Shurmur: No rush on QBs

Plain Dealer

berea

Pat Shurmur likes the way Colt McCoy has handled himself on and off the field during this summer of competition with Brandon Weeden and thinks there’s a realistic chance McCoy could be around come opening day.

“I don’t think there’s any hurry to get rid of anybody right now,” the Browns head coach said. “I guess the conversation becomes how he’s going to handle it if he’s not the starter. Colt’s a professional and he’s actually done everything that I’ve asked him to do. He’s handled his work well, and in my opinion, he’s handled his comments with the media well.

“He can’t always control what gets said around him — I think I’ve learned that as well. All you can worry about is what you say and do and I think Colt’s functioned in a very professional way.”

Shurmur was apparently referring to a recent tweet by McCoy’s younger brother Case, who exclaimed that “Cleveland is only going downhill!” in response to a fake tweet that his brother had been traded to the Eagles.

That said, Shurmur acknowledged he can’t predict how the backup QB battle plays out, where McCoy, Seneca Wallace and Thad Lewis are vying for the job. Despite speculation that McCoy will be traded, he said it’s realistic that both veterans could return.

“I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t say exactly what’s going to happen, but I do think they’ve made improvements, which is important,” said Shurmur. “We’ve added some young talent around them that has helped make things look smoother.”

He said he’s noticed a difference in McCoy from last season, when he had no offseason to work with the new staff and learn the West Coast system.

“Colt made a couple of throws [Wednesday] where he threw to the fourth guy in the progression,” said Shurmur. “Now, it’s not obvious to anybody, but he would’ve gone 1-2-3 and ran last year. He went 1-2-3 and threw it to four pretty smoothly. That only happens because you go through the process and I think he’s improved.

“At this point, I can see any of the scenarios that you’re mentioning — and again I can’t wait to name the starter so we can stop talking about this.”

He said McCoy and all of the quarterbacks on the roster fit his criteria for a backup: mobility and the ability to function without many reps during the week.

“I think [McCoy’s] very smart,” he said. “You’re talking about all the guys we have on our roster. They’re smart and they can move around and they can go out and execute without getting a bunch of reps.”