A few have even gone a step further in their analysis, stating that Quinn is destined to become another in a long line of college quarterback standouts who ultimately fizzle and prove to be relative, if not complete busts. To these critics, Quinn has already crapped out. To them, the only things Quinn have going for him are his matinee-idol good looks and the fact that he once was the centerpiece for a Myoplex ad campaign.

But when it comes to football impact, they figure Brady won't show much in the future. They infer, no, they shout that Quinn's ship has already sailed, that he's essentially a lost cause.

Sorry, but I'm not buying into that sheer nonsense. Those doomsday predictions are way too premature. To give up on Quinn at this stage is beyond stupid and shortsighted. It's downright loco. You don't write off an athlete and competitor like Quinn so readily. Particularly when one objectively evaluates his pro career up to this point. If anyone thinks that Quinn was given a square deal in Cleveland, they haven't done their homework. Many obstacles have been thrown in Quinn's path as a pro, very few of which were of his own doing.

Yet, that's not to say that Quinn hasn't been without fault. Even in an environment that was far from conducive for him to succeed, Quinn could have shown better. Above all, Brady needed to be more accurate. There's no doubt he misfired on too many throws, whether he over-shot his receiver or under-threw his target. And Quinn would be the first to admit to this shortcoming.

But if you just listened to his detractors, you'd come away believing that Quinn did next to nothing as a Brown. The record indicates otherwise. Last season alone, he enjoyed a monster game against Detroit (4 touchdown passes, 304 passing yards) and produced commendable efforts versus playoff teams San Diego (3 TD heaves, 271 yards.) and Minnesota (21 of 35 attempts). Maybe in those stats there's nothing earth-shattering but by no means should they be casually dismissed either.

In his brief tenure as a Brown, Quinn showed glimpses of potential, flashes and snippets of a promising future. Conversely, he could be inconsistent and look tentative at times. There were some encouraging positives plus some undeniable negatives. It was truly a mixed bag. As ESPN's Mel Kiper recently summarized, " The jury's still out on Brady Quinn".

That being the case, why anyone would completely right off Quinn at this juncture, seems foolhardy.

After all, we're still talking about a very young man at age 25 who is just beginning to enter his physical prime. And speaking about physical, Quinn has a body chiseled to the max that should allow him to withstand the rigors of the NFL for many years to come.

On the surface, Quinn has too much going for him not to eventually succeed in the pros. To begin with, he's bright and he's a tireless worker. In addition, Quinn possesses a good and somewhat underrated arm. Brady can also move in the pocket and scramble, thereby keeping plays alive when his protection breaks down.

Plus, he demonstrated legitimate leadership skills in the past when he was the trigger-man at Notre Dame. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, Quinn exudes a quiet and genuine confidence. His belief in himself seems firm and unshakable. All Quinn requires, he feels, is a real opportunity to strut his stuff.

So, all that being said, there still exists a strong possibility that Quinn can make good and get the job done in the NFL. Somewhat sadly, however, if he does so, it won't be with the team he worshiped as a youngster, the Browns.

New Browns' President Mike Holmgren saw to that when he recently dealt Quinn to Denver for what seems a pittance, fullback Peyton Hillis and a pair of late-round draft choices. Dispatching Quinn smacked of Holmgren just wanting to clean house and start anew. Even Holmgren admitted it was impossible to fairly and adequately evaluate Quinn on just 12 lifetime starts.

Being from Ohio, you know it had to pain Quinn not to be able to establish himself as a Brown. This was a feel-good story waiting to happen, local boy returns home to revive his beloved Browns, but things just never came together. Instead, Quinn leaves town in the minds of some a major disappointment and underachiever.

But was he? Let's examine the record and then you draw your own conclusion.

After being selected by the Browns in the first round of the 2006 Draft (the 22nd overall selection), Quinn spent his rookie season backing up starter Derek Anderson. He learned the system, worked with the subs and, for the most part, held a clipboard. His only game action came when he made an abbreviated appearance in the season finale, in which completed 3 of 8 passes.

The following season, Anderson struggled and labored so badly, the Browns were compelled to turn to Quinn midway through the year. Quinn got the start against Denver in Week 10 and gave a solid accounting of himself, throwing for 239 yards and a pair of scores in a heartbreaking loss. 

