The Cleveland Browns are expected to trade former starting quarterback Josh McCown after they agreed to a deal with free-agent quarterback Robert Griffin III.
While the Browns have yet to formally shop McCown, multiple reports indicated that that the New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers could express interest in acquiring the veteran QB.
The New York Jets are continuously being linked to McCown, as they are aching to solve their quarterback issues. According to ESPN, the Jets could make a strong push to bring McCown to the Big Apple if they fail to strike a deal with Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jets reportedly met with McCown before acquiring Fitzpatrick in a trade last year.
The Los Angeles Rams were also mentioned as a possible destination for the 36-year-old quarterback. The Rams have already named Case Keenum as their starting quarterback, but NBC Sports revealed that Los Angeles will not close their doors for a possible deal with McCown to give Keenum a strong competition.
Aside from the Rams, the Broncos could also reach out to the Browns about a possible trade. The Broncos found themselves in a tough situation after Peyton Manning announced his retirement and Brock Osweiler signed with the Houston Texans just a month after winning the Super Bowl.
The Broncos have already struck a deal with a Philadelphia Eagles for Mark Sanchez, but the NBC Sports report suggested that McCown could easily beat Sanchez in the race for the No. 1 quarterback spot in Denver.
On the other hand, Yardbarker reported that the San Francisco 49ers could eventually join the race to acquire McCown from the Browns. The 49ers could look for a new quarterback if they successfully find a taker for Colin Kaepernick, who is reportedly on trading block after his representatives informed the team of his desire to leave.
But while there are several teams who could reach out to the Browns about a trade for McCown, it is also worth noting that they could play the waiting game. There is a chance the Browns will just release McCown later in the offseason, giving interested teams the opportunity to sign the veteran without giving up any assets to Cleveland.
McCown, who will be playing in his 12th NFL season this year, played eight games for the Browns last season, tallying 2,109 passing yards for 12 touchdowns before undergoing a season-ending surgery to repair a broke collarbone.
