Anderson taking his shot, too

06.02.2007

The theme of Derek Anderson's offseason? Take care of one body part at a time.

Anderson's first priority was rehabbing the separated shoulder that cut short his first live-action NFL stint last December, a process that he says is going well but is still ongoing.

Then, in April, came the challenge of keeping his head in the right place. He had a feeling the Browns might draft a young quarterback to add to the mix, and he was watching when the team traded next year's first-round pick to move back in the first round and get Brady Quinn.

Ears. Anderson has listened to every pundit's opinion of what most believe to be a two-man battle for the starting quarterback's job between Charlie Frye and Quinn, and he was listening a few weeks back when Romeo Crennel said Frye begins the process with a leg up.

So he spoke up.

"Derek told me he has a leg, too," Crennel said.

Those legs you saw churning during Anderson's 33-yard run that led to the Browns beating Kansas City in overtime last December aren't close to his greatest asset, though. The 6-foot-6 Anderson has the strongest arm among the Browns' quarterbacks, and that's been noticeable during the team's OTA practices.

All four quarterbacks are getting comfortable with new coordinator Rob Chudzinski's new offense, but none of the other three sling it like Anderson does. So his goal is to keep learning and put himself in position to best use that arm according to the plays Chudzinski calls and the options that are available.

"I've done some good things (in the new offense)," he said. "I feel a lot better. For me just doing it is a big thing. If I mess it up at least I know what I did."

Anderson said he's getting more comfortable with the offense, but he's been comfortable with his role as the darkhorse in the battle to be the starting quarterback.

After the Browns' first OTA practice two weeks ago he said, "I've got to think that I can be the starting quarterback. Not just this year, but every year I've ever played football, I go in with that mindset. If I didn't, then I might as well go home."

Last year at this time, Anderson was getting his first real work with the Browns, who claimed him via waivers when the Ravens -- who drafted him in the sixth round in 2005 -- tried to sneak him on to their practice squad. He spent the remainder of his rookie season as the third quarterback and emerged as the top backup last season before Frye's wrist injury gave him his first shot to play.

Anderson said he felt he "made good reads" during his four-game, three-start stint last December. He threw 5 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions, 4 during the Browns' Christmas Eve loss to Tampa Bay -- the same game in which he suffered the shoulder injury.

But he was efficient in the three games prior, throwing a pair of late TD's to bring the Browns back against the Chiefs, throwing for 276 yards despite some dropped passes in a tough environment in Pittsburgh, then completing 23-of-32 for 223 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in Baltimore.

"I did some good things but also made some bad decisions," he said. "Overall I was happy with the progress I made."

Assuming the shoulder and arm are going to be fine, Anderson knows keeping his nose in the new playbook is the best way to make up the leg he's down in the battle for the job he wants.

"Learning the new stuff, it's been good and bad," Anderson said. "I've made some good reads, made some bad reads. Every practice I come out here the terminology becomes more familiar. Seeing and doing it are a lot different than trying to memorize it.

"I'll just keep trying to keep learn, keep plugging away."