Browns turn to rookie McCoy

Associated Press

BEREA

Colt McCoy, front and center. And don’t trip.

The Cleveland Browns need you now.

With quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace both nursing severe ankle injuries, Browns coach Eric Mangini said Monday it’s possible that McCoy, a rookie with no NFL playing experience, will make his regular-season debut Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At this point, the Browns have few other options.

“It’s only the Steelers, right?” Mangini said with a perfect touch of sarcasm. “Coming off a bye week? They don’t blitz much.”

Once again, the Browns’ quarterback carousel is in overdrive. When isn’t it?

The Browns have used 15 different starters at quarterback since 1999. For comparison’s sake, the Indianapolis Colts have used one.

Mangini may have no other choice but to play McCoy after Wallace sustained what appeared to be a severe ankle injury in Sunday’s loss to Atlanta and Delhomme came in and appeared to re-injure the badly sprained right ankle that sidelined him for three games.

Following the game, Delhomme walked with a noticeable limp. Wallace was much worse. He could barely make it to the shower, and family members who had been waiting in the corridor outside Cleveland’s locker room to see him, were brought to his cubicle.

Mangini would not provide an update on either player. He refused to say if Delhomme had suffered a setback. He said the team was awaiting test results on both QBs and that he would have a more definitive answer on the team’s direction by practice on Wednesday.

“Believe me, there’s a lot that can happen between now and Wednesday with Jake, with Seneca, with roster moves,” Mangini said. “There’s a a lot of moving parts here, so it’s hard for me to give you anything that definitive because there’s nothing definitive to give right now.”

There was moments later.

Shortly after Mangini met with the media, the agent for quarterback Brett Ratliff confirmed the Browns will re-sign his client off New England’s practice squad.

Agent Joe Palumbo said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that Cleveland is bringing back Ratliff, who spent last season with the Browns after coming over in the 2009 draft-day trade with the New York Jets. Ratliff was Cleveland’s No. 3 quarterback for 14 games and the backup for two.