Anderson Waiting. Frye is bored. Nance has a chance. Palmer improving. Ngata better?

[RuanuLaw]

Derek Anders n was the Browns' third quarterback when the 2005 season ended and he was the third uarterback when minicamp began in June. As training camp rolls on, he continues to ain ground on Ken Dorsey, Charlie Frye's

Anderson has the strongest arm on the roster -- and that includes Frye. When the Browns claimed him on waivers from the Ravens last September he was raw, and since the regular season was under way he was hopelessly behind Trent Dilfer and Frye. Since on-field learning is done in the offseason and training camp, Anderson had to confine his learning to the classroom in 2005.

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''As I get work and more and more reps, it's normal to feel more comfortable,'' Anderson said after the practice Friday night in Cleveland Browns Stadium. ''I'm trying to take advantage of every opportunity I get. I got some scout team reps last year, but I really never got the chance to run our offense. I got the chance to run the offense in the spring and here in training camp and I've really enjoyed it.''

Anderson did not play particularly well in the Friday scrimmage. None of the quarterbacks did. He threw one touchdown pass to Frisman Jackson on a lob. Neither Frye nor Dorsey scored.

One of the knocks on Anderson coming out of Oregon State was he lacked mobility. Until Phil Savage drafted Frye in 2005, it seemed cement feet was a prerequisite for being a Browns quarterback.

Anderson worked hard on his mobility. He weighed 243 pounds when the Ravens waived him. He's down to 225 now and moves better than a year ago.

''We worked on my feet and conditioning,'' he said. ''I'm not going to run away from anybody, I promise you that. But I'm better on my feet than I was.''

One of Anderson's problems during training camp has the coaches perplexed. He has trouble taking the snap -- not every time, but he bobbles it often enough that he has to correct the flaw before getting a real chance to take over as the backup. Whether it is because he is backing away too quickly, trying to eye the defense a split-second early or because he isn't concentrating enough is something the coaches want to address.

Browns coach Romeo Crennel even suggested it might be because the center has sweaty palms and the ball is wet when it transfers to Anderson.

''He's getting quite a few reps at this point and he'll be evaluated,'' Crennel said. ''I don't think we said he is only going to be the No. 3 (quarterback) going into camp. He's competing for a position just like everyone else does.

''If he's the No. 2 guy, he'll be the No. 2 guy. If he turns out to be the No. 1 guy, he'll be the No. 1 guy. He has excellent arm strength. He's a tall guy who has long arms and he generates some velocity when he throws the ball. He's a classic dropback passer.

Bring it on

Plainly speaking, Frye is bored. He is not bored with football. He is bored with practicing against the same guys day after day, something he has done going back to the start of quarterback school in mid-May.

''I'm ready to play against somebody else to tell you the truth,'' Frye said. ''We'll see what K-2 (Kellen Winslow Jr.) can do when they really have to tackle, not just stand him up or touch him. Kellen is a guy who can catch a five-yard pass and turn it into 50 yards.''

Frye was unhappy with the way he played in the intrasquad scrimmage -- 5-of-10 for 54 yards and an interception in the end zone. He was disappointed he did not get the chance to redeem himself. His only series ended in the bad throw picked off by Shawn Mayer. Crennel used the rest of the scrimmage to evaluate Dorsey and Anderson.

A year earlier when he was a rookie pro, football was like a video played in fast forward for Frye. Now it is much slower, which means he should be able to read defenses and not hold the ball as long.

Nance has a chance

Cleveland attorney Fred Nance is one of the five finalists to replace retiring NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and rightfully so, says Browns owner Randy Lerner.

''They did a big exhaustive search and a guy like him is going to show up,'' Lerner said.

Nance was instrumental in Cleveland returning to the NFL after Art Modell took his team to Baltimore following the 1995 season. By February of 1996, Cleveland was promised a team largely because of the way Nance challenged the league.

Nance's credentials aside, the job is expected to go to Roger Goodell, the league's chief operating officer and Tagliabue's top assistant. Goodell, 47, has been with the NFL for more than 20 years. He began his career as a PR intern and worked his way up the ladder to where he has been deeply involved in expansion, labor negotiations and stadium construction.

The league's 32 owners will meet today in Northbrook, Ill. to begin the selection process. The list is down to five finalists -- Nance, Goodell, Gregg Levy, Robert L. Reynolds and Mayo A. Shattuck III. Reynolds is the chief operating officer of Fidelity Investments. Shattuck is the president and CEO of Constellation Energy. Levy is an attorney who has done outside work for the league.

Believe it or not, Las Vegas is taking action on the commissioner hunt. Goodell is a 2-5 favorite. Levy is 2-1. The other three are 10-1.

There is no guarantee a new commissioner will be selected this week. The owners in 1989 were divided between Tagliabue and the late Jim Finks, former general manager of the New Orleans Saints. Tagliabue was finally elected in a meeting in Cleveland after months of haggling.

Palmer improving

So much for the Browns catching a break in the schedule by playing the Bengals in the second game.

Quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a severe left knee injury in a playoff game against the Steelers on Jan. 9. He had surgery just four days later, and now he is back on the field in team drills, running away from the pass rush.

Palmer was 4-of-9 passing in a controlled scrimmage Friday in Georgetown, Ky., home of the Bengals training camp. It was nothing spectacular, but he is getting his legs back daily. Meanwhile, the Browns are still being cautious with Braylon Edwards, the wide receiver who had knee surgery about a week earlier than Palmer.

Over the winter, it was assumed Palmer would have to start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list and thus have to sit out the game against the Browns Sept. 17. Now there is little doubt he will play.

''Every chance I step on the field it's a step forward, and I need to take a step forward,'' Palmer told reporters. ''So far in this camp, I feel like I've done that.''

Palmer finished second in the NFL in passing last year, behind only Peyton Manning. Palmer threw 32 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions.

Wimbley or Ngata?

The 2006 draft will provide fodder for second-guessers for years because the Browns passed up nose tackle Haloti Ngata to draft Kamerion Wimbley, who is settling in at training camp as an outside linebacker. Not only did they pass on Ngata, they traded the pick to the Ravens, knowing Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome would pick Ngata. The Browns used the pick acquired from Baltimore to take nose tackle Babatunde Oshinowo in the sixth round.

The Ravens coaches are giving Ngata rave reviews. Ngata weighs 340 pounds already, and Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan expects him to get bigger.

''One day, he's going to be a monster,'' Ryan told the Baltimore Sun. ''He's a little young with his technique, but once he learns it at this level, he's going to be outstanding. He's got something going, especially with that huge size. You're shocked about how athletic he is, but he still has to learn how to get off blocks, how to snatch and shed.''

Crennel is pleased with Wimbley's progress, but he also says the rookie is in a learning mode.

The Browns and Ravens meet Sept. 24 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Wimbley and Ngata won't be on the field at the same time since both are defensive players, but they will be judged closely.

http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17020343&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46370&rfi=6

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