Cleveland Browns Rumors: Team Almost Ready To Cut Ties With Johnny Manziel, Will Make Decision After His Rehab Ends
The Cleveland Browns are rumored to be through with Johnny Manziel, their high-profile but troubled first-round pick last year.
After sitting on the bench for much of the 2014 season and looking out of place when he did see the field, Manziel kicked off the offseason by going to rehab. The Browns have been aggressive in the quarterback department this offseason, signing Josh McCown and expressing serious interest in Marcus Mariota and Sam Bradford.
Now it appears that Johnny Manziel isn’t in the plans at all for the Cleveland Browns. ESPN insider Chris Mortensen said in a radio appearance this week that the Browns are all but ready to dump Manziel, though may be waiting to see if he’s truly changed in rehab.
Mortensen noted, “I think about 90 percent that they have moved on [from Manziel] in their own minds except that they really don’t know who they’re going to get when Johnny leaves rehab, which has been an extended stay — a two-month stay. He should be getting out sometime in the first week of April if they’re satisfied that he’s ready to go out and get into society and that whatever deep-rooted problems that he had has been addressed. OK, now he’s part of your depth chart. You have Josh McCown.”
Mortensen went on to say that the Cleveland Browns were serious about their pursuit of Sam Bradford, but their offer to the St. Louis Rams wasn’t enough. The Rams reportedly only wanted a quarterback in return and ended up trading Bradford to the Philadelphia Eagles straight up for Nick Foles.
While the Browns don’t have Bradford, they aren’t making any big plans to continue with Johnny Manziel either.
Mortensen added, “The bottom line is that Johnny Manziel’s future with the Browns has been in question. When they were putting together half of a new offensive staff, Manziel’s name barely even came up in conversation. These Cleveland Browns rumors are still just that — rumors. Publicly the team has supported Manziel and his decision to go to rehab.”
Other rumors had indicated that the Cleveland Browns were parting ways with Johnny Manziel.
On his ESPN radio show last month, Tony Rizzo reported that sources inside the organization claimed Johnny Manziel would miss the entire season.
“I have to bring this up, I feel obligated to, and I’m not gonna reveal sources, but I have from good sources of mine, people that I’ve trusted in the past who’ve been right, not wrong, they say Johnny will not play at all this year,” Rizzo said.
This offseason, Manziel announced that he would be going to rehab, and the team stood behind the decision.
“I applaud him for raising his hand and saying ‘I need help,'” said owner Jimmy Haslam. “We’re going to do everything we can to support him. Our primary interest is making sure that he gets well, if you will. Fixes himself.”
If the rumors regarding Johnny Manziel are true, the Cleveland Browns may not be done looking for a quarterback. They are reportedly interested in trading up in the NFL Draft to land Marcus Mariota.
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