In between those seasons Anderson signed a three-year contract that includes a roster bonus of $5 million due on March 13. The bonus is guaranteed, and that's what makes things complicated for the Browns. If not for that guarantee, Anderson would be a very tradable commodity. He still might be, because his base salary for 2009 is $1.45 million. Anderson's salary jumps to $7.45 million in 2010 and includes a $2 million bonus.

A team looking for a starting quarterback would have to decide whether the quarterback who threw 29 touchdown passes and 19 interceptions in 2007 while winning 10 games is the real Derek Anderson or whether the one who threw nine touchdown passes and eight interceptions and was 3-6 in 2008 is the real deal.

The Browns have options of their own to weigh, not the least of which is figuring out whether Brady Quinn is the uncontested starter or whether Coach Eric Mangini would be better off keeping both and letting Anderson and Quinn battle in OTAs and minicamps.

"We haven't decided which way that's going to go," Mangini said. "I'm open to all possibilities."

The Jets, Buccaneers, Bears, Seahawks, Vikings and 49ers are teams that could be interested in Anderson if the Browns offer to trade him. The Jets need a starter because Brett Favre decided to retire and the 49ers need a starter because Alex Smith has been a failure so far. The Bears have apparently given up on Rex Grossman.

One indication the Browns are leaning toward Quinn as the starter is the appointment of Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator. Daboll was the quarterback coach under Mangini with the Jets, but his coaching roots were planted in New England. Daboll was the receivers coach in New England the last three years Charlie Weis was the Patriots offensive coordinator (2002-2004).

But Mangini said he also likes elements of the offense the Browns used the last two seasons, which favored Anderson.

"We started with a system that looked very similar to what was here last year, more the digit system in that family tree," Mangini said. "I like a lot of elements of that offense. I like the multiple personnel groups, the shifting, the motion, the no-huddle, and the problems that you can create formation-wise with that. And then one of the reasons I really wanted to get Brian Daboll to the Jets was to bring an element to the New England offense which I thought was extremely valuable.

"Then with Bill Callahan it was important to get him to bring elements of the West Coast offense. So what we're always trying to do is take the best of each of these systems and put together the Browns offense. There are great ideas in each one of the systems and there are things that work in each area that to me are really different. What I like to do is take the best of each one of those areas and put together what will eventually be our system."

The Browns were unable to pry Callahan from the Jets but they still want to blend in some West Coast offense into their system.