A battered quarterback corps starting its third man in three weeks was shored up Tuesday when the Browns signed free-agent Bruce Gradkowski.

The University of Toledo product and Pittsburgh native spent two seasons in Tampa Bay and started 11 games as a rookie in 2006. He went to training camp this year with the St. Louis Rams before being waived on Aug. 31.

Gradkowski took the roster spot of Derek Anderson, who was placed on injured reserve after tearing the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in Sunday's loss to Indianapolis. Anderson, 13-14 as a starter over three seasons for the Browns and 3-6 this year, will not need surgery.

Also on injured reserve, quarterback Brady Quinn elected to have surgery on his fractured right index finger on Wednesday in Alabama. Hand specialist Thomas Hunt will perform the operation, and Quinn is expected to need six to 10 weeks to recuperate.

Ken Dorsey will start Sunday as the Browns (4-8) visit the Tennessee Titans (11-1), and receiver/returner Joshua Cribbs, the former Kent State quarterback, will likely serve as his backup. Gradkowski, probably No. 3 this week, should be ready for the Browns' third Monday Night Football appearance of the season Dec. 15 at Philadelphia.

In 17 career games over two years in Tampa Bay, Gradkowski completed 190-of-352 passes for 1,791 yards and nine touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

The sixth-round draft choice, 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, was waived by the Bucs on June 2 and was claimed by the Rams.

At Toledo, Gradkowski was the Mid-American Conference co-MVP in 2005. In his career, he threw for 9,225 yards with 85 touchdowns and 27 interceptions and rushed for 1,018 yards and 14 scores. In 2003-04, he became the first quarterback in NCAA Division I-A history to complete more than 70 percent of his passes in consecutive seasons (71.2 and 70.2 percent). He set a Division I-A record with a career completion percentage of 68.2, breaking the mark of 67.1 held by Kentucky's Tim Couch.

In another roster move by the Browns, offensive lineman Travis Leffew was released from the practice squad and replaced by receiver Steve Sanders, a Cleveland native and Bowling Green product who was let go last week.