Rogers may start opener

The Browns’ defensive tackle hasn’t played a down in the preseason.

BEREA (AP) — Browns coach Eric Mangini said he’d be comfortable starting defensive tackle Shaun Rogers in the season opener even if the Pro Bowler misses the entire preseason.

“I want to see everybody, but I feel like I have a pretty good handle on what he can do,” Mangini said. “I feel pretty comfortable with that.”

Rogers returned to the stationary bike on Wednesday, a day after hitting the tackling sled and working on individual drills. He joined his defensive teammates on the sideline for the end of practice, wearing sneakers and carrying his football shoes.

Mangini said Rogers’ status for Saturday’s preseason home game against Tennessee will be decided later in the week.

Rogers left practice Aug. 2 with what appeared to be a foot injury, returned for a few more days of training camp, but has been held out of team drills for the past two weeks.

Mangini was evasive when asked if Rogers is being held out strictly because of injury concerns.

“He’s working to get back,” Mangini said, “and I’m happy with the way he’s working.”

Rogers was the team’s lone Pro Bowl representative last year, recording 81 tackles and 41‚Ñ2 sacks.

Meanwhile, nothing has been decided at quarterback, but Derek Anderson doesn’t seem to mind.

The competition between Anderson and Brady Quinn that has engulfed camp will continue into Saturday’s game.

Anderson, who has carved a reputation as laid-back and easygoing, doesn’t mind waiting on Mangini’s decision.

“I’ll ride it out,” Anderson said. “I don’t have a choice.”

Mangini hasn’t even announced who will start Saturday’s exhibition, but that’s not unusual.

Anderson said Mangini has told the quarterbacks who will start “the night before sometimes — or not. Just whenever he tells me.”

The third preseason game traditionally is the most like the regular season, with starters routinely playing well into the second half. Receiver Braylon Edwards acknowledged Mangini’s game plan for the Titans seems to be thicker and more thorough, but stopped short of saying the starting quarterback — whoever it is — will have a decided advantage in the competition.

“This game, in terms of who starts, don’t bet your chips on it,” Edwards said. “Mangini is still Coach Mangini. He’s still going to make the decision at the end of the day, and who knows what he’s thinking? I wouldn’t bank anything on it and I wouldn’t make anything of it.”

Mangini has divided the practice snaps evenly between Anderson and Quinn, although Quinn received the bulk of the passing attempts in the first preseason game against Green Bay.

Anderson tightened up the race with his performance against Detroit last Saturday, directing the Browns to their first offensive touchdown in seven games. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 130 yards, though a late interception when he was reinserted to run a two-minute drive near the end of the first half tarnished his final numbers.