"With a one-way ticket out of Cleveland, quarterback Derek Anderson was anxious to leave behind drama in the workplace, not reproduce it in his new work location.

So Anderson said all the right things when he signed a two-year deal with the Cardinals last March. Yes, he was coming to Arizona to back up Matt Leinart, not to take job.

In Anderson's head, and maybe only his, he was thinking of becoming the starter. "But I wasn't going to tell you guys that," he said.

The dream became reality two weeks ago when coach Ken Whisenhunt demoted Leinart and named Anderson the starter. Anderson stayed a football field away from the ensuing theatrics, as Leinart complained about unfairness and the Cardinals ended up releasing him.

It a stunningly quick turnabout, Anderson has gone from hoping for a chance to prove himself as a starter to getting one.

"That was my goal going into any training camp, regardless of what the situation was," he said. "That's just how I prepare my mind and how I prepare for every season."

Whisenhunt has a history of ignoring draft status and politics when choosing a starting quarterback. That's what he did in 2008 when he picked Kurt Warner over Leinart.

Anderson knew Whisenhunt's track record, but that's not what attracted him to Arizona. First, Arizona wasn't Cleveland, where Anderson started 34 of 39 games in four seasons.

In 2007, Anderson became one of the NFL's bright young quarterbacks, replacing starter Charlie Frye in the season opener and leading the Browns to a 10-6 record.

Anderson made the Pro Bowl that year, but battled 2007 first-round pick Brady Quinn for the starting job the next two seasons as the Browns floundered.

Mike Holmgren took over as team president this year and jettisoned both quarterbacks. With Warner retiring, the Cardinals needed another quarterback. Anderson was one of the few experienced ones on the market."