Cleveland Browns: Johnny Manziel is not the future
The Cleveland Browns drafted Johnny Manziel last season with incredibly high hopes. Unfortunately for them, things did not pan out the way many fans had hoped. Out of all the rookie quarterbacks in the league last season, Manziel is the absolute worst of the bunch. A player more concerned with his off field image then his production on the field, makes one massive headache for Cleveland. News flash Browns fans, Manziel is not the future for your organization.
Cleveland thought Brian Hoyer would never match up with Manziel going into last season, especially with how explosive Manziel was during his days at Texas A & M. It does not take a NFL expert to tell you that life in college is 100 times different from in the NFL. Manziel went into Cleveland believing he could create the same atmosphere that Lebron James did for the city.
Manziel did create a buzz around town, no doubt about that. Unfortunately for him, he created the wrong kinds of press for the Browns and their already struggling organization.
On the field, Cleveland saw Hoyer win the starting job going into last season and perform at a surprisingly high level. Hoyer went 3-2 during his first five starts for the Browns. On top of that, he only threw one interception and seven touchdowns. Cleveland looked surprisingly good and critics started saying the P-word, playoffs.
Unfortunately, Hoyer did not have all the answers for Cleveland and it gave way to Manziel-mania. Johnny Football got his chance to show that he was ready to be Cleveland’s savior and lead them to playoff glory. Then everyone in Ohio collectively woke up from their daydream and realized that Manziel just was not good enough to lead the team to victory.
So what exactly is next for Manziel? With Cleveland looking to secure Hoyer as their starting quarterback going into next season, Manziel looks like he is going to keep the bench warm, unless he gets traded. Despite rumors of Manziel possibly getting traded to the Dallas Cowboys or New York Jets, it seems he has at least one more season in Cleveland.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are committed to giving Manziel a chance at winning the starting job next season, but the team holds two first round draft picks, 12th and 19th, and might use one to draft another quarterback.
The Browns have one of the worst histories at the quarterback position. Manziel looked to be the answer, but barring a massive change next season, the Browns need to start considering long-term options instead of short-term, get a few wins quick option.
Manziel, look man, you have talent, but until you figure out what exactly you want to do with your life, there are some major life choices you need to figure out. Cleveland has been through to much pain and suffering over the past 10-15 years.
My advice, either invest in Hoyer long-term or try the free agent market to find the solution. There are enough players available, both young and old, that would help the Browns get to a higher place than their 7-9 season in 2014.