Cleveland Browns: Top 6 Position Battles at Camp

7 of 7

Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback

Josh McCown

(13) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Washington Redskins in a preseason NFL football game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

1. The Franchise Still Isn’t Here

Competition: Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, Thad Lewis, Connor Shaw

This one was too easy right? The Browns have been trying to find the right quarterback for the last 15 years. It hasn’t mattered whether they drafted them in the first round or in the sixth, they just cannot find the right guy to lead the offense and represent the franchise. Bernie Kosar has been the last stable quarterback with the team, and that was 22 years ago. Tim Couch tried, but having a line that couldn’t block a building didn’t help in his development.

I can go on for hours about all the failures at quarterback this team has had, but I won’t.

Josh McCown was brought to the team as a mentor for Johnny Manziel and a stop-gap for the time being. He struggled with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season and suffered a thumb injury that kept him out for most of the year.

He was never able to regain the form he had with the Chicago Bears in 2013. McCown has a career 76.1 quarterback rating and a 58.8 % completion rate. They aren’t championship numbers, but it’s what we have.

McCown went 5/5 with 60 yards and a touchdown on Thursday. He played like a veteran, showing the savvy and quick decisions that a young quarterback doesn’t possess yet. Manziel looked like a completely different quarterback. He has shown it in training camp–and continued to do so against the Redskins.

He made the right throws and knew his reads, but what struck me was his poise to scramble away from pressure and still complete the pass while keeping his eyes up the field. It shows that he is serious about being in the NFL and putting all the partying beside him. Manziel has also gotten rid of the “money sign” that he would do after scoring a touchdown.

He looked like a real quarterback, but he still has plenty to learn and a long way to go. Connor Shaw will most likely be the third string quarterback this season.

Result: Josh McCown

It’s inevitable that McCown will be the starter. Coach Mike Pettine confirmed it after Thursday’s game. He might not lead us to the Super Bowl, but he can possibly help give this team an identity and make the season bearable and interesting. Johnny looks like he finally has it together on the field, but I just don’t see him as the Browns future quarterback or one that can lead them to multiple championships. It’s still early in his development and stranger things have happened.

Next: Cleveland Browns: Five Predictions For Preseason Football

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