Cleveland Browns 2015 position preview – Quarterbacks
Jun 16, 2015; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) throws a pass during minicamp at the Cleveland Browns practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Josh McCown
Unfortunately, there seems to be no quarterback competition this season as head coach Mike Pettine named free agent acquisition Josh McCown the starter back in May. So what should we expect out of McCown this season?
Let me be blunt about this: besides eight starts in 2013, McCown has been a tire fire in his NFL career. With a career passer rating of 76.1 and almost as many touchdowns as interceptions, I just don’t know how anyone could expect much from him this season. There are only two reasons this move to anoint McCown the starter makes any sense.
One, they hope he can rekindle some of his magic from 2013, when he threw 13 touchdowns to just one interception in Marc Trestman’s offense – not to mention, three games where he hovered around the 350-yard passing plateau. It very well could be a fluke stretch, but hey, why not take a flyer on the possibility of him replicating it?
Related: Mike Pettine: Josh McCown is Browns QB1 For Now
Another reason has to do with the immaturity of Manziel. After a disastrous rookie season, and his recent rehab stint, how could they trust Manziel to be their starting quarterback week one? McCown, to me, serves almost as an insurance policy, knowing that he’s a veteran player who understands what comes with the position.
Like I wrote in my first piece, I think the offensive line is the key to this offense. If the Browns can run the football successfully on first down and keep McCown out of third-and-long situations, I think he fits the mold as more of a game manager.
At the end of the day, I think he plays about half the season and struggles, leading to the call for Manziel to step in and get experience at the position. I just don’t think McCown has much success considering his very underwhelming resume.
Next: Johnny Manziel