He remained the starter for the next two weeks until a finger injury shelved him for the season. On balance, Quinn was competent enough during this span that it seemed he had built a foundation for the upcoming campaign.

Had Romeo Crennel remained the Browns' coach, there's little doubt that Quinn would have been his guy. But Crennel was cashiered and the often confounding Eric Mangini was brought in. Not exactly the best of scenarios for Quinn.

In one of the most boneheaded decisions made by a coach last year, Mangini allowed a quarterback controversy between Quinn and Anderson to fester right up until the first week of the season, when Mangini grudgingly and belatedly tabbed Quinn to be numero uno. This was hardly a ringing endorsement. It was lukewarm, at best.

Quinn came into the season having played very sparingly during the exhibition schedule, throwing a meager 31 passes. As a young quarterback with just three starts under his belt, Quinn needed plenty of reps leading into the season. Inexplicably, Mangini didn't give them to him. 

Quinn held his own in the aforementioned opener versus the Vikings. But when the offense sputtered in game two and through the first half of the following week, Mangini pulled the plug on Quinn and replaced him with the dubious Anderson. Talk about your quick hooks. Quinn was trying to get it done with an offense that had a mediocre line, a marginal running game and a suspect receiving corps. 

Yet, that made no difference for it was Quinn who took the hit. Instead of supporting his youthful signal-caller, Mangini turned on him at the first hint of trouble. In essence, Mangini had knifed Quinn in the back. Quinn took the demotion hard but adopted a professional approach and vowed to work hard to get better and look for another chance.

With Anderson at the throttle, that was a virtual certainty. Hampered by the same limited offense that helped undermine Quinn, Anderson went beyond bad. He was absolutely awful. So pathetic, in fact, he connected on just 2 of 17 passes in one particularly dreadful game against Buffalo.

Even a blockhead like Mangini couldn't tolerate Anderson's ineptitude any longer. The situation had devolved into a joke. Though he probably had to swallow hard because in retrospect the benching of Quinn looked so misguided, Mangini had no other option. Quinn was reinstalled as number one.

Quinn's second go-round as a starter went better. He enjoyed notable efforts versus the Lions and Chargers. And even in games where he wasn't at his best, Brady showed signs of moxie and leadership. What's more, the heretofore moribund Browns started winning. But once more misfortune struck at Quinn, this time in the form of a foot injury that ended his season on Dec. 20th.

Brady finished the year passing for 1,339 yards, good for 8 touchdowns to go along with 7 picks. Not great numbers but certainly ones that shouldn't cause Quinn to blush. His 53.1 completion percentage, however, was sub-par. Even with all the disadvantages he was dealing with, Quinn should have been more accurate. Sometimes he rushed throws and there were occasions when his inexperience showed. But Quinn was learning on the job. Some hiccups were to be expected. Objectively, his future in the NFL appeared far from bleak.

But unbeknownst to Quinn, his time in Cleveland was done.

Regime change came in the form of Holmgren, who took a look at the quarterback situation and decided to move in another direction. Holmgren first got rid of the faltering Anderson and then sent Quinn packing to Denver. Letting Quinn go at this stage could backfire on Holmgren and come back to haunt him, if Brady can step up his game in the Rockies.

Quinn, ever the optimist, expressed excitement over his trade to the Broncos. He's already immersed himself in study and workouts with Denver teammates and feels comfortable in his new surroundings. He also welcomes the opportunity to align himself with an offensive mind like Josh McDaniels, Denver's head coach

Realistically, Quinn faces an uphill battle to start in Denver, at least, in the near future. Incumbent Kyle Orton had a solid campaign in '09 and has a monumental advantage over Quinn in knowing the system. But, one senses, that either through injury or based upon his own continued emergence, Quinn will get a shot in Denver. He's a better athlete than Orton and armed with three years of NFL experience, Brady seems ripe to make the most of his next opportunity.

Is Quinn a surefire bet to star in the future? Hardly. There's no question that his career is entering a crossroads phase. But to resign him to the scrapheap right now is just plain dumb. Quinn still has plenty of time to leave a legacy, whether it's in Denver or someplace else.