The belle of the ball at Saturday's ? .Coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer heaped high praise on the veteran quarterback who appears all but locked in as the team's Week 1 starter. and the right guy to have on this team," Farmer said, pointing to McCown's mentorship of the roster's younger players, per Daryl Ruiter of WKRK-FM. said Pettine, saying that McCown "can still play if we put him in the right circumstances."Until the pinpoint their under center, Pettine argued Patrick Fields Jersey , "I don't think you can do better than . Time will tell."The are hoping that McCown can return to the form he showed in 2013, when the former pa ser torched defenses with 13 touchdowns to just one interception during a five-start explosion. None of that handiwork translated to Tampa, where McCown was a sinking ship behind one of the NFL's worst offensive lines in 2014.Cleveland, though, has been clear about their intentions: They plan to pound the ball behind a talented front five, asking McCown to manage a run-heavy offense with mistake-free play through the air. 's Gregg Rosenthal isn't buying it, citing the as owning the league-wide.The true takeaway from Saturday's McCown love-in has more to do with . It's obvious that the second-year pa ser needs to set the earth on fire in preseason action to have any shot of besting McCown. After last year's up-and-down act under center, the -- especially Pettine -- seem married to handing the show over to a hard-working veteran.That doesn't make McCown a savior. He's far from it, leaving the in a very familiar situation at the position. The roster has improved and gained depth, but playing around your quarterback is a dangerous game in today's NFL.Still, Pettine remains uncowed, saying Saturday: The latest Podcast and who are the NFL's most valuable non-QBs. Find more content on . Grayson Linde Jersey