Saturday AM Practice: One for Frye

If Derek Anderson and Charlie Frye are competing for the job at starting quarterback, the former needs to look better than he did today. Today's practice belonged to Frye, who looked sharper than his challenger.
The mainstream media and the "national" NFL pundits have a lot of words they need to pour out over the coming weeks, and there's no doubt what subject will occupy the vast majority of those words: quarterbacks.
The Browns have themselves a three-headed quarterback controversy, even if one of the heads is still a limo ride and contract signing away from participating.
The problem with focusing on a quarterback compeition with the Browns at this point, and it's not something I like writing, is this: neither of the quarterbacks currently competing is very good.
While the team hoped for more from QB Charlie Frye, the off-season hopes of many Browns fans were focused on Frye's 2006 backup quarterback, Derek Anderson. Anderson has a the right size for an NFL quarterback, and he has a big arm, something lacking behind center for orange and brown since their return.
All of this, plus Anderson's solid performance in replacement of Frye for a couple of games in 2006 obviously excites both the team and fans. There has been hope expressed in the OBR forums, blogs, and among fans in general that Anderson would take his game up another notch this off-season.
Based on the morning practice on July 28, 2007, however, Anderson looks far from ready to take over as the team's start quarterback.
This morning's practice belonged to Charlie Frye, who combined with WR Tim Carter to complete a long pass on the play of the day. Frye looked far sharper than Anderson, whose first pass of the day was picked off by Brodney Pool.
While possibly a miscommunication, the pick set the tone for Anderson, who later bounced a pass off the pads of a reciever and tossed another out of bounds, unable to find an open receiver.
As Browns fans saw last year, Anderson can look very good when he's "on". When he's off, however, you get a game like the team's loss to the weak Tampa Bay squad, where four passes were intercepted.
A team needs consistency from the quarterback position, and today's practice, like the Buccaneers game, creates concern about whether Anderson can turn that element of his game around.
SHAFFER ON THE RIGHT: For the first time today, we saw Joe Thomas take some reps at left tackle while 2006 starting LT Kevin Shaffer worked on the right side of the line.
WRIGHT ON THE FIELD: Browns cornerback Eric Wright was at practice today, playing most frequently with the second unit. Kenny Wright got some time with the first team opposite Leigh Bodden.
ATTENTION!: Special Teams coach Ted Daisher was less than thrilled with the focus of his charges during kickoff return drills during the morning's practice. Several times the Browns fans present reacted with whoops and hollers when Daisher yelled at players to pay attention.
STING LIKE A BEE: Fullback Charles Ali has gotten some reaction on the sidelines from his hard hits during practice. Ali is competing with J.R. Niklos