Fans were chanting his name upon arrival. LeBron James already had his jersey on. Johnny Manziel has been treated like the savior of Cleveland, but not everyone is totally thrilled by all of the media attention the Browns' backup quarterback is getting. With cameras present at every practice, some players are a little sick of the attention.
Running back Ben Tate came to the Cleveland Browns in hopes of stabilizing a run game that has suffered heavily over the past few seasons. After trading first-round pick Trent Richardson, Tate is now expected to produce like the starter he has hyped himself to be. While he is excited at the opportunity to lead, he is not thrilled that some players are getting more attention than others. Manziel has yet to play a snap in the NFL, but is being considered one of the league's best quarterbacks and Tate would like to remind people that right now, the rookie is merely a backup.
"As a player, I would get tired if somebody was constantly monitoring, if I pick my nose, if I spit to the left or to the right. It's annoying. He's a human being," Tate said, via the Houston Chronicle. "He's a great football player, so I understand why he gets some of the constant media attention, but at the same time, I figure at this stage he's tired of it. He just wants to come in here to do his job and try to win the starting quarterback competition."
Manziel is one of football's biggest stars at the moment. He is getting treated like James did after arriving to the Cavaliers or Yasiel Puig when he signed with the Dodgers. Manziel is young and right now is considered a top talent despite his lack of a resume. Everyone is analyzing his every move while the quarterback attempts to win the starting job.
Current No. 1 on the depth chart, Brian Hoyer, is simply trying to keep his focus while aiming to keep his job amid all of the attention and speculation. Manziel might be getting his name in the headlines during OTAs, but Hoyer is reminding the media that he is coming back stronger than ever and has no intentions of giving his spot up to a rookie.
"You never want to see someone else doing your job," said Hoyer, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "That's the biggest thing for me. I feel I'm ready and I know a lot of people who come back from this injury talk about the mental aspect. I think I've conquered that months ago. As the competitor in me I want to be out there with my guys, calling the plays and running them."
Tate might be downplaying the talent and attention of Manziel, but other players praising his efforts. Veteran wide receiver Nate Burleson is giving the quarterback nothing but praise as practice continues.
"Pretty sweet, huh?" Burleson said. "It was nice, man. I like to see Johnny make big plays. When a quarterback gets into a rhythm and gets a little confidence, his chin pokes up and his chest sticks out a little bit more and they play better and when he gets into a rhythm, he's a special athlete. He's hard to stop. He's doing good, man. I like what I'm seeing so far out of Johnny Football."
Burleson has been looking strong in practice, but the Browns are still exploring their receiving options. Jermichael Finley and Dustin Keller are healthy, as is Santonio Holmes. Any of those players could be options after trades for players like Andre Johnson and Danny Amendola soured.
