Josh McCown wants to be a starter and that does not change now that he is with the Cleveland Browns. Since his breakout success with the Chicago Bears, the quarterback has made it clear he is a viable option to start at quarterback. He failed to show that with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but now that he is with the Browns, the idea does not change regardless of who else is on the roster at the position.
McCown signed a three-year contract with the Browns to be a stop-gap option. However, he is making it clear that he is the starting quarterback regardless of what the media says about his position in Cleveland. The quarterback signed a contract that includes $6.25 million in guaranteed money along with $6 million in incentives. With that kind of money, McCown expects to be No. 1 on the depth.
"That's my expectation right now," McCown said, via ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike". "We'll see, as things unfold, what their plan is, but that's my expectation. I'm going to compete as such to do that."
The signing of McCown gives the Browns flexibility. Right now, the quarterback is sharing a roster with Johnny Manziel and Connor Shaw who both saw time as the starter last season. When drafted in the first round, it was expected that Manziel was the future of the franchise. He lost his starting spot to Brian Hoyer and when he did get playing time, the quarterback failed to impress. Now Manziel is serving time at a rehab facility, making his status even more unknown than it already was. McCown is a player that can hold the Browns' offense afloat until they decide the best move to make. McCown told the media he is here to help when it comes to Manziel.
"That's my goal with Johnny, to help him grow and play well as a player," said McCown.
The signing of McCown also allows the Browns to explore a trade for Marcus Mariota without being pressured to get a deal done. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Browns are still very interested in acquiring the former Oregon star, but now the pressure is off to give up too much for him. The Browns have two first-round draft picks that they could package together in order to move up for the quarterback, but is it worth it if they have McCown?
The next step for the Browns should be determining just how committed to Manziel they really are. If the team feels the former Texas A&M star can still be a solid franchise quarterback, the trade for Mariota is unnecessary. If the team believes Manziel might develop like they had hoped, then general manager Ray Farmer better be on the phones making calls about a draft deal.
