pick.
Hey, Al: Seek therapy.
Q: Hey, Tony: I have read that Brady Quinn is the prototype pocket passer. I believe Derek Anderson is a pocket passer too, while Frye appears uncomfortable in the pocket and rolls out whether he needs to or not. Wouldn't a QB lineup of Anderson and Quinn ( or Quinn, Anderson) with Dorsey as the emergency QB if we keep one be a realistic possibility? Dude Thomas, Palm Coast, Fla.
A: Hey, Dude: From what I saw in one voluntary team practice, the QBs will be required to roll out and throw on the run. Frye's mobility is an asset. Quinn appears fairly mobile, too. The old-fashioned dropback passers are in danger of extinction because teams simply can't protect them against today's array of defensive blitz packages.
Hey, Tony: You're right, but Anderson may be able to do it, too. A designed roll-out has the QB jogging. The issue is whether or not Anderson can be as accurate on the move, and with his arm-strength, he's half-way there. Hey, Dude: More intelligent life in Cleveland! A banner day!
Q: Hey, Tony: What is your opinion on the cornerback position opposite of Leigh Bodden (assuming he remains healthy)? Do you see Daven Holly retaining the starting CB position until Eric Wright develops? Chris Dix, Kent
A: Hey, Chris: I believe Holly will line up as a starter at the beginning of training camp. The Browns have high hopes for Wright and probably envision him starting fairly soon. But he doesn't have a lot of college game experience. He would have to be something special to start so soon.
Hey, Chris: Wright can man cover right now, but zone defense is a mental challenge, requiring each cornerback to read the field like a safety. This caused most of the difficulty for Holly and Perry early-on; their mistakes were mental...and this is why they improved so dramaticly with repetitions and experience.
Tony may be right--Wright is ready right now to be the nickel cornerback, because this guy can man-cover and not worry about reading. But he's very intelligent, with good football instincts, and could beat out Holly, before or during the season.
Q: Hey, Tony: If the worst happens and LeCharles Bentley and/or Gary Baxter can't return from their injuries, what will the salary cap hit be next year? Will the Browns get a cap break if they have to release them due to injuries? I was also wondering if the Browns will have any money to spend in free agency next year? Megan Miller, Taylor Mill, Ky.
A: Hey, Megan: There is no cap relief due to injuries. However, the salary cap is rising so fast, due to the league's skyrocketing revenue, that not even the combined cap hits of Bentley and Baxter will impede the Browns' ability to spend in free agency in 2008. For the time being, salary cap issues are not a problem to most NFL teams.
Q: Hey, Tony: I have been a Browns fan for most of my 55 years. I ended up in North Carolina via the Marine Corps, but I am still an avid Browns fan. I keep hearing about the possibility of Romeo and Savage being fired if the Browns don't come out of the gate fast enough, or if we don't have a winning season. Even though we have improved I don't think the Browns are in the same class as the other AFC North teams yet. When you look at the schedule, it is going to be tough to pull out a winning season unless we have some surprises from some of the players? What do you think the chances are that we will lose our coach and GM before the year is out? Steve DeLong, Jacksonville, N.C.
A: Hey, Steve: The Browns have to show credible progress in their record for things to remain status quo. They have regressed from 6#-#10 to 4#-#12 in the first two years of this regime. Whatever the reasons for that setback, it must be reversed.
Hey Steve: Since Lerner is not a retard, he doesn't want to fire either of them, but might be forced to by the lynch-mob. He won't fire Savage. Savage is widely respected by NFL people as one of the best in the business. "Whatever the resons" is dismissive. The reasons, almost irrefutably, were a massive wave of injuries, the like of which NO NFL team has, or could, overcome. Five centers? Top three cornerbacks? Best DE? Every O-lineman except Shaffer? That's all Romeo's fault (let alone Phil's)?
A winning record would be a lot to expect, but even a game or two better might give Lerner the room he wants to avoid committing suicide and starting all over yet again.
Steve, you shouldn't be surprised when Jerome Harrison takes a little dumpoff 40 yards for a TD, K2 catches 12 passes for 130 yards, the defense generates five turnovers and a TD, if Braylon Edwards in his second season back from a repaired ACL gets over 1,000 yards and averages over 15 yards per catch, or even if Jamal Lewis averages over 4 YPC. This team doesn't need surprises to improve dramaticly.
Unless somebody rolls another grenade under the tent-flap.