As far as Holmgren not knowing the trade was made. You might want to think again. If the Seahawks were just looking for a body it would have been Derek Anderson on the plane out there not Charlie. Anderson has a following in the pacific northwest since he played his college ball at Oregon State. A lot of people really like Derek out there since he led the Beavers to a successful season and a bowl win over Notre Dame.

My point here is that Anderson would have put more people in the seats than Charlie if they were just looking for a body. The fact they got Charlie indicates that they see something more in Charlie than in Anderson or in Dorsey who worked out for them last week but was not signed.

How are things? I know you’re surprised to hear from me after all that has happened. Was it really 11 years ago since we last talked? Maybe it was the white-hot hatred and resentment, but it seems like only yesterday that you snuck onto that private jet and signed away our beloved Browns. Needless to say, there were hard feelings the last time we talked but I know you appreciate how shocked we were when you moved the Browns out of town. Of course, winning the Super Bowl and all didn’t help. It made us feel like you were rubbing it in our face if you know what I mean but then again, now that I look back, we were probably a little sensitive.

Any way, I just wanted to say hi and see how you’re doing. I guess things haven’t gone so great for you since we last traded E-Mails, what with you losing majority ownership and then being phased out completely. I suppose I could say I told you so, but I don’t think it is productive to go there and quite frankly, I’m not one to talk about success in the NFL if you know what I mean.

OK, I suppose you’ve figured out why I wanted to touch base. Yes, things haven’t gone so well since you slid out of town. Sure, we got to keep the name, the colors and the tradition, but that is about the only things that have gone right. In 8 years we’ve tried head coaches who were high profile assistant coaches, then high profile college coaches, then back to high profile assistants again. At the same time we tried former players as GM, then went to the head coach as the grand poobah, then back to a GM who never played a down but learned at the knee of a supposed guru. Bottom line, nothing has worked. Hell, just listen to Mark Schlereth on ESPN. He flat out said the Browns don’t know what they’re doing! They flipped a coin to decide who the starting QB would be!!

OK, Art…stop laughing. That can only cause hard feelings. But what I wanted to say is that after all that has happened, maybe we owe you an apology. Sure it is easy to sound competent in March when introducing a new assistant coach, or in April when you score an alleged coup in the draft, or in June and July when practice starts in shorts and T-shirts, but it is another thing entirely to actually compete on the field in a regular season game. I am not too proud to admit that you got it. For all your faults when it came to handling coaches (Schottenheimer and Belicheck, ouch!), players, media and negotiations over a new stadium, what you did know how to do was put a competitive team on the field at least half the time. Sadly, that is not currently the case in Cleveland by a long shot. Just look at the game last week against Pittsburgh. On second thought, don’t. Nothing good can come from it.

I guess what I’m trying to say Art, is that we should stay in touch. I know there has been “bad blood” between us and that you think if you return to Cleveland they’ll Saddam you and show you the trap door, but maybe we can just keep the lines of communication open. Crazier things have happened you know. Maybe there will be an opportunity for you to, I don’t know, take a job as an intern with the Browns, work your way up through the organization, maybe even start having input on coaches, players, drafts and stuff like that. I know it’s a long shot but Art, I’m not too proud to say I’m desperate and bottom line, no matter what people want to say about you, unlike the current regime in Berea, at least we had hope when you were in charge. I never thought I would say it, but Art….I miss you.

Sincerely
Cleveland Browns Nation

PS. I know he’s nicked up, but if you can coax Ray into coming along, that would be great!

The GM and Coaches did no favor to Frye or the other QB's to have the so called " QB competition". If your coaches are so lame as to flip a coin to decide a starter in preseason and to name a starter for game one only they are not capable to evaluate talent. They were not firmly behind any of the QB's so they were behind no one. Frye had less than 2 quarters in his start and was replaced. Granted he did hold on to the ball too long but he was trying to make a play. He knew if if he didn't make plays he would be replaced based on the ongoing "competition" . D. Anderson could get the ball away quickly but who knew where it would go (several in the ground and at least one to K2 that was airmailed).

The GM (and his coach) are just trying to save their asses for another year. They can blame the previous administrations for the losses but at some point have to be held accountable from the GM down. It is time to get respectable coaches (ie., pay the bucks to Bill C or Marty) so the Browns become respectable again.

"Paul?" Holmgren

Ignorant Browns fans? I guess are one.

And Quinn is the real deal. Notre Dame is just thriving without him this year. How could a guy who's 6'4", has a rocket arm, learned a pro-style offense from a former NFL coach during three years of college, is mobile and athletic, how could that guy possibly be a franchise QB? And even if he only becomes an "average NFL QB", that will be a significant upgrade over what we've had here ever since the Browns returned.

One more thing. Good thing we spent 100 million bucks on the OL, right? They were fantastic! I'm so glad they turned their backs on Adrian Peterson and took Joe Thomas. Did anyone see Thomas? He's built like a tight end. I saw bigger arms on some of the women chowing full plates of pasta last night at Bravo Cucina. The dude might want to mix in a bench press here and there. Great move! Phil Savage the genius!

I guess I am not the only Frye fan — just Paul Holmgren and me.

But what does he know about QBs? Certainly not as much as the wise and learned Browns fans.

Good luck to Charlie. Its a good thing he is able to escape the ineptitude of the Browns deep thinkers, and the ignorance of their fans.

Now only one big problem: How to deal with having no first round pick next year after 4-12 season (generous prediction)?

How can we get better in 2009?

Oh that's right — the trade gives us a number 6 pick.