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I’ve had a chance to take a closer look at Derek Anderson. He’s a different kind of quarterback. Completed only 56 percent of his passes last year. Only two teams had lower completion percentages.

But I think completion percentage can be vastly overrated. Two years ago, for example, David Carr of the Texans completed 68 percent of his passes (and that was before, I believe, he began playing with those performance-enhancing white gloves). But what did completing all those 6-yard dumpoff passes on third-and-12 do for Carr? Nothing. The Texans cut him, and then he got released again (by Carolina) a few weeks back.

Anderson’s got the low completion percentage not because he doesn’t throw accurately, but because he’s attacking defenses with deep throws. He averaged 12.7 yards per completion last year, which was No. 1 in the entire league. Getting rid of the ball also played a role in that low completion percentage. Anderson was sacked only 14 times. The team’s offensive line was vastly improved, but on a lot of potential sacks, he opted to either throw it away or put it up for grabs – hope Braylon Edwards can make a play. If Anderson had chose to go the Carr route and eat the ball, that 56-percent completion rate would have been a lot higher.

I see Anderson as similar in playing style to Eli Manning (one of the two regular starters who completed an even lower percentage of passes last year). Sometimes, Manning will just huck the ball up and hope Plaxico Burress can outjump the defense for it. In the Super Bowl, Manning threw what could have gone down as an ill-advised floater that turned into a lose-clinching interception in the final minute. Instead, David Tyree made an improbable hand/helmet catch, and the Giants went on register one of the league’s all-time upsets. Sometimes it pays to roll the dice and take a chance.

There’s a fine line, of course, between taking chances and being reckless. Anderson threw 29 TDs last year, but he’s also had a tendency to force too many balls. In his 18 starts as a pro, he’s thrown 25 interceptions, which is the worst rate for anyone over the last two years.

The No. 1 concern for Anderson, at least in my eyes, is that defenses will get a better feel for how to defend him. Even last year, his effectiveness declined. In his first eight games, he averaged 256 passing yards and threw 19 TDs, versus only 8 interceptions. In his final seven starts, he throw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9) and averaged only 214 passing yards.

Weather, of course, was a factor in a couple of Cleveland’s late-season games. But if Anderson plays in 2008 like he did in November and December of last year, then Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow will be selected too high in fantasy drafts this summer.

--Ian Allan

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