The Cleveland Browns are hoping that Johnny Manziel can improve behind Josh McCown this season and the quarterback is coming into training camp after working with Jon Gruden this summer and this comes as the Browns will likely have Isaiah Crowell as the starter at running back ahead of Duke Johnson, Terrance West and Glenn Winston on the depth chart.
The Browns finished in last place in the AFC North again and they were the only team in the division to not make the playoffs. Brian Hoyer opened the season as the starter and went 7-4 to put the team in the hunt, but they faltered down the stretch and now Hoyer is in Houston and McCown is coming in to take over as the starter. The Browns had a tough year with Manziel last season and he is coming in looking to get past the bumps of his rookie year.
According to ESPN.com, Gruden is working with Manziel ahead of training camp and it comes after the two previously worked together in Gruden's "QB Camp" when Manziel was going through the draft process. Gruden has praised Manziel in the past and after a tough season that saw some uneven play and then an offseason that saw a stint in rehab, Gruden is helping Manziel again. Manziel has a ton of potential and while he did not realize it as a rookie, the Browns are not ready to give up on him yet.
Manziel likely has no chance to win the starting job at quarterback this season, but he can get some good experience as the backup if he beats out Connor Shaw for the number two spot. McCown likely will be the starter in Week 1, but depending on how the season goes, Manziel could end up under center again like he did last season when Hoyer did not play well and was injured down the stretch. Jason Lloyd reports that Manziel has done a good job of turning things around this offseason and all reports from the team have Manziel a model citizen since moving out of rehab.
Manziel played in five games last season and had 175 yards passing with two interceptions and 29 rushing yards. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the running back situation for the Browns has some depth and while Isaiah Crowell is the "favorite to start" for the team, Mike Pettine is expected to give both Duke Johnson and Terrance West looks in camp. The team also reportedly likes what it has seen from Malcolm Johnson, who was a sixth round pick and could have a "significant workload" as the only full back on the roster right now.
Johnson is coming out of college after a strong season and he could get work as a third down back or receiver, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. The team reportedly is "not relying on Johnson to be a starter" this season and that he could be a weapon as a wideout, per Nate Ulrich. Ulrich wrote last month that offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is planning to use Johnson out of the backfield and if Crowell starts, he could be the third down back with West. Crowell rushed for over 600 yards as a rookie last season.
Check here for more on the Cleveland Browns heading into camp and more on Gruden working with Manziel.