The Facts: A month ago, Mike Pettine labeled McCown the favorite to become the Browns’ starting quarterback heading into the upcoming season, but the coach isn’t stopping there. Now Pettine is essentially labeling McCown the best “bridge” starter the Browns could have possibly found this offseason. “Until you feel you’ve found what you would call a long-term solution [at quarterback], I don’t think we could have done any better than bringing in a guy like Josh McCown,” Pettine said.

Diehards Line: The coach explained: “It’s like having another coach on the field, and it’s all genuine. That’s the thing you like the most. Despite his age, people that have been at practice agree, he can still spin it. We didn’t just look to bring in a guy who was just going to be a mentor. We wanted a guy who we think can still play a little bit if you put him in the right circumstances. He’s been more than advertised. ...” The manner in which Pettine and GM Ray Farmer gushed over McCown during a Browns Fan Fest panel discussion Saturday suggests he might be more of a virtual lock to start the Sept. 13 regular-season opener at the New York Jets than a mere favorite. There hasn’t been even a hint of a competition between McCown, 35, and backup Johnny Manziel, 22, in spring practices, and if the most recent endorsement McCown received from the team’s brass is any indication, a position battle won’t magically materialize this summer during training camp, either.