Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy (12) is sacked by Chicago Bears linebacker Xavier Adibiin during a preseason game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Eric P. Mull-USPRESSWIRE

Greg Rosenthal of NFL.com reported earlier this evening that though the Browns have signed Jason Campbell there isn’t any plan by the Browns to cut or trade quarterback Colt McCoy. 

Twitter came alive earlier tonight with speculation that the Packers would be interested in the services of McCoy – that will be on hold … for now.

Here’s what I wrote about the situation earlier today …

Remember way back when – well, it wasn’t really that long ago, it was last season – when the Green Bay Packers seemed hot on the trail of Cleveland Browns backup quarterback Colt McCoy?

Well, don’t look again, but the talk about McCoy joining the Packers has risen again. When the Browns added Jason Campbell to their roster, McCoy again looks to be the odd man out.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

But going back to the summer of 2012 – it was when the Packers had lost backup quarterback Matt Flynn to the Seahawks and their recently promoted second string QB Graham Harrell was playing like crap. It was an August night – Aug. 16, to be exact - at Lambeau Field when the Cleveland Browns came to town and embarrassed the Packers 35-10. Many expected McCoy to walk across the field to the Packers’ sideline and don a Green Bay uniform.

Though it was Brandon Weeden who did most of the damage for the Browns that night, going 12-for-20, for 118 yards to lead the Browns to a win, McCoy played, completing 4-of-6 passes for 58 yards – certainly not something to write home about, but better than Harrell, who played most of the game. Harrell went 12-of-24 for just 100 yards and threw two interceptions on the night. The fans were wary, to say the least. How could they keep Harrell on the roster when they could possibly trade for someone like McCoy, who had some starts under his belt and would certainly be a better backup to Packers QB Aaron Rodgers than the unknown Harrell.

Flash forward to today when the news out of Cleveland was that McCoy was soon to be released. Already this afternoon, there has been Twitter chatter about Green Bay as a landing zone for McCoy.

Graham Harrell.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Unless the Packers can bring him in on the cheap to utilize for competition purposes and to push Harrell and third-stringer B.J. Coleman, they should probably do like they’ve done with every other free agent they’ve been linked to … walk away.

In his fourth season, McCoy has completed 409 passes in 702 attempts for 4,488 yards. That’s a 58.3 percent completion rate and 74.8 quarterback rating. Certainly not starting material, but OK for a backup.

At least he has some statistics in which to evaluate him in a superficial way – unlike Harrell. Thankfully Harrell hasn’t had to play, except for that disastrous one play last year when he came on the field for one play against the Saints when Rodgers was poked in the eye and had to leave the game.

We all know what happened – Harrell tripped over a lineman’s foot attempting to hand off on a running play from the one yard line. The exchange was botched, the Saints recovered and the Packers nearly lost the game. Had Rodgers not been able to come back in, that game could have turned ugly in a hurry.

So, the question about whether the Packers should go after McCoy, especially in light of Harrell’s downside, won’t be answered by anyone other than Ted Thompson.

My guess he will pass – but I’ve been wrong before.

Stay tuned.

Aug 16, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Adonis Thomas (35) loses his helmet after getting tackled by Green Bay Packers cornerback Brandian Ross (39) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … 

That’s what we have to keep repeating.

It doesn’t count in the record books and thank God that’s the reality. But we still have to look at the 35-10 shellacking the Packers took from the Cleveland Browns Thursday night as disconcerting.

It is only the second time the Packers have started 0-2 in preseason during the Mike McCarthy regime … it’s very uncharacteristic for a McCarthy-coached team to look this bad.

Yeah, you can point to the injuries; you can point to the fact that most of the game was played by second-, third- and fourth-stringers; you can point to the fact that everyone made a mistake in this one – even McCarthy who was flagged 15 yards for throwing the challenge flag at the wrong time.

Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) celebrates. Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Aside from the Aaron Rodgers-to-Jordy-Nelson connection for a touchdown in the first quarter, there wasn’t a whole lot to shout about. Though it’s a loss, again, it doesn’t count.

What we should be worried about is that it was a loss to the Cleveland Browns – yes, that same Browns team that has stunk up the league for the past decade. The question we must ask this morning is this: Are the Browns that good or are the Packers sinking to Cleveland’s level of badness?

