The Cleveland Browns are poised to select a quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft and Johnny Manziel is helping them come to that conclusion. There is a lot to be said about Manziel’s improvement and overall development just in the past year is notable and deserving of credit, but where he is currently is as a quarterback, his behavior off the field and the Browns likely positioning in the NFL Draft make it difficult for them to bet their fortunes just on Manziel as the future of the franchise.
ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: Who are the biggest draft busts in NFL history?
Manziel has genuinely improved over the course of 2015. After a 2014 where Manziel was handpicked by the owner, Jimmy Haslam, and dealt with his own demons, he made some important life decisions and put himself on a better path.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
The difference between Manziel in week 2 against the Tennessee Titans and Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals was notable and something on which to build. He is at a point where he is ready to learn by playing, which was not the case after the Tennessee game. Still, Manziel has a lot of work left to do as a quarterback and is not at the point where he has shown enough to be a franchise guy.
The problem for Manziel is when he has had some measure of success at varying point, it is immediately followed up by behavior that puts him right back into question. After showing some progress against the Bengals, albeit in a loss, he went back to Texas and had a party where he is photographed hosting a party with beers in hand and girls on his arm. For most players, this is not necessarily a big deal, but when it comes to Manziel who did go to rehab (presumably although not confirmed to be for alcohol), this is behavior that would suggest he is at the very least engaging in addict-like behavior.
After he was involved in a traffic stop where he had been drinking but was ruled to be sober by police, his former high school coach and mentor expressed concern, saying that alcohol of any kind would be a bad idea. Manziel was not cited and did nothing illegal according to law enforcement but for the Browns, this raises concerns.
No one could expect that any addict would be perfect. There are going to be ups and downs, but for the second time in a couple weeks, Manziel has been caught drinking in public. This does not mean Manziel will not ultimately end up on the right path when it comes to this, but from a pure football standpoint, it is a tall order for a team to say they can safely rely on Manziel to be a consistent leader of a team. Like it or not, there are different expectations and criteria when it comes to being the face of a franchise and the unquestioned leader of the team. In that respect, there are too many obvious concerns with Manziel.
Manziel brings so much charisma and energy to the table that people are moved to root for him to succeed. Every time he makes a big play or strings a drive together, it is intoxicating how easy it is to feel like he can be a good quarterback. As it stands right now, as much as people want him to succeed, he has to match that passion with his own work ethic and desire to be great. As much as everyone wants him to succeed, the only real argument that can go against taking a quarterback in 2016 is because the prospects simply are not good enough or better than what Manziel is and has shown.
This does not mean the Browns do not need to give up on or get rid of Manziel. The best course of action is to keep him and keep developing him with the possibility of being a franchise quarterback in mind. Consistency in his life and a comfort level with the coaching staff may be the best things for him in the long run, both on and off the field. There is value in that for Manziel as well as the Browns. He has talent and is worth keeping. At the very least, he could be a good backup quarterback, but still has upside to get to another level if he can put in the work and avoid personal pitfalls.
This gets to the decision of playing him now. There is nothing wrong with Manziel playing out the rest of the season to see what he can do and head coach Pettine even acknowledged this logic. However, since Pettine arrived, he has also been consistent in saying that he will play the best player. For some, this logic appears to be old fashioned, stilted and out of touch with where Browns are going. It is also easier. Much easier.
The easiest frame work for a coach to work with is playing the best guy. This gets out of nonsense politics, is consistent and understood with players and favoritism is largely taken out of the equation. Simply put, if Pettine just throws Manziel out there even though Josh McCown has been better every step of the way, it opens the door for other positions and that seems to be something Pettine is unwilling to do.
This week against the Steelers, Manziel should start to allow McCown to get the full benefit of his ribs recovering for over three weeks and then they have to reevaluate the situation, which is exactly what Pettine has said.
Nov 5, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) on the sidelines during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati defeated Cleveland 31-10. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
This may also reveal just where the team is with Manziel. They picked him, they like his talent and appreciate what they can do, but they also know he is not there yet and he is battling some real life challenges – challenges he will battle for the rest of his life. The team has likely embraced the reality that nothing Manziel can do the rest of this year is going to change the fact they need to add another other legitimate option at the quarterback position.
In the event that happens, the Browns will have Manziel, a drafted quarterback and either Josh McCown or Austin Davis as their third quarterback. More than likely this would be McCown, since he offers the ability to play well enough and has the ability to act as a mentor – a position he has already embraced with Manziel.
The Browns currently (and hopefully will still have next year) an offensive coordinator rooted in coaching quarterbacks in John DeFilippo as well as a quarterbacks coach players love in Kevin O’Connell.
There might not be a better pair of coaches to be assigned to the task of developing both Manziel and a rookie quarterback for this team, giving the Browns two shots at finding the answer at quarterback. As much as that sounds redundant and they should be focused on one guy, the history of the team since it came back says take as many quality shots as possible.
Depending on which quarterback the Browns pick and where the team feels they are in their development, Manziel could well end up opening the 2016 season as the starter. He is obviously ahead in terms of understanding the offense and if (big if) he embraces a full NFL offseason working to improve his craft, he could really come in and look good heading into 2016. This would allow their rookie to get comfortable with the transition to the NFL as well as the offense, putting that player in the best possible situation to succeed.
The frustration with fans that want to see what Manziel can do is understandable, but the fact of the matter is short of divine intervention, the Browns are in the market for another quarterback.
Next: These were the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history
The reps could be valuable for Manziel and if he plays, hopefully he gets every bit better as a result of them, but if the Browns have made the calculation they are adding another quarterback, there is not a big rush to see him and Pettine’s overall message and approach is more important, especially in light of recent off field events with Manziel. Manziel’s progress is important and worth hoping for but he cannot be the sole hope for the quarterback position in 2016.
Add us as a preferred source on Google