Frye may succeed Dilfer at QB

Coach Romeo Crennel isn't sure who will start at quarterback against the Titans.
BEREA (AP) -- An abundance of horrid football has defined the Cleveland Browns' existence since 1999, as brutal losses, coaching changes and first-round draft busts have become routine.
When it couldn't possibly get any worse for the Browns, it did.
On Sunday, they plunged to new depths with a 19-16 loss to the previously winless Houston Texans.
"We lost to the team with the worst record in the NFL," rookie wide receiver Braylon Edwards said Monday. "It's time for some answers."
And maybe, time for rookie Charlie Frye to replace Trent Dilfer as the club's starting quarterback.
Thinks Frye can spark team
Edwards isn't knocking Dilfer, and it's not his call, but he thinks Frye could spark the Browns.
"Charlie would bring a little more life, because he's younger," Edwards said. "He's younger and he has more spunk. He'd be excited and jacked out of his mind to play, so if he came in there, it would be just a different attitude in terms of excitement and energy level, because he's a young guy that would be getting a shot."
The Browns (2-5) are in a familiar place: the AFC North's basement. Cleveland's third straight loss, and a lack of offensive production, has also left coach Romeo Crennel processing the pros and cons of making a QB switch.
Should he stick with Dilfer, the seasoned veteran who has been inconsistent at best? Or is it finally time to hand the ball off to Frye, who looked good in exhibition games but has yet to take a meaningful snap?
Could open offense
"One of the positives is you would anticipate that it might be more of a spark for the offense," Crennel said. "A negative would be, whoever your opponent is, they are going to bring every blitz known to man at him. If he can survive it, it will be a positive. If he can't survive it, it will be a negative."
Crennel was asked if he was favoring one direction over the other.
"I'm not divulging which way I'm leaning," Crennel said.
Starting Frye, the club's third-round draft pick from Akron, at home against Tennessee (2-6) on Sunday could solve one problem and begin another. The Browns are a conference-worst 2-for-13 inside the 20-yard line and have scored just one offensive touchdown in their past three games, numbers Frye might be able to improve.
But if Crennel benches Dilfer for a rookie in Week 8, it could be a signal to other players that the season's over and it's time to begin evaluations for next year. If he sticks with Dilfer, the losing could continue, too.
Either way, Crennel is rolling the dice.
Not totally at fault
Dilfer isn't totally at fault for the offensive ineptitude, but it's clear the Browns need a spark. Last week, Crennel decided to stay the course with Dilfer, basing his choice on "giving Trent the benefit of the doubt."
Dilfer rewarded Crennel's confidence by playing better in Houston. He completed 12-for-25 passes for 185 yards -- 112 more than a week ago -- and one touchdown. After throwing six interceptions in his previous three games, the 33-year-old didn't throw any picks against the Texans.
However, Dilfer didn't make enough big throws to the Browns, either.
He badly missed a wide-open Dennis Northcutt down the sideline in the first quarter for a potentially huge gain. On 4th-and-17 in the closing seconds, Dilfer underthrew Antonio Bryant near the goal line as a possible game-winning TD was batted away by Texans cornerback Phillip Buchanan.
Crennel lamented the missed chances during his Monday news conference, offering up the examples of Dilfer's ineffectiveness without being prompted. He also said the Browns coaching staff would again evaluate the quarterback situation.
"We'll continue to look at and talk about that position," he said. "I don't think anything is set in stone about what we're going to do, how we're going to approach it. We'll do what we think is best."