The New York Jets inked a one-year deal with Josh McCown earlier this week, increasing the team's quarterback arsenal to three. On a conference call Friday with reporters, Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan said adding the veteran quarterback was the right fit for the team.
"We vetted all quarterbacks, I don't think we ruled anybody out," Maccagnan said. "When it was all said and done, I think Josh fit from a system standpoint for what we do. From our standpoint, we focused on the player we thought would be best for us and Josh was the one that we thought brought a lot of things to the table. We're very happy with the opportunity to add him to our group."
In two seasons with Cleveland, McCown played in 13 games and totaled 3,209 yards passing with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Having the 14-year veteran's presence on the team could bode well for the development of young quarterbacks Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg.
"They're both young players. We're excited to see those guys get back in here for the offseason program and see how they do," he said. "We'd like to see both of them make progress and eventually get on the field and play. We'll see how that plays itself out here going forward, but we're definitely excited about the young guys and pairing them with Josh. We'll see how it plays itself out, but all three of those guys have opportunities in the offseason and training camp to go out there to show where they're at and how they've developed."
"I think going into this thing, our plan is to basically find the best group of quarterbacks from that standpoint. We've obviously made a move in pro free agency," he said. "There's still the college draft and like I said earlier, all options are on the table at the quarterback position going forward. With any player on this team, they're going to have to earn their spot on the roster and I think Todd (Bowles) would echo that same thought."
