Browns trade Quinn to Broncos for FB

Associated Press

DENVER

Brady Quinn will get a chance to start over in Denver. Whether he’ll get to start is up in the air.

The Broncos acquired the former first-round draft pick from the Cleveland Browns for fullback Peyton Hillis, a 2011 sixth-round draft pick and a conditional pick in 2012.

The teams announced the trade Sunday and said the deal is pending physicals.

Ostensibly, Quinn will compete with Kyle Orton for the Broncos’ starting job, although coach Josh McDaniels was unavailable Sunday to comment.

Quinn’s departure comes one day after the Browns agreed to terms with free agent Jake Delhomme on a two-year contract. Quinn went 3-9 in 12 starts for Cleveland, which drafted him with the 22nd pick in the first round in 2007 out of Notre Dame.

Quinn’s days in Cleveland appeared numbered when new president Mike Holmgren failed to endorse him as the Browns’ future starter. Last week, the Browns acquired backup Seneca Wallace in a trade with Seattle, released Anderson and hosted Delhomme, recently cut by Carolina.

Holmgren’s house cleaning continued Sunday, when he shipped another former first-round draft pick, linebacker Kamerion Wimbley, to the Oakland Raiders for draft picks.

From the Columbus suburb of Dublin, Quinn was embraced by Browns fans as the quarterback of the future. But it never panned out for the Browns or Quinn.

“I appreciate everything Brady did for us last year and in his three seasons with the Cleveland Browns,” coach Eric Mangini said in a statement. “He is professional in the way he goes about doing his job and worked extremely hard at every aspect of his game. I wish him the best of success in Denver.”

Quinn won Cleveland’s starting job last season, but was benched after 21‚Ñ2 games for Derek Anderson. Quinn eventually got his job back when Anderson struggled but he was hindered by inaccuracy.

He completed only 53 percent of his passes last season for 1,339 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. His rating was 67.3.

The Broncos reportedly pursued Quinn last season when they were trying to replace Jay Cutler.

Instead, they dealt Cutler to Chicago for a bevy of draft picks and Orton, who beat out Chris Simms for the starting job in June.

The Broncos have insisted they’re happy with Orton, a workmanlike leader who wasn’t allowed to throw downfield much last season, when he led the Broncos to a 6-2 start before a 2-6 finish kept them out of the playoffs for a fourth straight season.