Austin Davis, Browns Agree to New Contract: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

While Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel continue to be the subject of a full-blown quarterback controversy, the Cleveland Browns addressed a third signal-caller Wednesday by signing Austin Davis to a contract extension.

According to ESPN's Field Yates, the Browns signed the 26-year-old reserve to a two-year, $4.173 million extension through the 2017 season. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com later confirmed the report.

Cleveland signed Davis just prior to the start of the 2015 season, and although he is buried behind McCown and Johnny Football on the depth chart, the organization clearly likes what it has seen out of the former Southern Mississippi standout thus far.

Davis showed some flashes last season for the St. Louis Rams, as he went 3-5 in eight starts and threw for 2,001 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was especially impressive in a 375-yard, three-touchdown effort against the Philadelphia Eagles.

St. Louis decided to move on from Davis after acquiring Nick Foles, but it didn't take him long to land with a Browns team that has a messy quarterback situation, to say the least.

Head coach Mike Pettine has stuck with McCown as the starter despite Manziel winning in his absence in Week 2 and reports of players wanting Johnny Football at the helm, per TMZ.

Signing Davis to a deal that pays him more than $2 million per year might cause some to think that the Browns aren't married to the 36-year-old McCown moving forward, although he is signed through the 2017 season, as is Manziel.

Davis may very well just be an insurance policy in case of injury or if one or both of McCown and Manziel can't cut it. Even so, Bleacher Report's Ben Axelrod can see the Browns utilizing him as a starter in the near future due to their apparent affinity for journeyman signal-callers:

Manziel has been passed up as the starter in favor of Brian Hoyer and McCown over the past two seasons, and although no indication has been given that Pettine intends to move Davis past him on the depth chart, it is extremely difficult to predict what the Browns will do with their quarterbacks from one week to the next.

Signing a No. 3 quarterback to a multiyear extension can only be described as a bizarre and uncommon move, but if the Browns feel strongly about what Davis brings to the table, then he could be a cheaper alternative to McCown should Cleveland choose to part ways with him after the 2015 campaign.

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