Much is being made about the latest incident involving Johnny Manziel which is putting his future into question once again. The Cleveland Browns are trying to downplay the coverage of the quarterback while the NFL is preparing to investigate the domestic argument between Manziel and his girlfriend on the side of a highway that led the police to get involved. With everyone calling for the release of the quarterback, head coach Mike Pettine is defending his right to privacy.
Pettine made his first comments regarding the incident with Manziel on Monday after he declined to answer reporter's questions following the loss to the Denver Broncos. Pettine made it clear the Browns are not ignoring the allegations, but they also have no plans on publicizing the details.
"I get it," Pettine said, via ESPN.com. "It's an unfortunate thing. There's a lot of things going on. And you're dealing with somebody's personal life and confidentiality and some things that have come out that are disturbing. I get it. I get the outcry, and I know that everything with him is magnified times 1,000. He's made a lot of strides. This is a process with him. It's upsetting. It's upsetting for all of us. I don't know how much more I can say on it. I just don't like where we're headed with, just because there was no instant public punishment, that all of a sudden there's no accountability in the locker room."
The Browns have done everything to remain in the corner of Manziel even after his summer stint in a rehab clinic and multiple off-the-field issues last season. That does not appear to be changing now. Pettine noted that the NFL will look into the incident, but since no arrest was made it is hard to tell exactly what the league will do about it.
Manziel's future is questionable at best. Cleveland obviously wants him as the future of the franchise, but he has yet to develop into that type of player. Josh McCown is the short-term answer, but the Browns do not have the long-term solution on their roster. CBS analyst Bill Cowher made it clear the Browns need to release Manziel. That will not come this season, but the offseason could be a different story.
The Browns will have their chance to chase big names in the future. Sam Bradford hits the free agent market along with Kirk Cousins. Trade deals for players like Mike Glennon, Zach Mettenberger and Robert Griffin III could be options. The future is uncertain for players like Jay Cutler and Matthew Stafford. There could be a lot of options for the Browns. The team has a young group of offensive playmakers and an improving defense. They could get a solid name at quarterback and turn things around.