The Cleveland Browns are happy with Josh McCown as the starter over Johnny Manziel heading into training camp, as Mike Pettine has said that the team is comfortable with the quarterback situation and this comes as the Browns could consider a Terrance West trade if a team like the Dallas Cowboys comes calling, as they have Isaiah Crowell and took Duke Johnson in the NFL draft.
The Browns are coming into 2015 after a tough season and they ended the year losing five straight games after putting themselves into the mix for the playoffs. Manziel had a tough offseason and while the team has not yet given up on him as a quarterback, they clearly are ready for McCown to be the starter for training camp and the season. According to the Akron Beacon-Journal, McCown is a "virtual lock" to be the starter this season, even if there is a "competition" in training camp.
McCown was brought in to take over as the starter after the Browns let Brian Hoyer walk in free agency and now he has the chance to be the bridge quarterback to whoever the team uses next, whether it's Manziel or someone else. ESPN Cleveland reported that McCown likely will be "unchallenged" as the Browns' starting quarterback, as both Connor Shaw and Manziel have not shown enough over last season and in offseason workouts to be a legitimate option in training camp.
The Browns are looking for significant improvement this season on offense and they have added Duke Johnson in the draft along with Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline in free agency. While the team is not currently shopping any running backs, with Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West on the roster along with Johnson, there is a chance the team could be open to a trade. According to Pro Football Talk, the Cowboys have left the door open on making a move for a running back this year and West could be a potential fit. Mike Fisher at 103.5 the Fan in Dallas and on Cowboys HQ mentioned West as a potential option, as he could be a cheap trade target compared to players like Adrian Peterson or Matt Forte.
The Browns got solid production from West and Crowell last season, but the team now has another strong option in Johnson after he was drafted out of Miami. Last year West had 673 yards in 14 games played and Crowell had 600 yards in 16 games played. Both players have slit first team reps in OTAs and making a move could depend on how quickly Johnson gets up to speed with the offense in camp workouts.
Earlier in the season there were reports that the Browns were interested in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Sam Bradford, but that never came close to happening. One report had the Browns interested in trying to pry the quarterback away from Chip Kelly and that they planned on using Johnny Manziel in a deal to get it done. All that came as both teams were mentioned in connection to draft prospect Marcus Mariota, but all of that was mostly just bluster, as a trade never came close to happening.
