Brady Quinn to start for Browns on Monday night

Detroit News wire services

Berea, Ohio -- Brady Quinn and the Cleveland Browns are right back where they started.

Benched by coach Eric Mangini just 2 1/2 games and 69 pass attempts into the season, Quinn will start Monday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens, the team he was facing on Sept. 27 when the former Notre Dame star was yanked at halftime.

Quinn's got his second chance. Now he must make the most of it.

"I'm excited to play," he said. "I'm excited to be part of Monday night."

Quinn never worried about getting another opportunity. He was confident it would come. Patience is the one thing he has mastered during his short pro career.

"That's kind of how I've learned to live life, at least in the NFL," he said.

Mangini's decision to switch back from Derek Anderson to Quinn wasn't met with overwhelming support in Cleveland's locker room. Several Browns players interviewed on Wednesday said they were unaware of Quinn's return to the top of the depth chart.

With his team 1-7 and showing little progress amid growing speculation about his future, Mangini may as well give Quinn another look to see if he can get things going. Quinn can't do any worse than Anderson, who was a disaster in five starts.

Anderson posted the NFL's lowest passer rating (36.2) and was unable to crank up Cleveland's offense, which to this point has been outscored by the New Orleans defense. Mangini said it wasn't all Anderson's fault, but there was no way the Browns could continue in reverse.

"In fairness to Derek, there were a lot of things that played a part in this," Mangini said. "Were there throws that he missed? There were some of those and reads that could have been better. But I really like Derek. And I really like the way he handled himself.

"I don't think by any means this is some sort of final statement on who he is. I think it is an opportunity to continue to grow and I'm sure he will."

Anderson politely declined an interview request before practice.

Quinn was hoping that his 10 quarters as a starter would not define his 2009 season. Since being drafted by Cleveland in the first round two years ago, Quinn has had to sit and wait for his chance to take over the Browns, the team he has loved since he was a boy.

But after beating out Anderson in training camp, Quinn's first season as a starter was abruptly interrupted in Week 3. He was given the hook by Mangini once, so is he worried about it happening again?

"No," he said. "I mean, why should I be concerned? I've been through it before and I understand the adversity that comes with that. It's not something I'm scared of."

He's not saying so, but Quinn may be a little nervous about the Ravens (4-4), who are coming off a 17-7 loss to Cincinnati and have dropped four of five after a 3-0 start. Baltimore can't afford to lose more ground in the AFC North and Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and the rest of the Ravens' attacking defense will be out to make life impossible for Quinn.

"They're always angry," Quinn said with a laugh, "at least when I watch them on film. They're a solid defense. We're expecting the same on Monday night."

Mangini said he'd like to stick with Quinn for the remainder of the season. Mangini has seen positive development in Quinn, who never lost confidence and worked hard in the weeks he was behind Anderson.

"I think his overall control of the offense has gotten better," Mangini said. "I think especially over the last two to three weeks he's been very efficient as a passer and I've liked the things he's done. There are a lot of tools in this offense that are available and I'm looking forward to him using those."

It's not clear what "tools" Mangini was referring to on an offense ranked 30th in scoring, 31st in total yards and 32nd in passing yards. Since Quinn's last start, the Browns traded star wide receiver Braylon Edwards, leaving rookies Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie as the club's primary targets.

Quinn didn't go into details about his relationship with first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Despite denials, there have been rumblings that the two have not gotten along. Quinn was asked if he and Daboll had a heart-to-heart to patch up any differences.

"Can you rephrase what heart-to-heart is?" Quinn joked. "We've talked. The past is the past."

Quinn's benching may have been a costly one. If he had played in 70 percent of Cleveland's offensive snaps, escalators in his contract would have earned him nearly $11 million this season. That's a near mathematical impossibility now, but Quinn is more concerned about adding a win to Cleveland's paltry total.

"The season's only halfway over," he said. "We're going to do our best to try to fix things and move forward."

