Browns interested in Rohan per ESPN I'd like to see Davey get a shot somewhere....it'll happen this year or next. Last week, we noted in this space that the Cleveland Browns might make a call to gauge what it would take to wrangle two-year veteran quarterback Chris Simms away from the Bucs. This week's candidate for potential perusal: New England backup Rohan Davey. The Browns this week interviewed LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher for the position of quarterbacks coach and pumped him pretty good about Davey, whom he coached in college. The top offensive player in the NFL Europe League last spring, Davey seems to be running in quicksand with the Patriots, and he isn't about to get any playing time unless Tom Brady goes down with an injury. And there continues to be speculation that New England will seek a more veteran backup. All of the quarterback talk in Cleveland quickly can be rendered irrelevant, of course, if journeyman passer Kelly Holcomb re-ups with the team rather than testing the free-agent market. The Browns have made a formal proposal to Holcomb, are awaiting his response and hope to have things settled fairly quickly. As noted here last week, Holcomb isn't going to get a better gig than the one being offered him in Cleveland, where the dearth of experience among the other quarterbacks on the depth chart all but assures him of the starting job.
This looks like just speculation to me, nothing solid. First, why would the Patriots trade Rohan? They're obviously pretty comfortable with him as the backup since he was the #2 all of last season. Trading him means signing a vet to back up Brady. Two problems with this is (1) the vet wouldn't know the system as well as Rohan does and (2) he'd cost more cap-wise than Rohan does (if not, the savings by signing the vet would be minimal, I'd imagine). Rohan has a 2005 salary of $380,000 coming his way, and the Pats would have to pay any vet with 4 yrs experience or more at least $450,000. You could say the Pats may want to get something for Rohan before he hits the UFA market next year. Fine, but the Pats won't get much more than what they "paid" for Davey as a draftee--a 5th round pick. Do you, Scott Pioli and Bill Bellicheck, want to roll the dice with a very important position for a Super Bowl contending team--backup QB--just for a mid-round pick? On the other hand, Rohan's backup is Jim Miller. I guess they could trade Davey and just rely on the veteran Miller who's been in New England since the start of the 2004 season. Draft a QB this year, rely on Miller for a season or so, and elevate the 2005 draftee to #2 like they did with Rohan. It's still unlikely b/c you have more free agent QBs with recent starting experience than you have available QB starting gigs. We'll see soon enough.
heard earlier today they declined the option on troy brown, due 2.5 mill bonus so now he will be a FA. no loyalty in sports, especially from management. this dude moved to db and played his ass off for this team even through the down years. i wish they would have shown him the respect he has earned and paid him.
I was shocked by this. He has been with them thick and thin and he has done everything they have asked of him. I was also shocked because the Pats are supposed to be a team that trys to keep all the players together. Oh well I hope Rohan gets a chance to play somewhere. :geauxtige
Rohan is another Jake Delhomme... Good backup, known for being a hard worker, was really successful in europe... he'll eithe get a chance to start somewhere or he will demand more money from NE.
