Go west, old man

Trent Dilfer, we hardly knew ye. Thank goodness.

In a Rube Goldbergian exchange, the Browns have now turned the No. 3 pick in the 2001 NFL draft into Ken Dorsey and a 2007 seventh-round draft pick. It worked out this way because in 2001 the Browns selected Gerard Warren with the third overall pick, then traded Warren to the Broncos last year for a 2005 fourth-rounder, which they sent to the Seattle Seahawks for Dilfer. Now, Dilfer goes to the San Francisco 49ers for QB Ken Dorsey and a seventh-rounder next year.

Like the American dollar against the Euro, the exchange rate gets worse and worse for the Browns. Keep that in mind if the Browns wind up with a new set of goalposts at their training facility and Ken Dorsey is nowhere to be found. That might very well be the most the Browns can get if they try to flip Dorsey.

Looks like the Browns have indeed hitched the wagon to Charlie Frye. But don't be surprised if Dorsey starts a few games for the Browns this year. He's a perfect Cleveland quarterback, at least based on who's stood behind center for the past decade. Dorsey's played in 12 games with the 49ers over the past two seasons and completed eight touchdown passes while throwing 11 interceptions. That mediocrity is right in line with every Browns QB since 1992, who have combined to throw 207 touchdowns and 207 interceptions. Perfect balance!

Really, we've been living with Ken Dorseys at quarterback for the past 11 seasons, since before Art Modell even thought of leaving town. Just take a look at the main contributers for each year since 1992:

1992
Mike Tomczak, 211 pass attempts, 7 TD, 7 INT
Bernie Kosar, 155 pass attempts, 8 TD, 7 INT

1993
Vinny Testaverde, 230 pass attempts, 14 TD, 9 INT
Bernie Kosar, 138 pass attempts, 5 TD, 3 INT
Todd Philcox, 108 pass attempts, 4 TD, 7 INT

1994
Vinny Testaverde, 376 pass attempts, 16 TD, 18 INT
Mark Rypien, 128 pass attempts, 4 TD, 3 INT

1995
Vinny Testaverde, 392 pass attempts, 17 TD, 10 INT
Eric Zeier, 161 pass attempts, 4 TD, 9 INT

1999
Tim Couch, 399 pass attempts, 15 TD, 13 INT
Ty Detmer, 91 pass attempts, 4 TD, 2 INT

2000
Tim Couch, 215 pass attempts, 7 TD, 9 INT
Doug Pederson, 210 pass attempts, 2 TD, 8 INT

2001
Tim Couch, 454 pass attempts, 17 TD, 21 INT

2002
Tim Couch, 443 pass attempts, 18 TD, 18 INT
Kelly Holcomb, 106 pass attempts, 8 TD, 4 INT
2003
Kelly Holcomb, 302 pass attempts, 10 TD, 12 INT
Tim Couch, 203 pass attempts, 7 TD, 6 INT

2004
Jeff Garcia, 252 pass attempts, 10 TD, 9 INT
Luke McCown, 98 pass attempts, 4 TD, 7 INT
Kelly Holcomb, 87 pass attempts, 7 TD, 5 INT

2005
Trent Dilfer, 333 pass attempts, 11 TD, 12 INT
Charlie Frye, 164 pass attempts, 4 TD, 6 INT

Perhaps it's time for the Browns to walk away from the veteran-QB-holding-down-the-fort school of thought. Ty Detmer, Doug Pederson, Jeff Garcia, and Trent Dilfer have been just plain rotten in that role; if they pass anything other than the salt for the rest of their lives, some coach is going to have some explaining to do.

And if Charlie Frye becomes a Ken Dorsey, so will whoever becomes the NEXT new Browns brain trust.