DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Johnny Manziel...the return...

Good statement, and it does not matter if it was written by him or for him.

Next up is OTA's

It's probably a good thing that Manziel will be with the team on 4/20.

Agreed. Nothing harder to resist than a tempting date.

you two are clever...

nicely done.

BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel was one of football's most irresistible stories and irrelevant players a year ago.

The Browns' first-round pick made national headlines for everything from driving an inflatable swan under the influence to a bizarre late-night dustup with a fan at the quarterback's downtown condo. For all the attention, Manziel earned 79 snaps -- or 41 fewer than cornerback Pierre Desir, another rookie who didn't see the field until late in the season.

Desir made the most of the opportunity, while Manziel squandered his. He was woefully unprepared and overmatched in his two starts. About the only thing the Texas A&M product did well was vow to change. He's becoming to mea culpas what John Elway was to two-minute drives.

So maybe we shouldn't treat the statement Manziel released Friday -- less than two weeks since exiting a rehab treatment center for possible substance abuse -- any differently. The quarterback expressed contrition for disappointing loved ones, the Browns organization and its fans.

"I take full responsibility for my actions and it's my intention to work very hard to regain everyone's trust and respect," he wrote in the one-paragraph statement.

We've heard it all before from Manziel, but give the kid credit for finally putting action behind his words. He spent 10 weeks in an eastern Pennsylvania facility trying to get his life together. He seems to understand he's one more wasted season away from joining Brian Bosworth, Matt Leinart and Heath Shuler in their Dish Network commercial pining for their glory days of college football.

His second chance with the Browns starts Monday as the team begins its off-season workouts in Berea. It's unclear whether he'll address the media the following day. Manziel acknowledged his recovery remains "an ongoing process," and that despite public curiosity he's unsure if he wants to discuss "a subject which I consider very personal."

The most important message in his first public comments came at the end of the 221-word missive, saying he's looks forward to "focusing on football and my desire to be the best possible player, teammate, and man that I can be."

That's what his teammates desire, as well. Captain Joe Thomas said as much Tuesday night after the Browns unveiled their new uniforms:

"I think it will be important for him when he comes back to prove to the team, to everybody in the organization that football is the most important thing in his life and he is willing to commit to it. ... There was some doubt based on what he did last year."

Manziel's defiant attitude and casual approach to preparation never allowed him to be a relevant player. Transitioning from a spread/system quarterback is hard enough. The dearth of young, consistent QBs is an alarming NFL trend over the past six years. (Name three of them -- and we'll spot you Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson.)

Maybe Manziel won't succeed. Maybe his lack of size and athleticism won't enable him to achieve the way he did for two seasons of Saturdays in College Station, when he was the NCAA's most electrifying performer.

There's no shame in failing or falling short. But to have it in you and never let it out because you were too busy surrendering to the trappings of celebrity ... man, oh, man. That's what angers veterans like Thomas, Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner. It's what infuriates a fan base dying to root for a quarterback the way it once did Bernie Kosar all those years ago.

Manziel has made some meaningful strides in the past two months. Now comes the next step as it pertains to his career. He needs to make Alex Mack, not Justin Bieber, his wingman and be ready to start at the bottom of the depth chart.

Johnny's quest: Manziel must give himself chance to be a relevant player for Browns: Tom Reed

By Tom Reed, Northeast Ohio Media Group
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on April 17, 2015 at 4:38 PM, updated April 17, 2015 at 5:03 PM

The Browns cannot pretend last season didn't happen. They also can't place much immediate faith or trust in Manziel. Restoring that, to use his words, is an ongoing process.

All the quarterback can do is give himself a chance to be a relevant player again. Johnny Manziel owes that to his team, his fans and mostly to himself.

Link

Lot of agreement, Eo. Glad he is getting some traction and positive momentum started.

I can't fault anybody with trust issues after last season's debacle. "Wrecking the league" seemingly started here. This is a salvage operation this year. I am hoping for way better than I expect, but we can open camp with what is here. Part of my hope is that better players will make other players better as well.

Cleveland Browns and quarterback Johnny Manziel face different temptations -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin


By Bud Shaw, Northeast Ohio Media Group
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on April 17, 2015 at 4:07 PM, updated April 17, 2015 at 5:12 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's not fair to doubt Johnny Manziel based on past broken promises.

In fact, there's really no need to dredge his hollow words from late last season when he vowed to change and just a few days later slept through his alarm clock. Not when there are so many more valid reasons to attach a high degree of difficulty on his chances of NFL success.

Manziel spent 73 days in a rehab facility in Pennsylvania. More than two months but still an eye blink in the wide view. In his Friday statement, he said he learned a lot there. His reference to an "ongoing process" might indicate an understanding that his rehab is really just beginning. Hopefully for him, that's the case.

