Cleveland Browns Training Camp 2016: QB Preview, Part 2

Part 1 of our preview on Cleveland Browns quarterbacks can be found here. We wrap up the position today in part 2, where we look at the other two quarterbacks in camp: Austin Davis and Connor Shaw.

4. AUSTIN DAVIS - BACKUP QUARTERBACK

Austin Davis (#7)

Height: 6-2 | Weight: 221
Age: 27 | Experience: 5 years
College: Southern Mississippi

Note: Made two starts for Cleveland in 2015 ... Signed a two-year extension while Farmer was suspended ... Starting experience from Ram days.

While Ray Farmer was serving a suspension at the beginning of last season, the Browns not only signed Austin Davis, they then extended his contract through 2017. He's set to make less than $4 million over the next two years, but if the team decides to cut him, they'll carry less than $500,000 in dead money.

The signing of Davis last year was an insurance policy in case things went bad with Johnny Manziel. They did end up going bad, but the team opted to sign Robert Griffin III and draft Cody Kessler this offseason. Davis' only real shot at making the roster is if Hue Jackson prefers Davis' youth to Josh McCown being at the end of his NFL career as a backup.

Would Davis be a good backup for Griffin? Last year, Davis had a game-tying touchdown pass against the Ravens in prime time that should have assisted in a Cleveland win (Baltimore later blocked the Browns' game-winning field goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown). Davis started the following week and Cleveland was killed 37-3 by the Bengals, but it wasn't a terrible performance by Davis. Davis got one more start -- in Week 17 against the Steelers -- where he played awful. In terms of talent, he looked leaps and bounds behind McCown, and I don't expect that to change at camp unless the team just wants to move on from McCown (much like they did with other veterans this offseason).

Final Roster Odds: 19%

5. CONNOR SHAW - PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE

Connor Shaw (#9)

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 210
Age: 24 | Experience: 2 years
College: South Carolina

Note: Missed all of last season after thumb surgery ... Was impressive in small glimpses, but will a new regime afford him the same opportunity?

Last August, Connor Shaw suffered a broken bone in his right thumb, and he wasn't sure how he had broken it.

Although thumb surgery would not keep a player out the duration of the season, for a third-string quarterback, there was zero chance that the Browns were going to keep him on their 53-man roster to let him heal for three months. Instead, they placed him on injured reserved, which in essence treated it like a redshirt second year for Shaw.

Shaw was an undrafted free agent quarterback who the team signed in 2014. He had a great senior year at South Carolina, where he completed 63.4% of his passes with 24 touchdowns and just 1 interception. He started the final game of the 2014 season for the Browns, and although the team lost 20-10 to the Ravens, the No. 1 thing that stood out about Shaw was how prepared he looked. He also brings a good level of mobility to the table. There are too many experienced players ahead of him in camp to win the No. 3 quarterback job, but if he turns heads with his preparation, he could stick around on the practice squad.

Final Roster Odds: 1%

Today's poll asks if only one of these guys could stick around in 2016 (either on the team or the practice squad), who would it be?