CLEVELAND -- Browns new quarterback Josh McCown knows he's venturing into Brian Hoyer territory and that folks here can't understand why the Browns signed a quarterback who went 1-10 last when they have one of the roster who went 10-6 the last two seasons.

But he also knows that his woeful 2014 season in Tampa Bay was an aberration and that hopefully Browns fans will see more of the 2013 version of McCown who went 3-2 in Chicago while throwing 13 touchdown passes and only one interception than the one who struggled to pull the Bucs out of their slump last season.

He's also grateful to be coming to a place where fans care enough to wholeheartedly support the hometown guy and be angry when they feel he's being cast aside.

"I get it,'' McCown told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "I understand people's perceptions of me. I don't back off it or shy away from (the 1-10 mark in 2014). I understand people's frustration. But my mindset is to come in here, grow and improve as a football player, and help this team win football games.

"When I've been able to operate in a system that's organized and been around for awhile like I did in 2013 with the Bears, I've been able to play at a high level.''

Judging by McCown's contract, it's evident the Browns are counting on him to be more than just a mentor to Johnny Manziel. His three-year deal worth $14 million, including $6.25 million fully guaranteed, is commensurate with other "bridge'' quarterbacks who are paid to come in and start until a team finds its quarterback of the future. He'll make a guaranteed $5.25 million in 2015, with a chance to earn $2 million more per year with play-time incentives and if the Browns reach the playoffs.

His signing also effectively spells the end of Hoyer in Cleveland, and McCown appreciates the loyalty Hoyer has from Browns fans. Hoyer will likely sign with another team soon after he becomes a free agent March 10.



"I met Brian a few years ago at a workout for the Giants and I was impressed with him and I've rooted for him from afar especially with what he went through a couple of years ago with the knee and to come back this year,'' McCown said. "I love stories like that. It's awesome. I'm a fan of Brian and I his work ethic. It's been a great story of him playing right there in his hometown. Trust me, Growing up in Texas, I had dreams of playing for the Dallas Cowboys, so I can appreciate that 100%, and I don't take anything away from anybody who's thrown their support behind Brian.



"Whatever happens with Brian, I wish him well, but I certainly understand the loyalty to a hometown guy who's done the things that he's done and had a role in last year. So I get it, and that's why I'm excited about coming to the city because the get behind people and support the guys. And all I've heard over and over is how much that city loves the Browns, so it's exciting to come to a place like that. I'm looking forward to experiencing it.''

McCown, 35, also enthusiastically embraces the opportunity to mentor Manziel, Connor Shaw or any young quarterback the Browns bring in. His signing doesn't preclude the Browns from signing another veteran or trying to trade up for a Marcus Mariota.

"It's always my mindset with any room that I go into as a quarterback, especially at this point in my career, just to help those guys that are in that room to be better, because it helps our team to be better,'' he said. "I'll give them the knowledge I have to help equip them. Obviously whatever the expectation is for Johnny or Connor, I just want them to know I'm there and to be able to help them any way I can. That's the main thing.''

McCown admires the approach the Browns are taking with their No. 22 overall pick, who's currently in a rehab facility for possible alcohol and substance abuse issues.

"It was one of the things that impressed me about the Browns,'' said McCown, who also had offers from the Bills, Bears and Jets. "They care about Johnny getting healthy and getting better and that was their main focus. It didn't seem like they were too inclined to talk about where he's at football-wise right now because their focus -- and rightly-so -- is on Johnny being healthy.

"Our conversations were about what I can bring to the table and how I can help us. In regards to Johnny, it was more, 'we'll adjust the playing side of things when that day comes, but let's just make sure he's healthy.'''

McCown relishes the opportunity to try help Manziel reach his potential when he's back with the team.

"I know the team and Johnny's people are putting the best people around him,'' said McCown. "All I know is that when we work together, I want to help him grow as a football player and along this journey, whatever vocation you're in, if you're able to share some of your experiences and things to help somebody along their way and make their time at work better and hopefully consequently make their life better than it's a good thing. You can draw a lot peace from that.''

McCown met Manziel last year when he made a pre-draft visit to Tampa.

"We shook hands and kind of talked a little and I'm looking forward to getting to know him more and be a resource if I can be for him,'' he said. "We're both from Texas and my older brother (Randy) played at Texas A&M, so there's some common ground there and I just spent a year playing with his college receiver in Mike Evans, so we've got some commonalities there. It helps you when you're getting to know somebody to find some common ground to work from and as we get to know each other, we'll still work to earn each other's trust and move forward accordingly.''

