Ray Rice is sitting on the free agent market hoping his phone rings. With preseason football games come injuries as some teams have already learned that lesson the hard way. The Washington Redskins lost a running back for the season. The Dallas Cowboys have all four of their options and the Cleveland Browns are dealing with the same issue. Unhappy with their current rushing attack filled mainly with youth, head coach Mike Pettine admits the door is open for Rice if the timing is right.
The Browns have been very critical of their rushing attack heading into the season. The team entered with Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West who both looked strong in their rookie debuts along with newly drafted Duke Johnson. Both West and Johnson are injured and Crowell is not doing much to stand out, leaving coach Wilbert Montgomery to publically criticize the players. With coaching connections to Rice, owner Jimmy Haslam and general manager Ray Farmer says it is still too early to consider the move.
"Right now I'd say it's all premature in my mind," Farmer said, via ESPN.com. "We're interested in seeing what our young guys can do. Focused on them. Giving them the opportunity to demonstrate whether they can or they can't. I think we've got some talented young guys. Ray's had his career. We kind of know what he is. We think we know. There's a lot of tape."
The Browns will likely hold off on a move until they see how both West and Johnson return from injuries. If either running back struggles longer with health or inconsistencies then Rice could be the best option moving forward. Farmer also recognized that Rice was not the only name on the open market. Chris Johnson, Steven Jackson and Pierre Thomas are also available, but Rice is the better option.
While the running back appears to remain an area of concern for the Browns, the quarterback position might not be. Josh McCown started the night going 5 for 5 while Johnny Manziel showed off major improvements from last season. The backup quarterback went 7 for 11 for 42 yards passing while rushing for 14 yards and a touchdown. That is certainly a lot more than he showed last year and while some Browns' fans might be hoping Manziel sees a start this season, Pettine is declaring that there is no competition for the starting job.
"What has helped this year is Josh knowing he is firmly the No. 1. It's unfair to look back to a year ago and say, well, Brian Hoyer obviously didn't help Johnny. They were in a competition," Pettine said, via ESPN.com. "[Manziel's] a work in progress, but the will is definitely there. I think he realized he let a lot of people down, and he wants to make amends for it."
If anything Manziel is auditioning for a job in the future. The Browns drafted the running back to potentially take over the franchise and they are hopeful that plan can still be seen through. So far after a roller coaster rookie season, Manziel is looking stronger than ever.