With Josh McCown out for the remainder of the season the Cleveland Browns were forced to make tough decisions at the quarterback position. Despite naming Johnny Manziel the season starter just a few weeks ago, Austin Davis is now getting the nod in place of the injured veteran. Manziel remains in the doghouse following pictures on social media of him partying in Texas during the team's bye week and head coach Mike Pettine believes Davis deserves a shot under center.
According to Pettine via ESPN.com, Davis will start against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 following the broken collarbone to McCown. Davis stepped in for the veteran against the Baltimore Ravens and went 7 of 10 for 77 yards in what could have been the game-winning drive. Pettine noted that Davis took advantage of the opportunity and he deserves a chance to get another shot at winning a football game. So where does this leave Manziel? According to Pettine, the move start Davis does not mean he is unhappy with the second-year quarterback.
"I'll keep it private, but we've had very good discussions about what's happened, what did happen and the future," Pettine said, via ESPN.com. "I see no indication of that. We've got two young guys who are more than talented enough to play in this league. We'll see what they can do."
For his part, Davis told the media that there are no hard feelings between he and Manziel. He understands that some fans might want to see Manziel under center, but he is focused on winning the football game. It is hard to ignore the idea that the Browns are ready to move on from Manziel. The quarterback is clearly not on good terms with the franchise and is looking further from the future than ever before regardless of what Pettine says. Manziel's trade value is unknown considering his off-the-field issues likely hurt his value.
Several analysts believe this is the end of the road for Manziel. Right now the Browns are battling for the top pick in the NFL draft which could easily be used on a quarterback. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report believes the Browns will chase a trade for Matthew Stafford while aiming to get either Sam Bradford or Kirk Cousins in free agency. Manziel is not in the picture.
The Browns will be undergoing rebuilding in 2016. The team is at risk of losing two of their biggest playmakers. Travis Benjamin and Gary Barnidge are both set to hit the open market this offseason along with Josh Gordon. Benjamin already made comments to ESPN that the coaching decisions will impact whether he stays or leaves. The Browns should brace themselves for plenty of change.
