The Browns are likely to draft a quarterback with the second overall pick in the draft, and if that quarterback pushes Josh McCown out of the starting job, McCown can live with that.
McCown said on this morning’s PFT Live that he’d love to start all 16 games this season, but if his role shifts to a veteran mentor and backup to a young franchise quarterback, that’s fine, too.
“My expectation is to come into work and be available and be ready to do whatever’s asked of me. If that’s to bring along a draft pick and to start until that guy’s ready, then I’m willing to do that. If that’s to go the full 16, I’m excited about doing that. If that’s to help that guy as he takes over, whatever my role, whatever’s asked of me, I’m just here to win football games,” McCown said. “Whatever my role is, I’m all in. I just want to help.”
McCown is under contract for the next two seasons at $5 million a year, and it appears that the Browns will keep McCown as the leader of a young group that will include a draft pick and whoever wins a training camp competition among Austin Davis, Connor Shaw and Pat Devlin. (At this point it goes without saying that Johnny Manziel is no longer in the mix.) McCown will turn 37 this offseason, and he’s happy to help a quarterback 15 years younger than him, even if it’s a quarterback brought in to take his job.