It is becoming more and more clear the Cleveland Browns are not ready to commit to Johnny Manziel as the future of their franchise. The team is currently pushing veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer to re-sign with the team while looking at the potential of a draft-day trade for Marcus Mariota. The Browns continue to tell the media that getting the quarterback position right is their top priority which Manziel could very easily not be on the roster come 2015.
The Browns are very interested in keeping Hoyer around for a few more years. The veteran quarterback won the starting job in 2014 and led Cleveland to some unexpected success. However, struggles at the end of the year caused the quarterback to be benched in favor of Manziel. That experiment failed. Now, Hoyer has the chance to go anywhere as a free agent, but the Browns want him back. However, Hoyer has no interest in the Browns if Cleveland keeps on with the idea that Manziel is their future.
"I think the only thing that would make him not [want to] come back is if they said [Johnny] 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," said John Linta, Hoyer's agent. "I think that would probably drive him away a little bit. If 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."
Is there a trade market for Manziel? The quarterback has little to no game film to back him up, having only seen a handful of minutes last year before injuring his hamstring. Manziel have plenty of negative press outlining him as immature and unprepared which could kill any trade Cleveland might seek out for the quarterback. At this point, all signs point to Manziel sticking around unless teams like the Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Rams or Washington Redskins look for help.
That will not stop the Browns from finding "their guy." Hoyer is not that guy simply because of his age. While 29 is not old, if Cleveland can potentially get either Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston to set them up for the future then they will. General manager Ray Farmer told the media that he was not sure the franchise quarterback was currently on the roster and he would not think twice before drafting someone who potentially could be.
