Johnny Manziel clearly feels that the Cleveland Browns did not put him in the best situation to succeed after they drafted him in 2014, and he is not afraid to speak openly about it as he tries to convince another NFL team to give him a shot.
In an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” Wednesday, Manziel said he had a difficult time grasping Cleveland’s pro-style offense and that the team should have known he didn’t watch much film and wasn’t a big X’s and O’s guy. Many took that to mean he was blaming the Browns for his shortcomings, and Manziel later tried to clarify on Twitter.
Draft a QB in the first round and put him into a toxic Quarterback room vs. what it was like my second year with McCown. COMPLETELY different situation. It’s all about the right fit and mine in Cleveland wasn’t right. That’s just the facts. I also have nobody to blame but myself https://t.co/fuFmtG4vUz
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) April 4, 2018
Take it how you want I don’t really care. I’ll always feel some type of way
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) April 4, 2018
If you listen to the full context of Manziel’s comments, he implied that his career really started spiraling out of control when he wasn’t getting the guidance he needed in Cleveland.
Here are Johnny Manziel's full comments on what Browns should've known about him before the Draft on @dpshow. I think you have to judge his remarks in context of what he was trying to say. https://t.co/cesXt1O8fb
— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) April 4, 2018
“I struggled, and from there that’s when the depression started to come,” Manziel said. “That’s when some things, mental health wise, started to really change.”
In his second year, the Browns brought in Josh McCown. Manziel says McCown helped teach him how to be a pro and was a much bigger help than anyone was his rookie season. Obviously, McCown’s mentorship wasn’t enough.
The Browns may not have put Manziel in the best position to succeed, but there’s no excuse for some of the things he made the team deal with off the field. His lack of production on Sundays is only part of the reason he may never play in the NFL again.