The Browns can't possibly see it any other way, right? The Sam Bradford trade talk suggests they understand every last challenge Manziel faces and know the perils of counting on him. But fact is they may well end up going to camp with Josh McCown, Manziel, Thad Lewis and Connor Shaw.

Bradford appears unavailable and unwilling to sign an extension. Marcus Mariota doesn't seem likely to slide anywhere near the Browns at No. 12. And if he doesn't, paying two No. 1s this year and a No. 1 next year is a ridiculous price for moving up near the top of the draft.

How soon before the drum starts beating again for Manziel inside and outside the organization? It's a dangerous scenario for both parties if that happens (and we haven't even talked about Manziel learning to attack NFL defenses and becoming comfortable in the pocket).

I'll say it again. That's why the Browns should commit to McCown as the 2015 starter as soon as possible (if they haven't privately already), providing Mariota doesn't fall in their lap.

New offense. New offensive coordinator. New quarterback coach. (When have we heard that before?) Throwing the position open to training camp competition -- a fairly steady and failed tradition around here since Tim Couch gave way to Kelly Holcomb -- would serve no one's interest.

The only way that makes sense is if the Browns are trying to improve Manziel's trade value. Otherwise, Manziel doesn't need the stress so soon. And the team doesn't need the uncertainty, especially after the way last season ended.

He wasn't close to being ready for the NFL a year ago. He wasted his rookie season. A rehab diploma doesn't make him any more primed now.

Manziel isn't returning from rehab to a desk job somewhere. Quarterback is the most stressful job in sports. It requires leadership. Manziel must learn to take care of himself first. He'll presumably be subject to testing in the NFL's intervention program. People come out of rehab with the best intentions all the time and suffer relapses. First and foremost, the hope is he doesn't.

Football? The seven quarters he played is such a small sample, that alone can't be the reason to give up on him. But there's a lot of middle ground between giving up on him and counting on him. The Browns need to find it and put down anchor there. This situation is rife with temptation, not just for a rehabbing quarterback but for a team desperate to find reason to believe it's finally found an answer at the position.

• If the topic of discussion is the search for a franchise quarterback...

Then it must be April.

Or any other month.

In any year since Tim Couch was displaced.

Various reports claim the Browns haven't conducted a private workout with Marcus Mariota while rumors persist they'll make a draft day attempt to trade up for the Oregon quarterback.

Come again?

We are warned not to read too much into not working out Mariota since new quarterbacks coach Kevin O'Connell prepped Mariota for the NFL Combine, meaning the Browns have the advantage of that insider's perspective.

That makes no sense. If Ray Farmer is seriously considering giving up two No. 1 picks this year and a No. 1 next year, he'd want to work Mariota out himself. He'd embrace every available opportunity for evaluation. Or at least he should.

Farmer has told us numerous times that he prefers private workouts over Pro Days because private workouts give GMs control over the day's agenda. They get to see what they want to see. Now you're asked to believe they'd pass up a private workout because a first-time NFL QB coach, new to their staff, prepared Mariota for the NFL Combine and Pro Day?

The Browns (correctly) have no intention of paying the price for Mariota. That's the only valid conclusion.

While that doesn't solve the QB search, it at least restores faith in an organization that could stand to win back some lost trust itself.

link

Yup, yup, and yes they have a ton of work to do to gain my trust back. I was hopeful but that has vanished in a hail of STuuuuuuuuuuupid moves topped off with text gate and the inside look it gave to just how dysfunctional they are. We are stuck with them but man they need to do way better.

I like the balance Bud Shaw expressed in that article. Good read. I'm not as certain as he of the Browns intentions about Mariota. Paying a premium that includes future draft picks is distasteful to me.

Overall I don't expect fans to be patient with Manziel's re-integration to the team. But patience is exactly what the situation calls for. I can only hope that inside the Browns' organization they are willing to withstand another barrage of criticism for relying on a caretaker QB if necessary.

If history is our guide and McCown plays like he has his entire career their dead meat. I hate the thought of dropping 3 1sts on a QB but if they are convinced they need to make the move.

That said and based on their track record of handling or more like mishandling QB's I expect will ruin the guy before he has a chance.

jc

We've heard Manziels apologies before and know how those turned out. His latest one is just another PR stunt. Let's see how serious he takes football. Until he proves he can win, his apologizes mean nothing.

I love the fact he realized he has a problem and is trying to address it. You're right about that. It's a first step in a long journey.

However, it's only one of his journeys. The second journey is learning how to be an NFL QB. As we saw last season, he has a long journey to travel there also.

