Cleveland Browns: Should They Sit Johnny Manziel in 2015?

Work in progress.

The three-word phrase that has been used for decades to describe National Football League prospects and potential future starting quarterbacks has not always had a negative connotation. There was a time, seemingly not all that long ago, when a 21-year old signal-caller deemed to be a “work in progress” was seen as just that; a quarterback with some skills who was also rough around the edges and thus would require time behind the scenes and on the sidelines before he was ready to be given the keys to his team’s offense.

May 26, 2015; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) during organized team activities at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has been a work in progress since the Browns first began actively scouting him back in September of 2013. That is not a hot take, nor is it an excuse for anything that has happened with the phenom formerly known as “Johnny Football” since Manziel was drafted by the Browns back on May 8 of last year. Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden said as much about Manziel in multiple television hits leading up to the 2014 NFL Draft. That opinion was shared by individuals who work for NFL Network and other outlets.

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The history of the NFL is littered with stories of quarterbacks requiring years – plural – to mature physically, mentally and emotionally before they were ready to be promoted to starting lineups. As former Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville talked about five years ago in a radio interview (documented here by the-Pro Football Talk writer Gregg Rosenthal), Brett Favre was a disaster his one year with the team. Steve Young nearly flopped out of two pro football leagues before he found his feet with the San Francisco 49ers. Heck, Young was 30-years old when he first notched double-digit starts for the Niners in a single season.

So why all the impatience regarding Manziel?

I was admittedly one in the large faction of outsiders last fall crying out for Manziel to take the field in orange and brown during the regular season. Underwhelmed by the lackluster stats being put up by journeyman QB Brian Hoyer as he routinely fell into victories, I wanted to see an injection of life put into the offense of the Browns as the club was chasing its first playoff appearance in over a decade. I, along with others in the same camp, were handed a dose of reality when Manziel flopped in 6-plus quarters of play before his season ended early due to injury.

What we now know about Manziel’s first year in the NFL is known, and what is done and done. Manziel cannot go back to the summer of 2014 and make things right, nor can head coach Mike Pettine and his staff reconsider how they handled the rookie quarterback a year ago. What has happened since January 1, however, is fascinating. With offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and his mates electing to pursue work elsewhere, the Browns and Manziel have been handed a unique opportunity that rarely occurs in the NFL:

All involved have been given a mulligan.

Manziel is not the first case of the Browns sending a quarterback out into the line of fire well before he was ready for the task at hand. Tim Couch never had a chance to succeed with the Browns, being forced to take the field with what could generously be called a Canadian Football League offense. Colt McCoy was physically hung out to dry by former head coach Pat Shurmur. Everything about the Brandon Weeden experiment went wrong for the Browns. History suggests that, with Manziel, it is time for the Browns to embrace a different approach.

Dec 14, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine looks up at the scoreboard during the third quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Bengals beat the Browns 30-0. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Current Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine is doing just that heading into the summer months. Veteran Josh McCown, acquired by the Browns this past offseason, has been given votes of confidence from Pettine throughout the spring. McCown has a better resume than that had by any quarterback on the roster of the Browns a year ago. Unlike the previously mentioned Hoyer, it is assumed that McCown will view the controversial Manziel as a mentee more so than an up-and-coming player looking to take his job.

A painful reality that certain members of the Browns fan base will have to accept is that Cleveland is probably not winning Super Bowl 50 in February. The New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts are all still pretty good. Division rivals such as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens both have Super Bowl champions starting at quarterback. Odds are that the Seattle Seahawks will likely again be in the postseason discussion when you are planning for your holiday shopping sprees.

So what’s the rush with Manziel?

Not even in the days of Tim Tebow featuring for the Denver Broncos has a young quarterback been so polarizing among local media members and fans. Everything Manziel does, from attending World Wrestling Entertainment events to dropping practice snaps that may or may not have been low depending on the biases had by those doing the “reporting,” makes for Twitter hits, page views and even headlines. That Manziel is in as unique a situation as the NFL has seen in years has not been lost on Pettine, via a recent piece by Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.

The offense of the Browns will likely struggle to put up points this fall regardless of if McCown, Manziel or Connor Shaw is at the quarterback position. That, along with every other factor that is in play, makes playing Manziel in 2015 a risk that brings with it few, if any, rewards. There is no rule, none, that states Manziel has to take a significant snap during the upcoming regular season. His NFL rights will nevertheless be held by the Browns next January and next training camp.

Any and all positive and negative opinions on him aside, here are the known facts about Manziel as he prepares for his second NFL season: Manziel will turn 23-years old in December. He is not, according to current and former teammates and coaches, a distraction inside of the locker room. He is apparently now doing all of the right things as it pertains to preparation. Multiple teammates have, when speaking to reporters, praised Manziel’s physical abilities. His impact on the salary cap (as documented by Spotrac) registers blips on the radar up through the 2017 regular season.

Maybe, just maybe, the best thing for both entities is for Manziel to sit for all of 2015 and for the situation to be reexamined a year from now.

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