Savage is off to the races, and the Quinn era begins.

Yesterday, Phil Savage added a pretty tough defensive tackle to the Browns. He traded a precious 2nd round pick to Green Bay for Corey Williams.

First, let's see what they gave up. Right now, the Browns don't have a 1st due to the trade with the Cowboys last year that netted Brady Quinn. So, the 2nd, which would have been 56th overall, was the Browns' highest pick. That means the Browns won't pick until 87th. Plus, Williams was wearing Green Bay's franchise tag. That means the Browns have to give him a multi-year deal. I suspect that will cost the team something like $15-20 Million in guaranteed dough and a total contract in the $40-50 Million range. That's just rank speculation by me, but suffice to say, he's gonna cost the Pumpkin Heads a lot of cash, some of which will count against this year's cap.

Now, what did they get? Williams was a sixth round pick in the 2004 draft. Obviously, he exceeded draft order expectations. He'll be 28 when the season begins. He's listed as 6'4" and 313 lbs. He's been a legitimate sack threat, dropping the opposing QB 7 times in each of the last two years. He's okay against the run, but overall, he's a strong defender and immediately upgrades the Browns' line.

Here's the skinny. Derek Anderson turned down the Browns' three year offer. That probably means that some team wants him and is willing to give him some big dough. So, Savage gave him a $2.5 Million tender. Another team can outbid the Browns, but if they do, they'll owe the Browns a 1st and a 3rd round pick.

Originally, there was some thought that the Packers would simply cut Williams, rather than give him a lot of money. But, it appears that Savage was hovering over this one like a hungry vulture. He struck and the deal was made just after midnight, and by now, we all know Savage likes playing without a net. So, he must have thought that Williams was worth sitting on the sidelines for the first day of the draft.

Or, it could be that Savage is a really smart guy. Savage loves the draft. He had to be counting on getting extra picks for Anderson when he made the deal.

You can book it: February 29, 2008, the real beginning of the Brady Quinn era. Say a novena.