The ball is in Brian Hoyer's court to return to the Cleveland Browns, but the quarterback wants a lot of things made clear before he considers signing a new contract for the team. Hoyer came into the 2014 season in a competition with rookie Johnny Manziel and ultimately won the starting job. He led the Browns to a nice run of success before late-season struggles caused him to get benched. The Browns admit they would love for Hoyer to come back, but the quarterback has some demands first.
Hoyer wants to be a starting quarterback in 2015. The veteran has no interest in entering another competition with Manziel He wants to be the guy from the start. That will determine if he returns to Cleveland or not. Hoyer's agent, Joe Linta, told the media that Hoyer is open to the Browns, but the end of 2014 left a sour taste in the quarterback's mouth and he has a lot to consider before agreeing to anything.
"I think the only thing that would make him not [want to] come back is if they said Manziel or whoever we take in the draft or whoever we sign in free agency is going to be the starter and you will only be the backup," Linta said, via the Akron Beacon Journal. "I think that would probably drive him away a little bit. If [coach Mike] Pettine said, 'Hey, it's going to be an open competition again between you and Johnny,' great, let's go. ... [Hoyer] wants to play. The kid wants to have an opportunity to compete and play."
There is growing belief that if the Browns want to succeed, they must cut the notion that Manziel is the quarterback that will bring them success. The rookie barely has any NFL film to go off of, but off-the-field antics prove he is not ready to take over the job. With drama surrounding Josh Gordon, Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff believes it is time to attempt to trade Manziel or release him.
For now, the Browns are focused on getting a deal done with Hoyer. Owner Jimmy Haslam has stated that he is uncertain if the starting quarterback for 2015 is currently on the Browns' roster, but he is open to bringing back Hoyer who did a lot for the team. Outside of him, draft deals for Marcus Mariota or a trade for Jay Cutler could be the best options.
