New York, NY (UHND.com) – Brady’s Quinn’s draft day tumble ended when the Browns traded their second round pick this year and their 2008 first round pick to the Dallas Cowboys to select Quinn with the 22nd overall pick. Projected by many as a top three pick, Notre Dame’s all time leader in passing fell down into the bottom half of the first round after Cleveland in third spot, Minnesota in seventh, and Miami in the ninth all passed.
For weeks it was generally assumed that JaMarcus Russell would be at least the first quarterback and likely the first overall selection. Both of those assumptions came true when the Oakland Raiders selected the LSU quarterback with the first overall pick in the draft.
With Russell gone, it was assumed that among Detroit, Cleveland, Minnesota, and Miami – all teams with pressing needs at quarterback – one of them would select Quinn. Instead, Detroit took wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Cleveland took left tackle Joe Thomas, and Minnesota took running back Adrian Peterson – all very good picks that are hard to argue with.
When Miami was on the clock at the 9th pick it seemed as though Quinn was a lock for the ‘Phins. For months the Dolphins and new head coach Cam Cameron were rumored to have coveted Quinn. Instead, the Dolphins shocked everyone when they selected Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. – a prospect generally considered as a late first round prospect.
After the Dolphins passed on Quinn, things started to look grim for Brady with very few teams needing a quarterback in the next 10-15 picks so grim in fact, that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell invited Quinn and his camp into his private suite so they wouldn’t have to deal with the media circus while they waited.
Around the middle of the first round rumors began circulating that the Browns, who had passed on Quinn for Thomas, were working the phones in an attempt to get back into the first round to select Quinn. Rumors then began circulating that the Chiefs were strongly considering Quinn with the 23rd pick if would have been available.
Quinn wouldn’t last till Kansas City’s 23rd pick, however, after the Browns worked a deal with the Dallas Cowboys involving their second round pick this year and their first round pick in 2008 in exchange for the 22nd overall pick this year. Cleveland then used the 22nd pick to complete one of the bigger coups in recent draft history by snatching up Quinn to go along with Thomas – the best offensive lineman in this year’s draft.
For Quinn, the waiting had to be disappointing because he truly wanted to be the first overall pick, but in the end, he ended up being drafted by his childhood favorite. Quinn will compete with Derek Anderson and incumbent starter Charlie Frye for the starting job from day one in Cleveland and will have weapons such as wide receiver Braylon Edwards, tight end Kellen Winslow Jr, and running back Jamal Lewis to work with.
