Is Quinn's holdout a cover for NFL anxiety?

Filed in archive on August 2, 2007

So, a fan who supposedly has reliable sources calls an ESPN affiliate and says he knows just why Browns quarterback Brady Quinn is holding out of training camp.

No, this isn't the beginning of a joke, although for Browns fans, Quinn's holdout is starting to seem like a bad joke, especially with news like this.

This fan with reliable sources says that agent Tom Condon does not want Quinn to sign just yet, because he'd rather see training camp cruise along without Quinn, so that either Charlie Frye or Derek Anderson can win the starting job.

You see, it seems, according to the fan with reliable sources, that Quinn and his agent don't want the quarterback of the future to be thrown to the wolves, behind the Browns new offensive line.

Does anyone smell a rat?

Brady Quinn was supposed to be selected in the top five in this year's draft; instead, he tumbled faster than a Rolling Stone on a steep hillside, while murmurs echoed around the NFL that teams were afraid that Quinn lacked the hutzpa to face down NFL defenders.

Quinn's response? According to the fan with reliable sources, it's to sit out, so he can ensure himself a spot on the bench, until he's sure the offensive line is up to snuff.

Fans with reliable sources are sort of like presidents talking about weapons of mass destruction - they're unreliable.

At any rate, if there's any truth to this rumor about Quinn, the Browns are in big, big trouble.