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Thursday, August 14
 
Davis to name his starting QB by Monday

ESPN.com news services

Will it be Tim Couch, the former No. 1 pick, or Kelly Holcomb, the career journeyman? Not even Cleveland Browns head coach Butch Davis knows right now -- but he will by Monday.

Kelly Holcomb
Holcomb

Tim Couch
Couch

Davis will announce his starting quarterback either Sunday or Monday, when the Browns return to practice after Friday night's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Thursday. "It'll come when we get ready to start practice next week, when we get ready to take the field Sunday or Monday," Davis said to the paper. "Whenever our first practice is, we'll have a decision."

Holcomb will start the game against Green Bay and Couch will replace him sometime in the first half, with both players done by halftime, according to the paper. Davis told the paper that he is still undecided, but that Friday's game will not make or break either player's chances.

Couch told the paper Wednesday that the decision will be the defining moment of his career with the Browns.

"I think so, absolutely," he said. "It will determine if I'm going to be here for a long time or not. It will be tough if I'm not the guy, but I'll support Kelly and be the best backup I can be."

Although Browns president Carmen Policy said Wednesday that both Couch and Holcomb will remain with the team this season, Couch acknowledged that one of them probably will be gone after this year.

"I'd say it's a pretty high possibility, but this year is what we're really focusing on," he said to the paper. "We want to make the best of this year and at the end of the year, I'm sure something is going to happen with one of us. But we just want to try and block that out ... and get through this season."

Couch's salary cap number is $7.86 million for this season and it jumps to $9.26 million next year, making a move almost a certainty if he is not the Browns starter.




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