Cleveland Browns: Environment of Insecurity
Radio analyst and former NFL player Boomer Esiason fears that the ''environment of insecurity'' created by Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini will prevent the winner of the quarterback competition between Quinn and Derek Anderson from succeeding in the long run.
The result could be another terrible season for the Browns, who play in a division that features the likes of Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
''Everything is buttoned up there, everybody's afraid of everybody else,'' Esiason said. ''Eric Mangini and his mental gymnastics thinks he's going to build this team, they're all going to be fighting for one. His zeal to keep everything in-house, he creates an air of insecurity. Guys are afraid to become who they are.
''So how does that play into the quarterback? When the quarterback gets on the field, is he a risk-taker? Is he afraid to throw an interception? Is he afraid that his coach is going to rip him behind closed doors? Can you imagine somebody treating Dan Marino like that? John Elway? Joe Montana?''
For the sports bettor, the Browns almost seem like a "given":
"The Browns winning UNDER 6 ½ 2009 regular season games at -130 looks to be a great bet at Sportsbetting.com," according to Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com. "I just don't see the quarterback situation being rectified during the season since neither played well last year."
It has been an open competition between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, according to Mangini. Anderson went 3-6 in his starts last year with 9 touchdowns and 8 interceptions before getting injured. Quinn went 1-2 with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com