BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns, who resorted to playing wide receivers at quarterback because of injuries late last season, traded quarterback Ty Detmer to Detroit on Sunday and sent QB Spergon Wynn and running back Travis Prentice to Minnesota.
In return, the Browns got an undisclosed 2002 draft pick from the Lions and draft picks in 2002 and '03 from the Vikings.
Detmer, with five seasons remaining on a contract that will play him $1.4 million this year, missed all of 2000 after tearing his Achilles' tendon in a preseason game. He was acquired by the Browns in a trade with San Francisco in 1999 and started the expansion club's first game back in the league following a three-year hiatus.
But he was quickly benched in favor of Tim Couch, the Browns' No. 1 draft pick in 1999.
Because of injuries, the Browns had seven quarterbacks on their roster at various times last season. Things got so bad that wide receivers Dennis Northcutt and Kevin Johnson both lined up at quarterback against Philadelphia late in 2000.
Detmer has also played with Green Bay and Philadelphia during his 10-year career. The 1990 Heisman Trophy winner has passed for 5,445 yards and 31 TDs.
He previously worked with Lions coach Marty Mornhinweg in San Francisco and will give Detroit a solid backup for Charlie Batch.
Detmer was replaced during training camp as Couch's backup by Kelly Holcomb, who spent the past five seasons in Indianapolis. Detmer did not play in Friday's exhibition loss to Carolina, furthering speculation Browns coach Butch Davis would trade him.
Prentice was the Browns' leading rusher as a rookie in 2000, making 11 starts. He rushed for 512 yards and seven TDs and made 37 catches for 191 yards and one TD.
Prentice doesn't have the speed Davis craves and was quickly passed on the depth chart by rookie James Jackson, Jamel White and rookie free agent Ben Gay.
He was drafted in the third round by the Browns in 2000 after setting an NCAA record for career scoring while at Miami of Ohio. He'll be the Vikings' third-string tailback behind rookie Michael Bennett and Doug Chapman.
Wynn, a sixth-round pick in 2000, made one start last season for the Browns, who loved his strong arm and potential. He completed 22 of 54 passes last season for 167 yards, then played in NFL Europe this spring.
He'll back up Daunte Culpepper and Todd Bouman in Minnesota.
Wynn's release leaves Holcomb and Kevin Thompson as the only quarterbacks on Cleveland's roster. Thompson, though, recently had surgery on his knee, and the Browns will likely add another quarterback before their opener next Sunday against Seattle.
Davis has been wheeling and dealing this summer as he tries to rebuild the Browns, who went 5-27 the past two seasons under Chris Palmer.
Defensive lineman Darius Holland, who played in all 16 games last season, was also released, as well as defensive backs Rashidi Barnes and Anthony Poindexter; offensive linemen Barrett Brooks, Paul Zukauskas and Richard Mercier; linebacker Anthony Denman; defensive linemen Alvin McKinley and Kendrick Office; and tight end Rod Monroe.
The club also placed tight end Mark Campbell, linebacker Anthony Harris and defensive lineman Mark Word on injured reserve.