Jobs Up For Grabs In Cleveland

Competition is afoot in Cleveland, and not only at quarterback as Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson enter training camp locked in a battle for the starting job. With the regime change to new coach Eric Mangini and General Manager George Kokinis, several starting positions and key roles are being contested, according to the Associated Press. “This isn’t a time when any questions get answered,” Mangini told reporters. “This is more of a time for gathering information. Until we get to a point where we cut down, it’s going to be a constant evaluation. This is just another step in the process.” Besides tight end, wide receiver, where rookies Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi are making their bid for significant playing time behind featured wideout Braylon Edwards, and the offensive and defensive lines, the competition that will draw the most eyes is the one between Quinn, a former Notre Dame star, and Anderson, a former Pro Bowl selection. Initially, Mangini said that Quinn was ahead of Anderson based on the offseason workouts. Now, it’s apparently a dead heat. “Done that before,” Anderson said. “Not really anything new to me. Come back in July and get to work and see where it takes us.” Former Browns running back Jim Brown likes the team’s prospects, but acknowledged there’s a lot of uncertainty around the Browns with so many unsettled positions. “Ultimately, you’ve got to have certain talent,” Brown said. “If you look at the receivers, if all those youngsters come through, if our running backs perform on a certain level and if our quarterbacks perform on a certain level, right there you have three positions that are highly important, but we don’t have superstars at any of them. If you can coach Robiskie and Massaquoi and Braylon is on his game, that’s what has to happen.” It sounds like a lot of uncertainty and unproven commodities, perhaps too many to try to mold together right away as the Browns try to rebound from a 4-12 season.