Johnny Manziel has once again been named the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, but that does not necessarily mean the team is planning on keeping him around beyond this season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen spoke to one “prominent team executive” who speculates that Manziel could be getting an opportunity to audition for a spot on another team rather than the Browns. The executive notes that Manziel probably can’t do enough to convince the Browns he is their franchise quarterback “under the reality that he’s just not playing with a very good cast around him.”
“He would almost have to be spectacular and the Browns win games we don’t expect them to win,” the exec said. “And even then, to what extent has [Manziel] burned bridges there where no matter what he does, either the present regime or the next regime will still be looking for another guy?”
If the season ended today, the Browns would have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. They might opt to draft one of the top college quarterbacks and trade Manziel to a team like the Dallas Cowboys.
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The same team executive said the Browns can probably eventually entice Jones to offer a conditional fourth-round draft pick for Manziel, even with the knowledge that the former Texas A&M quarterback was the top-rated player on the Cowboys’ board in 2014. Jones also showed everyone he was thinking team ahead of heart when he relented to select Notre Dame guard Zack Martin, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
The Cowboys’ failures this year with backup quarterbacks Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel have only helped the case for Manziel as a candidate to become Romo’s backup and possible successor. Sometimes the obvious is just that — obvious.
One Browns reporter has already speculated that the team will sever ties with Manziel during the offseason. And if you want to know how close the Cowboys were to drafting Manziel, Jerry Jones will gladly tell you about it. Some call it a match made in heaven.
