DaytonDailyNews.com

So the Browns have their quarterback of the near future. Now, how do they ensure Brady Quinn doesn't end up another Tim Couch?

Couch, if you remember, broke his thumb in practice midway through the 2000 season on the helmet of a rookie linebacker who got too close to him during a passing drill.

You could say this spared Couch a half-season's worth of lumps, and you'd be right. Or, you could say that he could have used that time to grow into the quarterback he never became.

Quinn has all the measurables and, we're told, the intangibles. He's had Charlie Weis coaching him, and he's been in the spotlight. But who knows if he'll actually be any better than Charlie Frye, to say nothing of the worn-out Couch.

Working Quinn in slowly is a quaint notion, but it won't be possible. Too much clamoring from fans and maybe even owner Randy Lerner, especially after Frye (or Derek Anderson) throws his first interception. But the wise thing is to avoid throwing Quinn to the wolves — or the Steelers — right away.

GM Phil Savage says Quinn will be handled right. Does that mean Frye gets a chance to play himself out of the position? Or does it mean Quinn takes snaps against Pittsburgh when the season opens? A "competition" will take place in training camp, the Browns say.

In 1999, the expansion Browns waited only one game — a 43-0 loss to Pittsburgh — before making the switch from Ty Detmer to Couch, whose playbook at Kentucky was a sheet of note paper.

How soon the supposedly pro-ready Quinn starts will reflect their level of desperation.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com