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Crennel: Quinn will have work to do after holdout
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
BEREA — It was the kind of day Browns coach Romeo Crennel probably wished he had an up-to-speed Brady Quinn available.
Just to see what the rookie quarterback could do. To see if he could run the two-minute drill and have it pay off in a touchdown, something neither Derek Anderson nor Charlie Frye could accomplish as the seventh practice of training camp wound down.
Extras
Quinn's contract holdout languished into its fifth day Tuesday, ninth if you count rookie orientation, and there seems no end in sight.
"He would have been in the mix if he'd been here," Crennel said after practice.
In the mix to start? Yes, that's what he meant.
From draft day forward, the former Notre Dame star said he hoped to win the job, to be playing Sept. 9 in the opener against Pittsburgh. It was a long shot, but now just about any chance is gone.
On this particularly frustrating day, the crowd groaned as Frye aimed for second-year receiver Travis Wilson in the end zone and saw his pass intercepted by rookie cornerback Brandon McDonald.
Anderson had been just as ineffective, albeit less dramatically so, in his series.
True enough, the Browns are still installing parts of their offense, and it's tough to master, but with no quarterback named yet for the Aug. 11 preseason opener against the Chiefs and neither candidate taking charge, Quinn must be thinking he's missing a golden opportunity.
Asked if he thought it might help to remind Quinn that his NFL career is supposed to be starting, Crennel said he had no intention of picking up the telephone: "I don't need to talk to him. Hey, eventually they're going to come to a meeting. I can't worry about (a player) who's not here. ... (But) he's missing some valuable time. He's pretty far behind. We've put in a lot of offense."
When Quinn arrives, Crennel said he plans to put him "last on the depth chart and let him work his way up." As for naming a starter, there appears to be no timetable.
"You hope someone pulls away and makes it easy," Crennel said. "If that doesn't happen, I'll make the tough decision."
At Peek efficiency
Outside linebacker Antwan Peek is giving right tackle Ryan Tucker and others all they can handle as a pass rusher. "I've played against a lot of guys, and he's got it all, baby," Tucker said. "He's a good one. I'm looking forward to seeing him on third down (against other teams)."
Peek, signed as a free agent in the offseason, spent four years with the Houston Texans. He has 10 career sacks and should take some pressure off Kamerion Wimbley, last year's team sack leader with 11.
Taking it slow
Cornerback Gary Baxter, a day after returning to the practice field for the first time since tearing both patellar tendons last October, is being brought along at a measured pace. "We're taking it slow," Crennel said. "We don't expect him to go full speed."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com.
