The addition of Josh McCown in Cleveland is a clear indication that the Browns have yet to give up on Johnny Manziel.
The dictionary definition of a "bridge quarterback," McCown was lauded by general manager Ray Farmer as a "great guy in the locker room" who "will be great for the quarterback room."
Still tucked away in rehab, Manziel remains a comprehensive question mark for the Browns. Bringing in a grizzled veteran, though, has everything to do with giving last year's first-round pick an example to follow under center.
McCown told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Friday that he plans to embrace the role of mentoring Johnny.
"Just life in general is too short to go through it alone or just looking out for yourself all the time," McCown said, per ESPN.com. "So if you can give up yourself to others to help someone else in their journey, I just think you'll find so much more peace in life. So that's my approach when I head into a quarterback room. It's just what can I give back to the guys around me to help us be better? Because ultimately it's going to help our team.
"Johnny is a person, and every person that I come across has value to me and they matter, and so I want to help him as much as I can with all parts of it, but to grow as a person and as a player and to help him go on and have a fruitful career."
We'd view Manziel differently had Cleveland swung a trade for Sam Bradford or -- as we expected -- Mike Glennon. Instead, the Browns have imported a 35-year-old signal-caller nearing the end of his playing days.
It's a strong sign the team still believes Johnny can make something out of a career that currently floats upon troubled waters.
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