Johnny Manziel is back with the Cleveland Browns, but is certainly not guaranteed anything despite his apology to the fan base. General manager Ray Farmer has maintained the stance that the Browns will add another quarterback to the rotation which could come either by trade or by the draft. With teams getting eliminated from the race for Marcus Mariota, could the Browns be the eventual winners of the former Oregon star?
The Browns have been trying to get the Philadelphia Eagles to help in their pursuit of another quarterback, but that idea continues to get shut down even with the signing of Tim Tebow. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Eagles have signed Tebow to a one-year contract, adding to the rotation of Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley. The contract to Tebow likely ends the idea the Eagles are aiming to trade up for Marcus Mariota while increasing their efforts to deal Barkley.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, head coach Chip Kelly is fielding offers for Barkley which are coming few and far between. The real interest is in Bradford, but the quarterback's agent is making it clear the Browns are not on his wish list. After the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported the Browns offering a first-round pick and Manziel for the quarterback, his agent made it clear that Bradford would not sign a long-term deal with the team if traded. That ended all interest.
With Bradford out of the mix and Barkley not good enough to start, where does Cleveland look for quarterback help? The Plain Dealer reported the Browns have worked out other options like Brett Hundley and Bryce Petty. They could easily be second or third round draft picks for the Browns if they opt to not chase someone in the first round. While both quarterbacks have seen their stock rise in recent weeks, they are no guarantees to start Week 1.
Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer makes the case for the Browns to make the jump for Mariota. Right now, they could be in the best position to do so. The Chicago Bears offer of Jay Cutler is going nowhere. The Jets and Redskins lack the ammunition to get a deal done. Right now the main competition appears to be the San Diego Chargers who are offering Philip Rivers in a deal. With two first-round draft picks at their hands, the door is open for a trade up for Mariota.
Of course there is likely hesitation on Cleveland's end considering Brandon Weeden, Manziel and Brady Quinn were all drafted in the first round with the expectations of being a franchise player and all three did not work out as planned. Most NFL analysts believe Mariota is the real deal and he might be the Browns' only option.