Many of us grew up in a dark time for entertainment. There was once an era where “on-demand” and “streaming” were unknown phrases in media. This was a time where you couldn’t Google anything you wanted and purchase it from your massaging, heated beanbag chair with one click on your laptop -– which is being fed through a high-speed internet network into your flatscreen television. If you wanted a movie, you wouldn’t find it on Netflix; you’d go down to the video store and check the shelves. If they didn’t have Terminator 2 in right then, you’d either wait or select the least-terrible option.

Kids these days have it so easy.

This “barren Blockbuster effect” is what the Cleveland Browns are facing in their search for a quarterback to lead them through the 2015 season. Without a true summer hit to play, they find themselves staring at a choice between the worn and static-riddled draft profile on NFL.com touts him as having “Fine touch and accuracy. Very good mobility and movement in the pocket. Tough and gritty competitor.” I would be more interested to see Shaw earn a chance to start than to see the same old, same old out of the veteran washup McCown.

Then we arrive at the wildcard: 2014 first-round draft pick Johnny Manziel, who I still believe has loads of talent, despite an atrocious first 38 drop backs in his career. His passing numbers were awful last season, but we do forget that Manziel didn’t know the playbook at all in 2014. That’s a scary notion, but I don’t think last year’s version of Manziel is the only one we’ll ever know. He has outrageous athletic upside and physical prowess if he gets his mind right. He has by far the highest upside on the team, and certainly the lowest floor.

Late Fee

With all of this said, the Browns do need to have an open competition for quarterbacks when training camp rolls around. They have three unknown quantities on their roster with varying degrees of talent that could –- and really should -– be better than their veteran “starter” ever has been and ever will be. I still believe Manziel is this team’s long-term starter, but even Shaw or Lewis offer more short-term upside than McCown. Some may say this is an example of "we just don't know they're terrible yet", and I would agree. We don't know if any of the three backups are certifiably awful; we do know for certain that McCown is.

Will the Browns have the courage to put in an indie art film and see where it takes them, or will they balk and rent a nature documentary yet again? Only time will tell.