BEREA, Ohio (AP) -The Cleveland Browns didn't have time to wait for Trent Dilfer's surgically repaired knee to completely heal or for his bruised ego to get better.

They wanted to move forward - with or without him.

Dilfer, unhappy at the prospect of being Charlie Frye's backup, was traded on Thursday to the San Francisco 49ers, where he'll be closer to home but will sit behind and mentor Alex Smith.

On Friday, Browns general manager Phil Savage insisted that Dilfer, who signed a four-year, $8 million deal with the Browns last year, did not demand to be traded.

``He never forced his way out of Cleveland,'' Savage said as the Browns welcomed their rookie draft picks and free agents to a weekend orientation/minicamp. ``Trent never came to me and said, 'Hey, I've got to get out of here.'''

Still, the Browns tried to make a deal with Detroit for Joey Harrington during last week's draft before sending Dilfer to the 49ers for quarterback Ken Dorsey and a seventh-round pick in 2007.

Dilfer had knee surgery this winter and was still at the point in rehab where he wasn't going to be ready to take part in team workouts until next month, Savage said. Coach Romeo Crennel had said Dilfer would get a chance to compete with Frye for the starting job, but Savage indicated it was time for the Browns and Dilfer to part company.

Dilfer and offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon were at odds last season, but Savage said that relationship had no bearing on the trade.

``At some point, things got off the track at the end of last year,'' Savage said. ``I'm not sure that we were able to get them back on track this spring. I'll say this, if you have a tire going down on your car, you are not going to wait for it to blow out. You are going to pull off and change the tire or pull into a gas station and get it fixed.

``That's really what we did. I think we've been very proactive in this. I wasn't going to wait until July and have Trent come to me and say that he couldn't do it anymore. That is really what the move is all about.''

Dilfer's departure clears the way for Frye, who went 2-3 as a rookie starter, to take over as Cleveland's No. 1 QB next season.

``Charlie might have a leg-up in the starting battle,'' Crennel joked. ``Just to let you know.''

However, there's still a good possibility the Browns will sign a veteran backup quarterback to work with Frye, a third-round pick in 2005 who worked his way up the depth chart and eventually into the starting lineup.

``I think it might be better to have a guy who can take him under his wing and talk to him about the little things regarding the game,'' Crennel said. ``I think it could be beneficial. Is it necessary? I don't know if it absolutely is.''

Dorsey has three years experience in the league. The 25-year-old has eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his pro career. He was the quarterback for Miami when Ohio State beat the Hurricanes to win the 2002 national title.

One of Dorsey's college teammates was Browns tight end Kellen Winslow, who hasn't played in almost two years because of injuries.

``When we talk to people who were associated with him (Dorsey) in the past, they felt like he does have some upside as a potential quarterback in this league,'' Savage said. ``He has a degree of experience. On top of that, he's a winner and he played with Kellen at Miami. With talking to (Winslow) and Dorsey last night, I think this will be a good situation and he will be a good presence for Kellen.''

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