McCown said he gained valuable insight into Manziel from Evans, who was Manziel's top target and best friend at A&M.

"Yeah, the times we talked throughout the year, Mike loved him,'' said McCown. "You can tell there's a sincere friendship there and brotherhood there for what they were able to accomplish at Texas A&M. It gives you a glimpse into who a guy is when you see how his close friends talk about him or how they feel about him. I saw how much he appreciated Johnny and rooted for him when he started to play last year. It speaks well of Johnny and it was fun to get to know Mike and get to know their connection at Texas A&M.''

McCown, who's gone 17-32 in his career, explained that his season unraveled last year in Tampa when then new offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford left the team for good in September after undergoing a coronary angioplasty. Tedford came to the Bucs from Cal, where he was head coach, and brought quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo with him from the college ranks. When Tedford left, Arroyo was thrust into the role of interim coordinator, and the offense never recovered.

"I understand it's a results-based business first and foremost,'' said McCown. "It's different than every other position. Last year, we went through a rare thing where we lost our offensive coordinator a week before the season and we were battling to kind of pull those pieces and find out who we are and become a good offense in the midst of that. The deficiencies we had on offense kind of stuck out because of the lack of cohesion.

"I just know in that situation, with losing our coordinator, I wasn't good enough to pull us out of that, I just wasn't,'' he said. "I would never shy away from it. (10-1) is what it is and I hate when I see it. Only a few guys can (pull a team out of that). I know who I am. I understand that. I know what fits me best is to play in a system that's tight and organized and well-planned and put together. ....They were coming from college into their first opportunities in the NFL and it was a tough card to be dealt for Marcus. he's a fantastic young coach. It was his first job in the NFL and then he had the deck stacked against him a little bit.''

That's why McCown is excited to work with new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and quarterbacks coach Kevin O'Connell. He played for "Flip'' in 2007 in Oakland and knows how meticulous he is.

"I think just Flip's NFL experience alone will carry so much value for me and I think give me a better opportunity to recapture what happened in 2013 in Chicago,'' said McCown. "Once you spend a year with somebody, you really get to know him. It was great for me on my visit because I'm familiar with some of the terminology and it made me more excited.

"I'm going to really enjoy as we go through this offseason together and see the system that Flip's putting together. i'll enjoy learning it with the guys and making it our own. When you start to build it and tweak it and really bend it to your players and the players embrace it and it becomes their own, that's what gets really really fun and that's what I'm looking forward to.''

McCown said he was convinced he was going to Buffalo before spending last Tuesday and Wednesday with the Browns.

"As we moved through this process it was really apparent to me that Cleveland was where we're supposed to be, what I felt in my gut and the comfort level I have with Flip from before and after I met Mike (Pettine) and met and talked with Mr. (Jimmy) Haslam, and met Kevin O'Connell, there were good connections across the board with those people and I felt like they're closer than people think and I think in the end the connection with those people and the comfort I had with coach Pettine is really what made the difference.''

He said he didn't sense any of the dysfunction during his visit with the Browns that he had heard about beforehand.



"I don't get what everybody's talking,'' he said. "After talking to Mr. Haslam, I really feel he is bent on trying to figure out how to make this team a winner. I was really impressed with him. I've been in dysfunctional buildings and I did not get that.''



McCown said at the age of 35, he still feels he has the ability to make plays with his arms and feet, and also has 12 years' experience reading and studying defenses. He also said the Browns understand the need to play great defense and run the football when you're still in the mode of finding your quarterback of the future.



"I want to play smart football and one of things that excites me about coming here and was certainly a big factor in my decision was guys like (Alex) Mack and (Joel) Bitonio and (Joe) Thomas, that left side especially,'' he said. "To play with guys like that, as a quarterback it's very inviting, and you feel good about the protection they're going to provide for you and more importantly the run game that we're going to be able to establish and the mindset that coach Pettine has with running the football.

"That's what they can expect from me, once we get Flip's system up and running, that I can manage a system, that I can get us in and out of the plays and take care of us at the line of scrimmage and give us a chance to be in the best play possible. We'll run the football, but if they have to take that away, hopefully I'll be able to attack a defense with the passing game and things we can do outside. That's what i hope to bring to the table.''

McCown has already received the blessing of his younger brother Luke, now a backup quarterback with the Saints, who was drafted by the Browns in the fourth round of 2004, and went 0-4 that year.

"He was one of the first ones to say, 'man if you get it going, those fans are going to be behind you 100%, they love football,'' said McCown. "He couldn't say enough good things about it and he was really excited and supportive.''

Now, if McCown can just get the fans feeling the same way.