Cleveland Browns are holding on to the potential of Johnny Manziel. After dropping big time in the first round, the Browns selected the former Texas A&M star in hopes that he would translate well to the NFL. That has yet to be the case as Manziel is creating all the wrong headlines for himself, but head coach Mike Pettine is remaining very confident the quarterback will reach his potential. However, he is not confident enough to count on Manziel for the future as the Browns begin sorting through every quarterback move they could potentially make.
Pettine gave an endorsement to Manziel bettering himself as a person after admitting himself into rehab, but did not endorse his potential on the field. The Cleveland Browns intend to help Manziel any way they can, but are simply unsure of the idea that he can be a starter in the coming year. With two first-round draft picks to work with, will the Browns aim for a trade rather than push Brian Hoyer into a contract extension?
Potentially looking for a quarterback who could start right away, the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes that Sam Bradford and Nick Foles could be targets for the Browns. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is reporting that the Rams are giving Bradford permission to seek trades in the offseason. The quarterback is coming off yet another season-ending injury which means his value is not super high, but teams are aware of his skillset and could seek Bradford over a rookie quarterback.
Foles is in the same boat as Bradford in the sense that he is due a contract extension soon, but the Philadelphia Eagles have yet to make a firm commitment on him. With Marcus Mariota the draft favorite for the Eagles, a trade for Foles could be the next move made. The Cleveland Browns would be a prime landing spot for Foles considering he could start right away. Depending on the price, acquiring Foles could be low risk since he is on an expiring contract.
The move the Browns favor the most is a trade up for Mariota. The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Jimmy Haslam and Ray Farmer are going to seek out the price of trading up to grab the former Oregon star as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers favor Jameis Winston. A deals for Foles or Bradford could come after the draft depending on the moves Cleveland makes with their picks. Manziel will be on the roster in 2015, but the idea that he starts Week 1 is simply too farfetched at the moment.
