For those not in the know here's the stats for this 24 year old 6'6" QB.

DA is a RFA which means we would need to give up our 1st and 3rd round picks. I'm totally for this because we have an extra 3rd round pick. Drafting QB's is the most risky position to draft for. So why spend a #1 pick on a risk when we already know DA is capable and he's only a year or two older than any QB we're going to draft anyways.

Here's the money shot...

Let's just say theoretically that the Bears end the season set to pick 10th overall in the draft. Then the Bears decide to trade away that 10th overall selection to the 49ers for what should be a late 1st round pick and an early 2nd round pick, or to Dallas for what should be two late 1st rounders. They don't wait to make this trade immediately before the draft though they try and do the deal ASAP after the season ends.

Then in free agency they sign Derek Anderson and give up a late 1st rounder plus one of the 3rd rounders they already have to Cleveland as compensation. They are then left with the other late 1st rounder from Dallas or the early 2nd rounder from San Fran, plus their own fairly early 2nd rounder and the remaining of the two 3rd rounders.

This allows the Bears to acquire Anderson and lessens the impact of losing picks since they would still wind up with 2 picks in the top 42.

I'm not sure if there are any rules that would prohibit them from making a move like that or not and of course they would need a willing trade partner as well.

Giving up a #1 on drafting a QB is more likely on giving up on a 0 year wonder. At least w/ DA he's successful when he's got the right guys around him.

Have you seen the catches that Braylon Edwards has been making? I don't know if the Bears have ever had a receiver as good as him.

Derek Anderson would be an upgrade, but I wouldn't expect him to come in and light up the NFC North with the current Bears team.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

If anything that is case FOR DA. The fact that he has excelled w/out the benefit of working with the 1st team the entire off season is a credit to Anderson.

Regarding his "key" players...
KW and Edwards were on the team last year.
Lewis is an upgrade at RB and there's no denying the Brown have a very good O-line.

Yet again this is not a case against DA. It just suggests that given the right talent around the 24 year old he can succeed.

Well can't argue the entire offense needs to be overhauled w/ the exception of Olsen and Clark. I'd just prefer to start at the one position that touches the ball on every play then work on the line.

I think the RB position can wait a year or maybe even two. Journeymen RB's are always around on the cheap.

Potential franchise QBs that are 24 yrs old... hardly ever come around.

Have you guys watched complete games with Anderson, or are you just going off what you see on highlight shows? Just curious. I've never watched a complete game with him.

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"It's not exactly a rocket surgery." D.J.

I've watched two; the second Pittsburgh game and the Houston game. I came away thinking that he probably won't crash and burn, but I don't think he's a top 5, or maybe not even a top 10 QB. I've got him behind, in no particular order, Manning, Brady, Romo, Farve, Roethlisberger, Hasselbeck, Bulger, and Palmer, and on par with quite a few others. He gets crazy pass protection from the line, even against blitzes. Everyone knows Braylon Edwards, but Kellen Winslow is a beast as well, and Joe Jurevicius is the perfect complement in that offense. He doesn't have a running game, but I don't think that effects him as much. He'll also completely disappear for stretches at a time, start making bad decisions, etc. And I could even live with that, maybe, except that you don't know he's not going to fall off the wall at some point in the very near future.

He's not tremendously accurate; even his completed passes are often a bit off the mark. I'd say maybe B- in accuracy. He'll work in an offense full or weapons, but then again, that's true of a bunch of guys. This might sound stupid, but he reminds me of a taller Rex Grossman, and to be honest with you, I'm not sure that Rex wouldn't have a similar record with that offense and with Joe Thomas at LT. If anything, Derek Anderson's success doesn't signal that the Bears need to go out and sign him, but that they need to draft a stud at LT of their own.

I've seen 4 of his games. The biggest knock on him is his short game. Which is kind of crazy. What NFL QB struggles throwing the ball w/ accuracy 10 yards? I do believe that he can improve that. His accuracy is problematic. Not so much that he's throwing picks (27/13 TD/Int ratio). It's that his short ball sails and he relies on his arm strength (which is amazing) to squeeze the ball into tight spaces. Hence some Brown fans complain that he puts his receivers in vulnerable positions.

