If there is one area the Cleveland Browns cannot afford injuries at it is the quarterback position. Already dealing with consistency issues, the Browns need all of the help they can get entering the 2015 season. While the team is trying to remain high on Josh McCown despite his lopsided preseason performances, Johnny Manziel has been on the rise. However, Manziel is out with an elbow injury which could force a roster addition in the near future.
According to head coach Mike Pettine, the elbow injury to Manziel is a minor setback, but it will keep the quarterback off the field for the remainder of the preseason and it is uncertain if it will extend further. According to Pat McManamon of ESPN, Manziel underwent an MRI which showed no structural damage to the elbow and it is just being ruled as soreness, but there are some concerns about the issue.
"We just wanted to confirm there was nothing structural, and that is the case," Pettine said, via ESPN.com. "The MRI was certainly a positive result." "It hasn't come back as quickly as we had hoped. To be cautious, we didn't want to rush him back now for a preseason game and have it be something that is chronic."
Through two preseason games, Manziel has shown a lot of improvement and maturity this season which is giving Cleveland a lot of hope for the future. McCown is the starter for 2015 at the moment, but confidence is shifting more towards Manziel than it is the veteran. Pettine continues to voice his confidence in McCown, but many believe Manziel is destined to be under center at some point this season.
"Obviously, not the standard I want to play at, but inevitably in this game, there is adversity and you're going to have things that happen, mistakes," McCown said, via the team website. "I thought as a group we responded well, got down there and got three points so that was good, but certainly not the standard of where we want to be."
Quarterback additions could come into play for the Browns very quickly. The free agent market is not good right now. According to the team website, newly signed Pat Devlin and Thad Lewis will get looks in the third preseason game, but could other additions follow? FOX Sports is reporting the recently released Josh Johnson will get a look from the Browns, but could trades be an option as well?
The Browns have yet to really determine their true faith in Manziel and whether or not he is the franchise quarterback or not. There are trade options available in Zach Mettenberger, Mike Glennon and Kirk Cousins. The Browns could easily bring someone in to potentially mold for the future. According to CBSSports.com, the Browns are already showing interest in Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook in the 2016 NFL Draft. A trade could be a better option than bringing in another rookie.
