After alternating snaps on the field Tuesday, Brandon Weeden and Colt McCoy spoke with reporters about a quarterback competition that's already dominating headlines for the Cleveland Browns.

"I have to earn that job," Weeden told John Telich of WJW-TV. "They are not going to give me the job because of where they took me."

Many feel that is exactly what will happen. The strong-armed, 28-year-old rookie has put McCoy's starting status on ice. McCoy seems to understand the odds, hinting at a tilted struggle:

"If it's a fair competition, then that's all you can ask for," McCoy said.

McCoy downplayed reports the team promised him they wouldn't draft a quarterback in the first round, saying he wouldn't drift into a "he said, she said" here in the offseason. McCoy confirmed the Browns called him after picking Weeden at No. 22 and told him he would have a chance to win the starting job.

"It is what it is. I just have to go out and compete. The offseason's been really good. I've made strides," McCoy said,adding that he's felt no lingering effects of the concussion that ended his 2011 season.

Tony Grossi, who's covered the Browns since Ronald Reagan ran the nation, summed it up this way: