Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel are battling for the starting quarterback this offseason, and the Cleveland Browns could have a tough decision to make when Week 1 of the regular season rolls around. Manziel has been making big improvements over the past couple of weeks, but head coach Mike Pettine still reportedly views McCown as the favorite to win the starting job.
#Browns Pett on McCown as the starter: “I haven’t wavered on that. He’s firmly the No. 1”
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 14, 2015
It seems a bit strange that they are going to choose the veteran quarterback with now long-term potential over last seasons first-round pick that is showing improvement. Pettine wants to go for wins, but at this point in the rebuilding process the Browns should be more focused on long-term talent. Manziel won’t improve by sitting on the bench in his second season, and playing time could be exactly what he needs to learn the game.
At 36 years old, McCown is out to prove that his 2013 season with the Chicago Bears wasn’t a fluke. He was absolutely pitiful last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and wants to prove that he is still capable of being a starting quarterback.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see if Pettine changes his mind over the next few weeks. Manziel is without question making leaps and strides forward, and his athleticism and playmaking ability could be exactly what the offense needs. They have a couple very solid running backs, but they’ll need a quarterback that can make big plays here and there as well.
Cleveland is without question capable of competing with most teams, but quarterbacks are necessary to win games in the clutch.
McCown may be the right guy for the job, but it just seems like a waste of time to start a quarterback with no potential to be a long-term option. Manziel at least would offer the young talent that the coaching staff could develop moving forward. It will be intriguing to see what ends up happening, but right now it appears that McCown is their guy.
