The Cleveland Browns have set up their quarterback situation with Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell, as the team sent backup Colt McCoy to the San Francisco 49ers for a number of draft picks, ending a few weeks of speculation about a possible deal.
According to ESPN.com, sources spoke to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and said the Cleveland Browns agreed to a trade sending Colt McCoy and their sixth round draft pick to the 49ers for San Francisco's fifth and seventh round draft picks. The news was first reported by CBSSports.com and later confirmed to ESPN.
McCoy had been mentioned in rumors over the past week after the Browns signed Jason Campbell as a free agent, making McCoy expendable after making 21 starts for Cleveland over the past three seasons after being drafted out of Texas. Owner Jimmy Haslam said during the offseason that he planned on bringing in some competition for Weeden, who was a rookie last season and Campbell was the competition.
McCoy was originally a third round pick and the 49ers needed a backup quarterback after sending Alex Smith to the Chiefs earlier in the offseason. McCoy started 13 games for the Browns during his second season after playing in eight as a rookie. McCoy had concussion issues at the end of last season and there was some controversy after he took a vicious hit and stayed in the game. The hit was also notable because it was the first time a player was suspended for a hit under the new rules, with James Harrison being forced to sit out one game.
During his three years with the Browns, McCoy went 6-15 while throwing for over 4,300 yards and 21 touchdowns. He will now join Colin Kaepernick and Scott Tolzien on the 49ers roster at quarterback. The move doesn't change much on the free agent market, although there may have been a couple other teams looking at McCoy as a backup option, including the Saints, Chargers and Buccaneers.
McCoy will now have the chance to contend for a Super Bowl and the teams basically switched around some high picks, as the 49ers now add the 173rd pick and the quarterback for the 164th and 227th overall picks. McCoy's best season came in 2011 when he started 13 games and threw for 2,733 yards and 14 touchdowns. His contract will pay $2.325 million in 2013 and now the 49ers will have 13 draft picks entering the NFL Draft in late April.
It's also one less spot for Tim Tebow to go and now there are very few options for the Jets as they try to trade him in the future.
