QB SEARCH Holcomb still unsigned

Coach Romeo Crennel said both sides may soon explore other options.
BEREA (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns are prepared to call an audible in their search for a starting quarterback.
Coach Romeo Crennel said Thursday that the club is continuing contract negotiations with free agent Kelly Holcomb, but that "there is some room between us" and both sides may soon explore other options.
Holcomb was expected to re-sign with the Browns, who released Jeff Garcia last month, and wants to come back.
But the longer Holcomb remains unsigned, the more likely it is that the Browns will go in another direction.
"I am prepared to lose anyone and everyone because in this game that is what happens," Crennel said.
Browns general manager Phil Savage and Holcomb's agent, Frank Bauer, did not return phone messages seeking comment.
Crennel was asked if he was confident the 31-year-old Holcomb would be with the Browns in 2005.
"You never can tell," he said. "You never know what else can happen or who else may be interested or how things go. You do what you think is right. They do what they think is right and we'll see where it falls out."
Crennel refused to divulge any of Cleveland's backup plans in case they can't re-sign Holcomb.
"We have Plan B and Plan C and we're working on that," he said. "If (Holcomb) doesn't sign, we'll move to the next guy. If the next guy doesn't sign, we'll move on. We do have two young quarterbacks on the team (Luke McCown and Josh Harris) and, if push comes to shove, we'll play with the young quarterback."
$3 million package offered
Holcomb and Bauer are mulling the Browns' latest offer, believed to be a two-year, $3 million package. The Browns have not set a deadline for Holcomb, who has been injury prone the past two seasons but has teased Cleveland fans by twice passing for more than 400 yards in a game.
Holcomb, who missed four games last season with broken ribs, is 4-8 in 12 starts for Cleveland since joining the club as a free agent in 2001.
Crennel said it's also possible that the team could draft a quarterback in April.
The Browns have the No. 3 overall selection.
"If we felt like there's a quarterback at that pick, we'd draft him and we'd feel good about it," Crennel said.
After signing former Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi on Wednesday, the Browns hosted two more free agents: punter Kyle Richardson and guard Cosey Coleman.
Richardson missed last season after tearing his biceps while making a tackle in a preseason game for Cincinnati.
He punted for the Bengals in 2003 and has also been with Minnesota, Baltimore and Seattle.
The Browns were disappointed last season with punter Derrick Frost, who was inconsistent and lost his confidence after shanking a 7-yard punt during the fourth quarter in a loss at Baltimore.
Coleman spoke with the Browns as a free agent last March before re-signing with Tampa Bay. He has missed only one game since taking over as the Buccaneers' starting right guard in 2001.