The next coming, or not?

One player that is generating a lot of heat for 2008 is Cleveland Brown’s QB Derek Anderson. 

Anderson started the 2007 season backing up for Charlie Frye, which lasted all of one week. In week 2 Anderson became the starter and Frye was shown the door out of Cleveland. Anderson threw for 5 TDs and 328 yards in that first start against Cincinnati, and then went on to have an incredible season for Cleveland, throwing for over 3700 yards and 29 TDs, while also adding 3 TDs on the ground.  He finished in the top 10 at QB.

Many feel that this would make him an automatic top pick in 2008, but this is where The Great Debate comes in.

Two of our own took a hard look at Anderson and guess what? They have conflicting ideas on how Anderson will do in 2008, go figure.

Can Derek Anderson pick up where he left off in 2007, or will he succumb to the pressure awaiting him, especially with highly sought 2nd-year QB Brady Quinn waiting on the sidelines to get his chance?

(6) Forum Discussion

Jim Day says YES.

Anderson opened a lot of eyes in week 2 with a 5 TD performance against Cincinnati last season, me included. He had the entire off-season to try and beat out Charlie Frye, and couldn’t do it, but it took less than one full game for the Brown’s front office to realize they made a mistake with Frye.  At that point, Anderson was not even on anyone’s fantasy radar. Come the start of week 3, he became the highest priority free agent on the market.

He ended the season with 10 games with at least 2 TDs and while he had some bad games to go along with the good, at the end of the season he was among the league leaders in many categories. He was 5th in TDs, 9th in both completions and yards and was tied for second in rushing TDs. He was one of many reasons the team went 10-6 in 2007.

Fast forward to 2008. 

Anderson has many offensive weapons; RB Jamal Lewis, WR Braylon Edwards and TE Kellen Winslow lead the list. He has one of the best offensive lines in the league, bolstered by second year tackle Joe Thomas, a Pro-Bowler in his rookie season.  All of this point to a positive result in 2008, but many still aren’t sold.

The ones projecting doom in 2008 will point to his slide at the end of 2007, plus his lack of a stud defense and project him to be a one-year wonder. I acknowledge that he fell back a little towards the end of the season, but that happens to most young QBs in their first year as a starter.

I just don’t buy the idea that he won’t progress with more work. He is only 25 years old and while he had some playing time in 2006, it was not enough to allow him to gain any confidence. In 2007 he was allowed to get that confidence and I believe that he will continue to grow into the position. He is working with the same offensive coordinator for a second season and has been working very hard in the off-season at increasing his completion percentage and decreasing his bad reads. I look for Anderson to improve his completion percentage while decreasing his interceptions. With the ballers he has surrounding him, I can easily see him in the top 10 at the end of 2008, and possibly top 5. Draft him as your #1 QB and watch him improve on 2007 while you laugh at all his naysayers.

And don’t buy the Brady Quinn propaganda; he dropped like a stone in the draft for a reason.

Tony Coyne says NO.

Yes….Derek Anderson put up huge numbers in 2008 and was a TOP 10 Fantasy Football QB.....statistically.  So with another year under his belt, does he get even better? 
 
The answer is simple….absolutely Not. 

Do not buy the hype that he will be even better with more experience.  If that were the case, he would have improved throughout the 2007 season…not get worse as the season went on. 
 
Derek Anderson was a BELOW average QB the 2nd half of the season.  Let me say that again….BELOW AVERAGE.   In the last 8 games, he averaged less than 210 passing yards a game and had 12 total TDs with 10 INTs.  In 4 of those last 8 games he failed to reach 200 yards passing and in 3 of the final 8 games he threw 0 TD passes. Can you say OVERRATED!!!!  
 
Another reason why Derek Anderson will not have a good 2008 season is because it’s hard to throw TD passes when you are wearing a baseball cap and holding a clip board.  Yes, by WEEK 6 at the very latest the Brady Quinn era will begin in Cleveland. 

Can Derek Anderson hold off Brady Quinn to be the opening day starter?  I say yes, but not too confidently.  I am thinking Cleveland will give DA a shot to try and prove he is the real deal.  But remember kids…this is the same guy that got cut by Baltimore.  Ya… Baltimore…not the Patriots or the Colts, but Baltimore….Baltimore.  Yes the same team that has been looking for a QB since oh…..Johnny Unitas.  Only a QB with poor skills and a weak arm would ever get cut by Baltimore.  You know a QB that can’t throw for 200 yards in a game or cannot throw a TD pass.

OK…so let’s say DA wins the job.  Cleveland opens up with a brutal schedule vs. 3 tough defenses (Dallas, Pittsburgh, & Baltimore).  They then face Cincinnati week 4 and have a BYE week 5. 

If Cleveland starts off 1-3 or worse, they will turn it over to Brady Quinn.   The Browns essentially gave up two first round picks for Quinn (their 2008 pick to gain an additional 2007 first rounder to select Quinn).  There is no way the Browns are not going to give Quinn a look if they are struggling. 
So when you’re considering drafting Derek Anderson in your 2008 draft please remember the 4 B’s:

1. Bad 2nd Half = the real Derek Anderson (ask Baltimore).
2. Baltimore.  If Derek Anderson got cut by Baltimore, how much skill do you really think he has?  Again, the 2nd half of 2008 shows you the true Derek Anderson. 
3. Brady Quinn.  No team spends 2 number ones on a backup.  If DA isn’t great he will be replaced.
4. Brutal Schedule.  Cleveland has a very tough schedule.  Even if I am somehow wrong and Anderson plays all 16 games, the schedule is brutal.

Not only will Derek Anderson not have a good 2008 season, he is my pick for the 2008 fantasy football BUST OF THE YEAR!!!