What’s going to happen when the Packers play a really good team, like next week against the Bengals? Or when they open the season against the 49ers and then have to host the Bears?

Well, here are a few initial thoughts I’ve had this morning as I feel bad:

• Graham Harrell isn’t an NFL quarterback and Ted Thompson should have Mike Holmgren and Colt McCoy on speed dial;

• The running game, especially Alex Green, didn’t look all that bad last night;

• D.J. Smith is going to be an unsung hero for the Packers this year;

• Jordy Nelson is going to again lead the Packers in receiving this year;

• The second string offensive line is just that – offensive;

• The young players the Packers have in the secondary are energetic, talented and getting ready for prime time. However, they are very green;

• I can’t wait to see what Cedric Benson can do in this offense;

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb had a rough night.Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

• Randall Cobb isn’t standing out like everyone said he would be and his fumble in the first quarter was inexcusable;

• Charles Woodson is again going to be a huge factor for the defense;

• Where was Nick Perry?; and

Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason …

Aug 11, 2011; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterbacks Graham Harrell (6) and Aaron Rodgers (12) during training camp practice at Ray Nitschke Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

For the past couple of seasons, the Packers have had the luxury of having a backup quarterback who, if needed, could come into a game and play like the team has not lost a beat.

Now, with Matt Flynn in Seattle competing for a starting position, the Packers have to figure out who will back up Aaron Rodgers in case of injury.

The most likely candidate is unproven quarterback Graham Harrell. In college, he was on a pass-happy offense that revolved around him. Though he had insane passing yard and touchdown numbers, the argument has always been made that it was because of the type of offense being run at the school. There have been other quarterbacks who have come from pass happy offenses like Texas Tech or Houston that have never made a mark in the NFL and many believe Graham Harrell is just another product of an air attack offense in which any quarterback could succeed.

As a result of all these critics, Harrell was undrafted when first pursuing an NFL career and nobody even bothered to sign his as an undrafted free agent. With no takers in the NFL, he went to the Canadian Football League and signed a contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2009. With little success there, he was released in 2010. Shortly afterward, The Packers signed him to the practice squad as an emergency quarterback in case Rodgers and Flynn both went down with injuries.

He has seen zero playing time in a regular season NFL game so far but 2012 could be his season to finally earn redemption. With the Packers making no major moves involving bringing in a proven backup quarterback, Harrell is poised to take over that role which was left vacant by Matt Flynn’s departure earlier this year. In a recent interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Harrell talked about the real possibility of taking control of an NFL offense this season if Rodgers was injured.

“As a quarterback, you better be confident in yourself and believe in yourself.” Harrell said. “I believe in myself. We have a great support staff and a great group of people in Green Bay. They get quarterbacks ready to play and train quarterbacks. I’ve learned from some of the best in the business.”

It was rumored that the Packers, during the 2012 NFL Draft, were considering making a move for Browns’ quarterback, Colt McCoy. The move was never completed but it is still believed that the Packers may eventually try and bring in a veteran to back up Rodgers.

Harrell will have all of training camp to prove himself, however, and maybe he can finally prove people wrong and play at an efficient level in the NFL.

Trade talks swirling about James Jones should come to an end. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

The rumors that Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver James Jones is going to be traded just keep on swirling. The latest non-story came Sunday via profootballtalk.com when they reiterated the Cleveland Browns were not interested in trading for Jones, who is in the second year of a three-year pact he signed last just prior to the start of last season’s training camp after nobody showed interest in him during free agency.

So, why would the Browns be any different? Though the bait for Jones would be quarterback Colt McCoy, one must consider the other side of the table in this potential deal. The Packers have no interest in McCoy and a trade of Jones for McCoy would be a lopsided toward Cleveland. They would be getting a receiver who is listed as fourth on the team’s depth chart – a player who caught 38 balls for nearly 635 yards. As a member of the Browns, he would become a star, but the Packers are not in need of another quarterback.

They think they have a pretty good backup quarterback in Graham Harrell and spent a seventh round pick in the most recent draft for B.J. Coleman. If they didn’t have confidence in Harrell’s abilities, they would have made a trade with the Browns during the draft.

So, let the rumors continue to swirl. Jones will continue to contribute as a member of one of the deepest receiving corps in the entire National Football League. There will be no trade anytime soon … and it certainly won’t be to Cleveland for Colt McCoy.