The Cleveland Browns have come major questions at quarterback heading into 2015 after the rookie season Johnny Manziel had and now Ray Farmer may look at bringing in Brian Hoyer or Mark Sanchez in from the free agent market, while a draft trade for Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota could be potential options for the front office.
Manziel was drafted at number 22 in the first round last year and his rookie season was not a success by any stretch of the imagination. According to a new story by Jeremy Fowler and Pat McManamon on ESPN.com, Manziel was not well-prepared to play in the NFL this season, as he continued to have a "commitment to nightlife" and was not as ready as he could have been for his starts later in the season. Farmer and owner Jimmy Haslam were non-committal about the starting quarterback for 2015 and Haslam said that Manziel and other young players need to mature.
New offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said that Manziel will get a fresh start with him and also added that he didn't know if the quarterback for 2015 was "in the building." Last season Kyle Shanahan was offensive coordinator and his split was not a good look for Manziel or the team, as he left with two years remaining on his contract. The end of the season for Manziel was a mess, as he was fined for missing a team activity before Week 17 against the Ravens and finished on the injured list.
There is plenty that went wrong for Manziel and the Browns in 2014, but the team is in position to turn it around, as they have draft picks and cap space to work with. The team reportedly will "not hesitate" to pick a quarterback in the draft and the Browns could look at Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. The Eagles are reportedly looking to trade up for Mariota, while Winston could be an option if he slips in the first round. The Browns have two first round picks this season and have the most picks of any team in the 2015 draft.
The report is pretty damning, but it also adds at the end that the Browns still feel that Manziel can be developed into a solid starting quarterback if he commits and changes some of his behavior. The report says that Manziel was not ready for his starts during this season and one source described it like cramming for an exam and that he did not always make the right play call in the buddle.
The Browns knew about Manziel's personality when they drafted him and about his history with nightlife, so it's not like this is a shocker, but it does seemingly go against what Manziel said earlier in the season about working hard. Manziel said he would work harder this offseason and if he is given another chance, he likely will be more prepared.
