Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine told general manager Ray Farmer that he needed to find the team a starting quarterback. For the second straight season, the quarterback spot is making headlines for the Browns. Entering 2015, the team really only has Johnny Manziel who is currently undergoing treatment in a rehab facility. The Browns appear to be taking their time making a decision of the best direction to go at the spot which could force Brian Hoyer to head elsewhere.
It would be simply for the Cleveland Browns to just re-sign Hoyer to a new contract and allow him to enter the 2015 season as the starter. It would give Manziel or any other young quarterback a chance to develop and potentially take over in a season or two. According to ESPN Analyst Todd McShay, the Browns would be very wise to just re-sign Hoyer for the next few years instead of letting the quarterback walk into the open market where a number of teams will be interested.
When discussing the quarterback situation for the Browns, McShay was uncertain if the team was planning to trade up for Marcus Mariota or move on with Manziel and third-stringer Connor Shaw. The draft expect believes Hoyer is really the best option for at least the short-term since no one knows exactly what Manziel will look like after his brief stint on the field in 2014.
"Your guess is as good as mine," the ESPN analyst said when asked what the Browns should do if they don't trade up for a quarterback. "I love Connor Shaw. He has the chance to develop into a good backup, but he's not the answer. I would probably bring Brian Hoyer back. At least you know you can compete with Hoyer even though there's a ceiling for what he can do. I would try to bring him back and get better all around that quarterback position."
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, contract talks with Hoyer have yet to begin with the Browns. Fowler reports that Hoyer and Farmer want to have a face-to-face talk about the ongoing texting scandal the Browns are facing before negotiations for an extension pick back up with the quarterback. Hoyer has certainly said he would listen to Cleveland about a potential return to the team in 2015, but would not guarantee anything at the time. Right now, the Browns might have a better shot at trading up for Marcus Mariota than they do at re-signing Hoyer.