Eagles cornerback Hanson suspended

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Joselio Hanson was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league's drug policy.

Hanson's attorney, David Cornwell, said in a statement that Hanson did not use steroids but tested positive for a diuretic after last year's NFC title game against Arizona.

"Joselio did not use steroids or any other substance that would enhance his performance," Cornwell said.

While not specifying what product Hanson used, Cornwell said the player "felt 'bloated' after eating Chinese food and ingested a pill that turned out to be a diuretic."

Cornwell said the NFL's policy on diuretics is misguided because it assumes they are used to mask the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

He said he had hoped the league would delay making a decision on Hanson until there was a resolution in another case involving four players who have suspensions pending for taking a banned diuretic.

Two Minnesota Vikings, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams -- who are not related -- tested positive in 2008 for the diuretic bumetanide, which is banned by the NFL because of its masking capabilities. The players acknowledged taking the over-the-counter weight loss supplement StarCaps, which did not state on the label that it contained bumetanide. Neither player is accused of taking steroids.

The NFL issued four-game suspensions, but both players sued the NFL in state court, arguing the league's testing violated Minnesota laws. The case was moved to federal court, and the NFL players union filed a similar lawsuit on behalf of the Williamses and two New Orleans Saints players also suspended.

In May, a federal judge dismissed the union's lawsuit and several claims in the Williamses' case but sent two claims involving Minnesota workplace laws back to state court. A judge there issued an injunction prohibiting the NFL from suspending the players and has scheduled the trial for March.

That led the NFL to allow New Orleans defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith, who had also been issued four-game suspensions for testing positive for bumetanide, to continue playing.

"We also argued that the accommodation allowing the 'StarCaps players' to continue playing supported allowing Joselio to continue playing as well," Cornwell said in his statement. "Our appeal to fairness was rejected."

Cornwell also said that at Hanson's appeal hearing in October it was confirmed that the NFL players association and league have exchanged proposals regarding diuretics "with each party proposing substantial reductions in the discipline to be imposed for the first positive test for diuretics." He said that under both sides' proposals "no player would be suspended for four (4) games for the first positive test for diuretics."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello declined to discuss Cornwell's statement.

"As Mr. Cornwell knows, the details of the appeals process are confidential," Aiello said in a statement. "Nevertheless, his statement contains multiple inaccuracies and misleading assertions. Our program of testing and discipline for violations remains in place, as the players were reminded in a joint memo from the NFL and NFLPA on September 21."

Another Eagles cornerback, Sheldon Brown, said Wednesday he thinks Hanson is being treated differently than the other players.

"It seems like they're trying to make an example out of somebody so it can't keep continuing to happen," Brown said. "From what I know of Hanson, I don't think it's fair, because he's a class act."

Hanson has recorded 29 tackles and one interception this season as a backup to starters Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown.

Hanson's suspension came the same day the Eagles placed cornerback and kick returner Ellis Hobbs on injured reserve. Hobbs will require neck surgery but Eagles coach Andy Reid expects the injury is not career-threatening. Hobbs recorded 14 tackles and averaged 24.1 yards on 20 kickoff returns this season.

To replace Hanson and Hobbs, the Eagles promoted second-year cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu from the practice squad and signed free agent Ramzee Robinson, who was among the Lions' final cuts in September. The Eagles also added cornerback Stoney Woodson to the practice squad.

Edwards to start for Bills

The Bills are going back to quarterback Trent Edwards, who will start against Tennessee this weekend after missing two games with a concussion.

Coach Dick Jauron said that Edwards has "earned the right" to start after the offense continued to struggle under backup Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bills (3-5) opened the season 1-4 under Edwards, before he sustained his second concussion in a little over a year in a 16-13 overtime win at the New York Jets.

Fitzpatrick rallied the Bills to beat the Jets, and then went 1-1 in two starts. Buffalo's offense has sputtered for the past six games, and ranks among the worst in the NFL.

Edwards has been cleared to play after three weeks of rest, including the team's bye last week.