All that stands between Brady Quinn and a starting job is Derek Anderson. And barring an injury at some point next season, nothing will change anytime soon. But that doesn't mean Quinn isn't ready to lead should he finally make it on the field.

The Canton Repository's Steve Doerschuk describes Quinn as "patiently optimistic," and head coach Romeo Crennel seems unconcerned about his backup quarterback's current mental state:

... Crennel said the thing that most impressed him about Quinn as a rookie was his ability to lead - whether with backups in the preseason or as the "scout team" QB, often giving the No. 1 defense fits.

To be fair, worse quarterbacks than Quinn gave the Browns' defense fits during the 2007 regular season, so I don't know if that means much. That aside, everybody in the organization is still happy with the choice to trade up in the 2007 draft to take Quinn.

Once-promising seasons can be lost along with the starting quarterback, which makes having a competent backup pretty important. That Quinn has grudgingly embraced the position is good news, and depending on how the upcoming season unfolds, the Browns could either look to trade Quinn, or, if Anderson struggles, give Quinn a chance to win the job in 2009.

Whatever happens, Cleveland doesn't have to worry about its quarterback situation for the first time since, what, Bernie Kosar was unceremoniously released by Bill Belichick?

Josh Cribbs should write the team press releases. Here's his response to a question about tight end Kellen Winslow's absence from the Browns' voluntary workouts:

"It's not a big deal," Josh Cribbs said. "If he was here, he'd be hurt... It's not a question of his character because he plays like a soldier. When he gets here, he's going to work his butt off."

That's rich. I mentioned earlier that missing OTAs is hardly a reason to declare the upcoming season doomed. And unlike the Cowboys' Marion Barber, who wants more money, Winslow is rehabbing a knee injury (and while doing so, he's also hinted at wanting more money).

Even still, players have an uncanny knack for separating the game from the business. While opinions differ on whether Winslow should at least be on the property, everybody agrees that his contract won't have an affect on his on-field performance.

Of course, Winslow didn't let the team know he wouldn't show up, and according to the Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns are interpreting the absence "as a statement about his contract." Whatever, head coach Romeo Crennel was unfazed by all of it: "There's something that happens every year with somebody," he said. "We've just got to get this team ready."

Last month, Browns cornerback Kenny Wright lost a foot race to a couple of law enforcement types -- presumably because he was running with his eyes closed -- and was eventually cuffed and stuffed for, shockingly, evading arrest. He also was found to have marijuana on his person.

Well, the Browns finally got around to releasing the 10-year journeyman, which explains why he wasn't at the team's OTAs today.

With Leigh Bodden now in Detroit, the Browns have a need for depth at cornerback. Frankly, that was the case even with Wright on the roster. According to the Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi, second-year player Eric Wright and Daven Holley lined up as starters during today's practice. Gary Baxter, who's allegedly moving to safety, wasn't healthy enough to participate,

Sometimes fixing the secondary is an indirect process, and that's what Cleveland is hoping for in 2008; they traded for defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams, and have high hopes for young linebackers D'Qwell Jackson and Leon Williams. If the Browns' front seven can consistently mount a pass rush and manage to slow up the run (something they haven't been able to do in, well, forever), the four guys playing behind them won't much matter.

Cleveland Browns 2008 Draft Picks:

Round 4 (104): Beau Bell, ILB, UNLV
Round 4 (111): Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri
Round 6 (190): Ahtyba Rubin, DT, Iowa State
Round 6 (191): Paul Hubbard, WR, Wisconsin
Round 7 (231): Alex Hall, DE, St Augustine

The Good: Even though the Browns didn't have a pick in the first three rounds, they added five players who all address current roster deficiencies. Beau Bell was considered one of the best inside linebackers in the country this fall, but he does have some medical issues that obviously scared off a lot of teams. Martin Rucker's presence could usher in more passing situations out of two-tight-end sets, something many teams in the league are moving to.

The Bad: It's tough to build a roster with Day-2-only selections, but general manager Phil Savage did pretty well with what he had, although Cleveland would've had a first-round pick if they hadn't traded it to Dallas for Brady Quinn a year ago. Quinn will be an NFL starter at some point in his career, but with Derek Anderson coming off a Pro Bowl season, the Browns could've used that pick to address other needs.

The Grade: C+. If you consider Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers the teams' second- and third-round picks -- which is what it cost to acquire them via trade -- the draft was a resounding success. If you're not a fan of watching three rounds go by without the team making a selection, you were less excited about how things played out.

Click here to read other Draft Grades.

I don't think anyone construed the Browns giving up a 2009 third-rounder to move up in the fourth round of yesterday's draft to take tight end Martin Rucker as an indictment on Pro Bowler Kellen Winslow.

The 2007 Pro Bowler has hinted that he wants a new deal, but such proclamations have become part of the off-season ritual: free agency, the Combine, player asks for more dough, NFL Draft, minicamp, training camp, so on and so forth.