I feel strongly that we'll see the following QBs take regular season snaps for the Browns this year:

Josh McCown
Johnny Manziel
Developmental QB (Grayson, Petty, Mannion, etc)

And probably even Shaw, Lewis, or some other non-QB QB

Convinced? Just like they were convinced with Manziel last year? They don't even know what they have in Manziel yet. People (not you) talk so casually about throwing Johnny away now...another Brown's truism he goes on to become a winner for somebody else.

So we bring in another guy, don't give him proper time to develop which would require playing behind a bridge Quarterback, throw him out there before he's ready and ...wash, rinse, repeat, wash, rinse, repeat. Regardless of what fans think the organization needs to get off this train. We know this track only goes in circles.

jc

so if we go into the season with JM and JM the FO are idiots for not addressing the QB

If we trade up for MM the FO are idiots because he is really JM in drag

If we trade for a Rivers or the like the FO are idiots because we either 1) gave up too much or 2) no way he signs an extension because no one wants to play here or 3) Both

If we take QB in later rounds the FO are idiots because they did not invest in a QB earlier

somewhere in this conundrum lies the answer... maybe??

No, it really doesn't matter at all. I was just wondering.

At least we are all on the same page.

Where do you get this stuff from? Seriously, most folks absolve the FO for every move they have made. Where are you getting like almost every poster is calling the FO idiots? Seriously.

http://espn.go.com/blog/cleveland-browns...he-quarterbacks

I think Pat McManamon is pretty much spot on. jmo.

I think he is too... and ... if... IF they think MM can be the QB many think he can be then... yeah they need to pay the price and go get him.

Me.. I don't have a clue if MM can be that guy or not.. some posters who seem pretty knowledgeable say he is other say he is not....all know is if they draft him I hope he is and if they don't I wish him luck.

You missed one, although it really is an extension of the first option...maneuver to get another 1st rounder in next year's draft and make a play for someone in 2016. Of course this option has it's detractors too, it doesn't satisfy a desire to fix it now. But if we really don't have any reasonable options this year, that may be the best path. Sometimes deferring the problem is the way to go.

point taken on deferring... my worry is that this team is good enough (IMO) to win 7 - 8 games, QB situation notwithstanding, and where does that leave us next year.. pretty much in the same spot.

We were on a 3-5 win treadmill for a number of years... I would like to avoid years of the 6-8 in treadmill

"Absolve"? Certainly, but it is more than that; some of us actually "agree" with what the FO is doing (at least most of the time).

While many don't like that option, I too see that as the best viable option at this point in time. JFF has played 7 quarters of football. While I don't like his odds of success, I do believe common sense dictates you don't simply throw him away based on those seven quarters. If this FO believed in him enough to draft him in the first round, they at least have to believe in themselves and their decision enough to give him a fair chance.

And to address the post Tex made earlier. Posters have been frustrated for years over our QB situation. Everyone has an opinion on it and those opinions differ. So you will naturally have many posters upset no matter which avenue the FO chooses. You will also have those that will support them no matter what they do.

So it's a mixed bag.

Last year we stacked the cards for Hoyer to take it in camp and preseason. This year, I expect we will stack it in favor of Manziel. If he isnt getting it done we will ride McCown to next years draft and go all in for a QB in a much stronger draft class. We may still take a Manion or Grayson but this year but I doubt it. I think Johnny gets his shot. Now can he play with that same passion that we saw in college?

Personally, I give JF 90% of the reps in these camps and otas and only reduce it if he is looking like crap. If Johnny isnt the answer, tank it for that #1 overall.

why bother to reduce if your tanking for the season?

My point was where is tex getting that the Browns are being unfairly blamed by the masses. That is far from the truth.

I loved manziel in college but completely agree... The kid has talked a lot and talks well.... I don't expect anything out of him right now in terms of a NFL qb.... I hope he can be a great qb but am not holding my breath....

I'm not sure if mariota is a franchise qb but if the FO thinks that he is I hope they do whatever they can to go get him

j/c


Dansby says he knew Manziel was distracted during season

On Friday, Johnny Manziel admitted he was in the treatment facility Caron, likely near Wernersville, Pa., for the past 10 weeks, but didn't disclose the specific reason for his stay.

Earlier this week, several of his teammates spoke out concerning Manziel's issues.

"I just knew it was distracting his game," Karlos Dansby said at the unveiling of the new uniforms. "It wasn't allowing him to be himself out on the field. It wasn't allowing him to express himself the way we all have seen him play at the collegiate level.

"Whatever he was dealing with was suppressing him," Dansby said. "So him being able to check himself in and try to get that relief, I think it was huge."

