A competitive Josh McCown is good for the Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown has stated he wants to compete to be the starter in 2016 and that is great news for the franchise.

The Cleveland Browns are a team notorious for a lack of stability. A new quarterback seems to start every week and the losses are far more common than the wins.

Josh McCown may not be an elite quarterback, but he brings some sense of stability to a team looking for any base upon which to build.

This seems to be the idea behind bringing McCown to the Browns in the first place. This plan changed when McCown dove over the goal line on the season’s first drive and was nearly decapitated, allowing Johnny Manziel to step in and restart the annual carousel of Browns quarterbacks.

Once Manziel was released, McCown resumed his role as starter. Then the team signed Robert Griffin III and McCown’s name began circulating as a possible player to be traded.

As of right now, McCown remains a Brown and has said he still wants to compete to be the starter.

This attitude is great for the franchise. Signing Griffin made him the likely starter, but the spot is not guaranteed. There is still the possibility of the Browns drafting a quarterback at any point in the draft, which would open up the competition further.

McCown’s presence ensures that there will indeed be competition, making the eventual starter worthy of the job. Giving Griffin, or a rookie, the job at the beginning of training camp could result in either being complacent, and that is not what this team needs.

McCown also fulfills the role of a mentor, whether that be as a starter or on the sideline. He can work with Griffin to help revive the latter’s career, or even work with a rookie to make sure he is NFL-ready and avoid the failures of other rookie quarterbacks who have worn a Browns jersey since 1999.

It is no secret that the Browns are at the bottom of the NFL in terms of talent, at least on paper. The rebuilding process is indeed underway, but it is important to have veteran leaders on the roster to help the young players tabbed with creating a new team culture.

McCown is the most important veteran on the roster, and the fact he remains a competitive member of the team will make everyone around him better as the Browns look to find success.