Instead, the Browns have added another pass-catching threat. Just as there is a shift to running back by committee, many teams are featuring more multiple-tight end formations, which, oddly enough, require more tight ends. The Colts, Patriots and Steelers are the most obvious examples, but Cleveland may have other motives for selecting Rucker:

The fact Savage did not hesitate to pay the third-round price for Rucker speaks to concerns about Winslow's recurring knee problems and his stated desire for a new contract. "We really like Martin Rucker, but I think that always has to be in the backdrop," Savage said of the Winslow issues.

One of the storylines heading into Day 2 of the NFL Draft is that the Ravens, after trading out of the eighth pick, moved back up to No. 18 to grab their latest franchise quarterback, Joe Flacco. FanHouse's Josh Alper, like most of us, is skeptical of the selection, but NFL Network's Mike Mayock is here to assuage your concerns, Ravens fans accustomed to mediocre quarterback play.

Here's what he had to offer during this morning's Total Access recap/preview show:

"I had some people make comments to me last night, 'Why did they go back to [the] 18[th-overall pick]? Did they really need to get [Flacco] like that? Come on, how good a football player is this guy?'

Let me put it in perspective: Brady Quinn -- everybody thought was a top-10 pick last year -- Brady Quinn, as far as physical skill set, can't carry his jock."

Um, yeah, Brady Quinn disagrees.

Mayock, apparently not actually referring to junk-grabbing abilities, adds: "[Flacco] throws the ball naturally, he's got Pro Bowl potential all over him. Now, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron: it's on you, pal." And if it doesn't work out, just blame Brian Billick.

The Dolphins may have the No. 1 pick, but the Falcons are the team that should clean up the most when next weekend's draft is over. Browns fans, on the other hand, might as well plan a weekend away from the TV considering how few picks Cleveland has.

To get a full understanding of who has the most valuable picks coming into the draft, I took the new draft value chart, which assigns a numerical value to each pick throughout the draft, and then just added up each team's picks. A little tinkering with the chart had to be done, as it doesn't assign a trade value for compensatory picks. I just assigned each picks value based on its spot in the draft, then assigned a one point value to the final seventh-round compensatory picks.

What jumped out from the results are that the Falcons (3,848 points), with six picks in the top 100, will have the ammunition to make whatever moves they want come draft day. If they want to move around in the first, second or third round, they'll have the picks to move up. If they want to drop down in any round they'll have enough picks to start building a bankroll of extra 2009 picks as well. For more on who is bereft of picks and complete values for everyone, click the link.

After a busy 12 months that included trading up into the first round of the 2007 draft for Brady Quinn, and trading their second- and third-round picks last month to bolster the defensive line (hi, Corey Williams, Shaun Rogers; adios Leigh Bodden), the Browns won't make their first selection in next week's NFL draft until Round 4.

To hear general manager Phil Savage spin it, Cleveland wouldn't have done better than Quinn, Williams and Rogers with picks in each of the first three rounds, so in that sense, they're better off. Fair enough.

That said, teams do enjoy building the roster through the draft and via free agency. Which is why it wouldn't be completely shocking if the Browns traded their way back into one of the earlier rounds. Except, well, it ain't happening. At least according to Savage:

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting (via PFT) that Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius developed a staph infection several weeks after having knee surgery in January, making him the sixth Browns player in the past four years to have a staph infection.

For Jurevicius, it does not appear serious. He is expected to participate in organized team activities in May and minicamp in June, and the surgery was just a clean-up of the knee, a very common, very minor procedure for NFL players.

But the larger issue of athletes battling staph infections -- and of the Browns' peculiar inability to steer clear of them -- is serious. Jurevicius learned that he contracted the infection in the knee about two weeks after the surgery, and he could have picked it up anywhere, but when it happens over and over again to the Browns, you wonder what in the world is going on.

Previously, center LeCharles Bentley, tight end Kellen Winslow, receiver Braylon Edwards safety Brian Russell and linebacker Ben Taylor all had staph infections while playing for the Browns. Cleveland Clinic infection specialists have visited the Browns' facilities and the team used a special anti-staph agent to disinfect the locker room, weight room and other places where players congregate. And yet another staph infection has struck.

The NFL has invited LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston, Virginia defensive end Chris Long, Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden and Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.to attend this year's draft.

All six players have accepted the invitation to hear Commissioner Roger Goodell call their names in person, stroll onto the stage at Radio City Music Hall, put on a baseball cap and hold up their new team's jersey. It might seem like a no brainer that the players would agree to show up, but last year Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas decided to skip the draft to go fishing. The Browns chose Thomas third overall.

Also last year, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn ended up wishing he had skipped the draft to go fishing; he lasted a few hours longer than he thought he would before the Browns finally chose him 22nd overall. I don't think any of the six players at this year's draft will last that long, but of those six my money is on Ryan to be the last off the board.