Johnny Manziel or Josh Mccown: Who Starts For Cleveland Browns?

Ron Schwane/Associated Press/Associated Press

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

 

Preseason is underway in the NFL, as a lot of interesting battles are taking place – as one player hopes to earn the starting job by Week 1. One battle that everyone is looking forward to is the starting quarterback battle for Cleveland Browns, which is between Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel. It is going to be a close battle the team will probably not announce the starter until preseason is over.

Last season for Tampa Bay, McCown threw for 2,206 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He was also active on the ground, rushing for 127 yards and three touchdowns. Even though he did not produce a lot of wins, he put up a solid stat line.

McCown is not a franchise quarterback, but has a lot of experience in the league, something that might give him the edge over Manziel. McCown can help Manziel grow and even start while Manziel reaches his full-potential and becomes NFL ready.

Last year in his rookie season with Cleveland. Manziel threw for 175 yards and two interceptions, with a passer rating of 42.0. He did only play in five games but it was obvious he was a step behind when leading the offense. Manziel does have potential to become a franchise quarterback, but still needs time to grow into the dominant player he can be.

Even though Manziel struggled in his rookie season, he still has an upside to him. He has a good arm and is pretty accurate, which was showcased in college. But his main strength are his feet; he has good speed and is very elusive when running down the field. The second year quarterback still has some work to do, but if he can stay out of trouble and focus on his game, he could quickly become the franchise quarterback for the Browns.

Thursday night in the preseason game versus the Washington Redskins, McCown was perfect passing-wise, finishing 5-for-5 with 33 yards and a touchdown. Manziel was 7-for-11 for 42 yards. He also had a 12 yard touchdown run.

Cleveland has a tough choice to make. One thing the team could do is start McCown Week 1 and let Manziel learn the game even more as the backup quarterback. The other option is if Manziel has proven that he has matured and his game has improved, he could be given the opportunity to start in the very first week. If he struggles, they always have a reliable backup in McCown ready to play.

The next three weeks of training camp and preseason is going to determine a lot in Cleveland. Is Johnny Manziel ready to take the next step in becoming the franchise quarterback for the Browns? Or is he still the immature kid that loves to party and cause trouble off the field?

McCown is a consistent quarterback that has not had any problems off the field. Teams know what they are going to get when signing the veteran quarterback. However, his potential is limited and will be nothing more than an average starter. Meanwhile, Manziel could become a solid starter and may be the future of Cleveland.

McCown will likely start Week 1, since he has more experience than Manziel. Cleveland needs to start the season with a veteran under center. He has proven to be the better of the two in the past and should be given the opportunity to start while Manziel learns and grows as a quarterback.