Vince Young signs with Cleveland Browns; roster spot still uncertain

Vince Young on Thursday signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Browns, but as the once-heralded quarterback should know, that doesn’t mean he’ll make the 53-man roster.

Young has also signed one-year deals with the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers in each of the last two years, and was cut by both before the regular season began.

“I thought for a while there that the door was going to close, but now that opportunity has opened back up,” Young said. “It’s time to take advantage of it.”

In Cleveland, Young joins a growing stable of quarterbacks that includes Tyler Thigpen, who was also signed Thursday, second-year pro Alex Tanney and incumbent starter Brian Hoyer.

“Until someone tells me otherwise, I think I’m the starter for this team,” Hoyer recently told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Young was highly touted coming out of Texas and was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. He went to two Pro Bowls while with Tennessee -- the first time in his rookie year, as an alternate for San Diego’s Philip Rivers.

That success didn’t last and he was released before the 2011 season began, after the Titans drafted Jake Locker.

He joined the Eagles’ 2011 campaign, appearing in seven games and making three starts after infamously declaring Philadelphia the “Dream Team.”

The Eagles responded with a disappointing 8-8 record. Young hasn’t thrown a pass during an NFL game since.

The Browns have two first-round picks in next week’s draft, in which some experts have Cleveland selecting another quarterback.

That’s more competition for Young, who’s already been named comeback player of the year once in his career (2009), though he’d probably settle for a roster spot when the regular season begins this time around.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.