Josh McCown Reportedly ‘Unchallenged’ Browns Starting QB
It wouldn’t quite be the offseason without a shock system overhaul by the dysfunctional Cleveland Browns. In the latest edition of their quarterback carousel, news out of Cleveland’s OTAs is that fresh signee Josh McCown is the clear frontrunner to open the season under center for the Browns, as reported by ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi.
Mere weeks removed from rehabilitation, it seems the on-field news hasn’t gotten much better for prospective golden boy Johnny Manziel, who has absurdly been shafted once again without a real opportunity to prove his worth. Manziel showed the flashes of brilliance that earnt him the nickname ‘Johnny Football’ late last season, but a failure to stay healthy compounded by intense media scrutiny ended his season practically before it began.
Now the Browns appear to already be moving on, giving their latest defective seal of approval to the thirty-six year-old McCown, formerly of the Bears and Buccaneers.
It’s hard to fault McCown for the announcement. He is a competitor, and if he truly is the best of a bad bunch on the Cleveland roster, then good luck to him. Take the ball and run with it, Josh. Although that’s not meant to be taken literally.
But at his age, McCown should ideally be settling into a backup role with a stable franchise, not being thrust into the spotlight on a team that, just last season, starting to show a sliver of trust in its future prospects. McCown strikes fear into the heart of exactly zero defensive coordinators on an offense that is already missing home-run strike power as it is.
In terms of pure skill, Manziel is the most dangerous – and, just as importantly, the most available – talent on the offense. The Browns will try to sidestep this latest blunder by saying they’re fostering a competitive atmosphere. But franchises on the upswing don’t chop and change quarterbacks at will. They may then continue to feign faith in Johnny by calling him the ‘future’. But at some point, the future has to actually arrive.