Manziel led the Browns to just three points in six quarters as a starter in his rookie season. Dansby thinks Manziel admitting he needed help and checking himself into a treatment facility is a positive sign.

"It took a lot for him to take that step, and for him to make that step shows that he's maturing a lot as a man," Dansby said. "And he's growing as a person. I'm anxious to see what he does and how he comes out.

"I know it's going to make him a better man, and that's all I'm worried about is him being a better man at the end of the day. Everything else will take care of itself."

Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas was critical of Manziel in an interview with ESPNCleveland.com two weeks ago, and said that Manziel is going to have to earn back his teammates' trust. At the uniform unveiling Thomas admitted Manziel obviously had other things he was dealing with besides football.

"I think the only thing that was apparent probably was that there were other things in his life that were maybe getting in the way of committing himself the way an NFL quarterback needs to," Thomas said.

Manziel apologized in his statement to his teammates, as well as the fans.

"I owe private apologies to a lot of people that I disappointed but a very public one to the Browns organization and the fans that I let down," Manziel said. "I take full responsibility for my actions and it's my intention to work very hard to regain everyone's trust and respect. I understand that will take time and will only happen through what I do and not what I say."

Donte Whitner also chimed in on Manziel.

"I think there was some doubt based on what he did last year if football was the most important thing," Whitner said. "I believe that he'll come in, he'll earn our trust back, he's that type of guy. He'll have to compete for his job. I believe he'll be up for that challenge. We will welcome him back with open arms."

Manziel is expected to begin the offseason program on Monday and will rejoin his teammates.

"I look forward to seeing my teammates next week," Manziel said. "And focusing on football and my desire to be the best possible player, teammate, and man that I can be."

Link

There for sure is some of that but for me its how you handle the QB situation and they have failed in this area which leads to all the things you listed.

The organization was all but openly hostile towards Hoyer last season and then they top it off by starting a QB that wasn't ready, hadn't put in the work, and was obviously struggling with some sort of substance abuse issue.

Until they clean up their act will continue to suffer with sub standard QB play and never know the potential of the QB talent we have had or will have. Thus they get the criticized and they have earned it.

We do not have the stability and the know how when it comes to developing a QB, there handling of the QB situation has led to the instability we see and on all fronts they get justly pounded. The real culprit to their dilemma is their ignorance.

That possibly may be true if you are talking past tense. There are new players on thr coaching staff now, so it is not accurate to state that in the present tense. I believe the FO recognized this weakness and addressed this issue. We shall see how it plays out...

Other than Joe, it seems that most of the comments that I have read from Brown's players in regards to Manziel are fairly positive and supportive.

They seem to see Manziel and Gilbert in different lights. Gilbert gets the negative comments while Manziel seems to get more support from the players.

There is no way that you can actually believe this stuff, right?

Shanny quit. The FO didn't address it. Sheesh.

I only wished it were past tense, sadly it is not. The stupid things they did last season is being followed up by more stupid things this off season.

Here is the thing hardly anyone will not state they (management) made mistakes last year, what they fail to recognize is they continue to revisit those same mistakes. But the biggie to me is how lost they are when it comes to handling the QB position. I could play along with the rookie mistake idea if they showed signs of having learned but they show no signs of having learned from their mistakes and so I don't cut them slack.

Part of being leaders (which they are suppose to be) is taking ownership of their mistakes. Have you seen or heard anyone come forward and take ownership of the decision that led to JF starting last season when he wasn't ready. As a leader his failure is your failure. Their answer to rectify the situation by all accounts is to move on from JF, and they fail to see their roll in his failure and thats the problem.

I say fine you made a mistake now is the hard part own it, and fix it. Have they? No they have NOT.

But they have addressed it. It only remains to be seen how it plays out...

Lot of jumping to conclusions in that post.

It seems you have decided to go with the "I'm still angry with how they treated Hoyer so my new position will be to feign some type of half support for Manziel and the FO but then get angry at the FO for not doing with Manziel what you thought they should have done with Hoyer" approach.

All the while you can't stand Manziel. Now all of a sudden you have this support for him. But the support is fake. It's a tool you use to slam the FO on a bunch of innuendo and suppositions.

You have to get over your hurt that Hoyer is gone.

And where is Vers always claiming he wants facts and links to back things up? How come he never asks you for that?

Probably because it is him against a slew of you.

I don't agree w/some of what Bone is saying, but I don't gang-up w/the mob to attack one solitary poster. I think it's a gutless thing to do.

So you're a hypocrite when it suits you?

I think it's gutless to make stuff up about what people say. To put words in people's mouths.

But that's just me.