He is 6'6" and has a league low 11 sacks. Which is a credit to his O-line but he's also not the type of guy that goes down with an arm tackle either.

Another thing to consider, the Browns have the worst defense in the NFL. Statistically 30th in almost every defensive category. Which means DA gets less opportunities then other QB's yet has a respectable 3,247 yards passing. I believe he's on track to break most franchise records held by Brian Sipe.

Lastly, Browns were 4-12 last year. They're 8-5 and look to finish up 10-6 if not 11-5
7-6 Buf @ home
@ Cin 5-8
3-10 SF @ home

With no defense insight going from 4-12 to 10-6 solely on offense and to not give the QB a lion's share of the credit seems crazy to me. (crazy, I'm stocked up on that)

Which reminds me. Do you think Rex is kinda relieved that the defense sucks now and people don't realize how bad he is and now he thinks he might even get re-signed by the Bears?

In a situation where the defense not only isn't going to win games for you like they did in the past but there going to lose games for you like now...it's a pretty hopeless situation. Now that the defense is this bad it's even easier to see that Rex isn't a difference maker. This thread's subject is a perfect example of a quarterback that makes a difference. Cleveland's defense is awful, worse than the Bears defense, and the running game is solid and the receivers are excellent. But the offense didn't really click until Derek Anderson took over and the result is a winning team, even with a shitty defense.
Nas, I know you don't really argue that Rex is best in the league and I know you've said that he's not much of a difference maker. He's just a decent talent with big play ability but too dumb and inconsistent. But if the question is who do you want, Derek Anderson or Rex Grossman, I don't see where a legitimate argument can be made for anyone but Anderson.

Well, yeah, if it was a choice of Derek Anderson or Rex Grossman, I would take Anderson. But that isn't the case. It's likely Derek Anderson minus a 1st and 3rd round pick or Rex Grossman. Under that scenario, I'd be fine with Grossman and addressing other needs.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

I was just doing a straight up comparison. But as far as the draft picks go (1st and a 3rd), I think that's kinda high for a guy that might just be another Rick Mirer.
The only reason I'd even consider it is because I don't think the Bears can rebuild in one draft. If it's gonna take 2 or 3 years, then you might as well take a somewhat proven NFL quarterback now while he's available. I can't think of anytime that trading away a draft has helped a team but there's a first time for everything.

For the record DA's stats this year are better then any one of 11 glorious years Mirer played NFL. Yeah that's right 11 years.

Espn ranks the top 64 QB's. Anderson is #12.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/n ... id=3147842

Anderson 12th: Without a doubt, he has made a name for himself and a lot of money in the future based on his performance in offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski's system since taking over as the starter in the second game of the season. Anderson has one of the stronger arms in the NFL, which has allowed the Browns to attack all levels in the passing game. He is a prototypical pocket passer with average to above-average accuracy in the short and intermediate areas in the passing game.

How about just drafting some lineman that can actually play in the NFL and fire Ron Turner. That will upgrade the offense more than another QB!!

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"so now you fools know the TRUTH!"

The Rick Mirer reference was used to compare giving up a high draft pick (#1) in exchange for what is perceived as a future star. Not sure where those thoughts on Mirer were coming from because his pre-Bears #s sucked (his college #s weren't anything spectacular either) but I'm guessing it was solely based on where he was drafted.
Anyway, my faith in a quick rebuilding of this team is dwindling based on last year's off-season moves plus the past offensive draft history plus the general attitude/performance of the current coaching staff and supposed core players.
We'll see what Orton's got soon. The fact that he's been sitting on the bench as the Bears' third QB doesn't convince me that he's not the best QB on the team.

If Anderson is #12... isn't that almost the definition of average? Or at maybe the high end of average? Get me a left tackle instead, no thank you.

Jay Cutler's rated higher?

#12 at 24 years old.

Yeah lets go out a trade for Tom Brady. That happens everyday. We should just do that.

A 1 year wonder is better than a no year rookie isnt it?

That was the coaches fault, which they corrected very quickly, just like the coaches recognized Urlacher wasn't a weak side backer. I think Olson has a chance to be a top 10 TE & if they resign Berrian & draft another WR they could get better quick

You would have to pay a top 10 1st rounder more than he is going to get