The Browns reportedly will explore all options at quarterback for 2015. Which could mean that 2014 rookie first-rounder Johnny Manziel will be supplanted.
Which would mean that Manziel won’t be happy.
“I don’t think it would be fair to give up on somebody after seven quarters of football,” Manziel told reporters on Tuesday. “If that’s what they were in the business for and what they intended on me coming in here doing -- just giving him seven quarters, giving him a couple of games and then looking somewhere else -- I don’t think that’s a lot of commitment and sticking with somebody. This league is a process and it takes a lot of time. Nobody comes in this league right away, and I mean nobody comes in this league right away and just absolutely kills it. That’s just not the way it works. You can show signs. You can show flashes, but at the same time, you need reps. You need years of it. You need time, and I think that’s what happens with a young quarterback. I’m not going into this offseason, into this draft, having any concerns about that or any worries about that. If you want to . . . it’s just something that I’m definitely not thinking about.”
Does he have concerns that what he did (or failed to do) with that seven quarters has created doubts about him?
“No, because I know when I’m in this building I’ve been doing the right things,” Manziel said. “Like I said, I got one game against Cincinnati. Obviously it was a rough day for us, and then a quarter and a half last week and one and a half drives in Buffalo. If that’s what they think is enough to evaluate a quarterback, then that’s really up to them, but I’m going into this offseason working extremely hard and wanting to be the guy next year. If that’s not the case, then obviously we’ll see down the road, but that’s my mindset going into it and I’m 100-percent sticking with it.”
While Manziel got only seven quarters of game action, he had plenty of opportunities in the offseason, training camp, and preseason to earn more playing time. He failed to do so.
Plus, the fact that he got injured fairly early in his second game as the starter underscores concerns that he can’t stay healthy. Which justifies the exploration of all options at quarterback.
