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Holmgren: Browns QB competition is open, with McCoy in mix

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colt McCoy has acted like the quarterback and leader of the Cleveland Browns throughout this offseason.

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Michael Lombardi isn't sold on Colt McCoy as the Browns' long-term answer at QB and believes the team should make a play for Eagles backup Kevin Kolb. **More ...**

But that doesn't mean competition at the position is closed.

Browns president Mike Holmgren expressed satisfaction Tuesday in McCoy's rookie-year performance and his standing on the team. Yet Holmgren stopped just short of saying the former University of Texas standout is the answer to a quarterback question the franchise has asked since re-entering the NFL in 1999.

"We have Seneca Wallace, too, and Jake Delhomme as well right now," Holmgren said at the NFL Spring Meeting. "But (McCoy) got his feet wet last year. I didn't necessarily want him to play that much last year, but we were injured, and so he had a chance to play. He showed us enough where he will go in, and we're hopeful that -- it'll be competitive -- but if he does what I think he can do, he'll probably be the guy, yeah."

Coming off a season in which he started eight games and threw for 1,576 yards and six touchdowns with nine interceptions, McCoy has taken a leadership role with the team in organizing workouts in Austin, Texas, for Cleveland's offensive players.

"I've always been impressed with Colt and his leadership ability -- that's one of the reasons we drafted him (in the third round)," Holmgren said. "So I'm not surprised by this. They love to play the game, so he's going to do what he has to now as he gets his chance to be the starting quarterback and the leader of the football team.

"He's going to do what he has to do, what he thinks is best, in this time we're going through right now. I'm not surprised by it. And yeah, it puts a little smile on my face."

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