Holcomb beats out Tim Couch
 

Butch Davis finally made the decision. Excellent decision, IMO.


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It's Holcomb at the helm

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Associated Press


BEREA, Ohio -- Kelly Holcomb will begin the season as Cleveland's starting quarterback after beating out Tim Couch for the job.

Holcomb, a career backup, had been locked in a heated competition since training camp opened with Couch, a four-year starter once called one the franchise's "cornerstones" who will make $6.2 million this season.

But coach Butch Davis ended months of debate Sunday by announcing that Holcomb will be his starter when the Browns open the regular season Sept. 7 against Indianapolis.

"It's a gut feeling," Davis said. "I believe Kelly Holcomb should be given the opportunity to start."

Holcomb has outplayed Couch in the Browns' two exhibition games, completing 14 of 21 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

The 30-year-old Holcomb may have confirmed what Davis had been planning all along with a dazzling performance in the first half Friday night against Green Bay.

Holcomb led the Browns on TD drives on their first two possessions, and finished 7-of-10 for 166 yards with two TD passes.

Davis decided to open the quarterback competition in January after Holcomb passed for 429 yards in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh. It was the third highest total in NFL postseason history.

Couch, meanwhile, will begin the 2003 season watching from the sideline, something he hasn't had to do -- other than when he has been injured -- since his first game as a rookie in 1999.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick is 8-of-15 for 68 yards in Cleveland's two exhibition games.

I wonder what this means for Couch. I keep reading that a lot people do not believe that Cleveland can afford to keep Couch as a backup. From a cap standpoint, I don't think they can afford to cut or trade him this year, but it sounds like he will be a cap casualty after the season is over.

I haven't seen a list of possible quarterbacks available in FA next year, but I think Couch should start looking at homes in Dallas. :)

He's got two years left (2004, 2005) on his deal, and his base salaries are 7.6 and 8 million dollars. Barring a remarkable year, this will be his last as a Brown. His signing bonus was 12.25, so his dead money cap hit would be:

• 3.675 million this year and next year if cut right now
• 4.9 million in 2004 if cut between the end of this season and June 1, 2004
• 2.45 million in 2004 and 2005 if cut after June 1, 2004.

ct: I totally agree that they are just basically going to keep Couch until it's cheap enough to cut him. It's seemed like since last year, the Browns would like nothing better than to rid themselves of Couch, and the only reason he had a chance in preseason was because of his salary.

He just seems to have done nothing to distinguish himself as particularly good or bad. His crying fit didn't help things in Cleveland, i'm sure.

I didn't know what I really thought about him until the last week of the regular season last year. I was sitting in the parking lot at Giants stadium, ready to head in for the 4 PM Packers-Jets game. To make the playoffs, the Jets not only needed to win the game, but needed a win by either New England (over Miami) or Atlanta (over Cleveland), so I was listening to the radio with great interest. Sometime in the second half of the game, it was announced that Couch was injured and Holcomb was coming in. I remember thinking, "Shit. Why does this have to happen to the one team who has a better backup than starter?!"

Of couse the Browns went on to win with Holcomb, and he had single-handedly won the Steelers wild card game for them before moronic coaching calls took over and gave the game away.

I think he'll land softly like Jake Plummer. He'll get another chance to prove his worth.

Hm, let's try this on for size.

"Kelly Holcomb, you and the Cleveland Browns have just won the Super Bowl. What are you going to do now?"

Sure, that works. I'm behind it.

Good call Butch Davis. A coach that goes with who he believes is the best guy for the job no matter what their salary is or where they were drafted.

I agree. I can see him end up in Chicago or Dallas in a year or two. Maybe he'll actually be able to turn it around in a new setting. Sometimes that is all a player really needs.

Well that's one question down. Now all we need is to see how the LB group ends up.

Couch may well be the starter again after a few weeks

If Holcomb fails though, they still have him to fall back on. This will really test his mental strength as a QB and football player in general.

I think the worst case possibility for Couch is that he lands "softly" as others have said. He certainly could regain his starting job this season if Cleveland flops early. If not their COULD be several jobs open in the offseason.

Dallas has to be the big potential opening. Arizona, Chicago, maybe NY Giants, Carolina, Pittsburgh, KC, Oakland(if Gannon retires) are all also possibilities.

I can only see K.C. as a possibilty if Vermeil retires and Green heads elswhere. And the Giants will not be an option, they love Collins here and he's played surprisingly well for them.

You're right though. Even if he can't regain his starting job in Cleveland, there will be a few teams giving him a long look in the off-season.

Good point. Vinnie Testeverde and Kerry Collins have become useful quarterbacks from their "disappointment" days.

Very true... especially Collins. Couch just can't win in Cleveland. He was drafted so high and is making so much that the pressure is enormous on him to be amazing... and the fact is that he isn't. Couch is an above average NFL QB, but then again so is Kelly Holcomb, and Holcomb is much, much cheaper. However, an above average QB could be very valuable to more than a few franchises.

Tim Couch
Donovan McNabb
Akili Smith
Daunte Culpepper
Cade McNown
...
Shuan Hill
Aaron Brooks


So the great QB class of '98 has left us with Just McNabb and Culpepper out of the first group, and two QBs who have been solid from the later rounds.

I'd say the classes at widereciver and cornerback may be the most impressive from '98:

WR:
Torry Holt
Peerless Price
D'Wayne Bates
Marty Booker
Troy Edwards
Kevin Johnson
Tai Streets

CB:
Champ Bailey
Chris McAlister
Antoine Winfield
Fernando Bryant
Dre' Bly
Mike McKenzie
Daylon McCutcheon

Are you comparing Aaron Brooks and Shaun Hill as solid QBs out of the late rounds?

In 37 starts in his young career Brooks has 67 TDs and has averaged 240+ yards a game.

Hill was a third string QB until this year.(I am assuming hes #2 now) Hill has ZERO career stats.

Despite where Brooks was picked he is statistically neck and neck with Culpepper and Mcnabb.

I'm very interested to see how Kelly does now that the job is his. It's easy being the QB when everyone loves you.

Kelly played terrific last year against Kansas City, Cincy and Pitt in the playoffs. All of those teams had horrible secondaries. He struggled against Atlanta and Baltimore. (20-37 3TD, 4INT) For all the talk about how well he played in the Atlanta game, look at the overall numbers:

Couch 7/11 0TD 1INT 6.18 yards per pass attempt.
Kelly 7/14 1TD 2INT 6.14 yards per pass attempt.

I'm not convinced Holcumb is really superior to Couch. He's earned his shot to take the job away. I think he probably deserves to start. We'll find out if he can cut it when he faces Tony Dungy in week one, followed by the Ravens in week 2.

TroyF

Happy Birthday?

Thank you, what can I say, I usually see a 10% increase from lurking to posting on my birthday.

I think you mean King, not Hill. He should also be crossed off.

Actually I meant the Browns LB's. They cut Jamir Miller, Earl Holmes, and Dwayne Rudd in the offseason, and are starting a group of Barry Gadner, Kevin Bentley, and Ben Taylor.

I think this shows just how entrenched Butch Davis is. Think Carl Palmer would have made this move and gotten away with it? Good for the ownership to trust in their coach on this one and not get overwhelmed by Couch's paycheck.

Great call by Davis.