OUCH!
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Anderson upset by release, says Browns fans don't deserve winner
NFL.com Wire Reports
Derek Anderson's uneven five-year stint with the Cleveland Browns is over, but he had a parting shot for the team's fans.
The Browns released the one-time Pro Bowl quarterback Tuesday, one day after they acquired backup Seneca Wallace in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, and Anderson responded by ripping Cleveland fans.
"The fans are ruthless and
don't deserve a winner," Anderson wrote in an e-mail to The News-Herald, a suburban Cleveland newspaper. "I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured (in 2008, a sprained medial collateral ligament).
"I know at times I wasn't great. I hope and pray I'm playing when my team comes to town and (we) roll them."
Anderson made the Pro Bowl in 2007, when he threw 29 touchdown passes and led the Browns to a 10-6 record. However, his promising career has been in a tailspin ever since. He lost his starting job to Brady Quinn at the start of last season, got it back, lost it again, returned to the starting lineup when Quinn was hurt and won Cleveland's last two games.
Anderson, 26, spent five seasons with the Browns, who claimed him off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens in 2005. Anderson was due a $2 million roster bonus March 19, and his salary was set for $7.45 million in 2010 -- financial burdens that heavily factored into the Browns' decision to dump him.
"I want to thank Derek for everything that he gave to the Cleveland Browns organization over the last five years," coach Eric Mangini said in a statement released by the team. "He did everything we asked of him, and it was a pleasure to coach such a competitive person. I want to wish him all the best in the future."
Anderson threw for 3,787 yards in 2007, and 17 of his 29 TD passes went to wide receiver Braylon Edwards, whom the Browns traded to the New York Jets last season. Blessed with one of the NFL's strongest arms, Anderson was never able to duplicate the success that he attained in '07.
In seven starts last season, Anderson completed just 81 of 182 passes (45 percent) for 888 yards and three TDs with 10 interceptions. On a windy Oct. 11 afternoon in Buffalo, Anderson went just 2-of-17 passing for 23 yards, but the Browns managed to eek out a 6-3 victory over the Bills.
Anderson's passer rating was an abysmal 42.1 last season, and the Browns went 3-4 with him in the starting lineup. But despite his struggles and constant criticism from Cleveland fans who preferred Quinn, Anderson never complained and remained one of the team's leaders.
After Quinn sustained a season-ending foot injury on Dec. 20, Anderson started and helped Cleveland win its final two games. The team finished the season with a four-game winning streak -- a spurt that likely saved Mangini's job.
It's still unclear what direction the Browns will go at quarterback. Quinn hasn't lived up to expectations, and Wallace, who worked with new Browns president Mike Holmgren with the Seahawks, might not be ready to start. Holmgren said last week that the team was actively looking for a quarterback, but he didn't specify if that meant in free agency or via trade.
The Browns also have 11 picks in April's draft, and it's possible they could use one to groom a starter.
