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Brian Hoyer

Browns Notes: Manziel, Hoyer, Gordon

August 20th, 2014 at 3:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

Although the Browns have named Brian Hoyer as the starting quarterback to start the season, enigmatic backup Johnny Manziel has taken the news in stride. Manziel acknowledged that he is “smart enough to know” that he did not play well enough in his preseason action in order to take a lead on the starting job, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer (via Twitter).

Manziel stands by his polarizing actions off the field, saying that he would not have done anything differently this offseason, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).

While he doesn’t regret his transgressions this offseason, he does admit that he needs to continue to practice and prepare extremely diligently and with a purpose, while he awaits an opportunity to get on the field, writes Ulrich (via Twitter).

Here are some other notes from around the Browns:

  • Hoyer “crumbled under the pressure” of the spotlight during the Browns’ preseason matchup with the Redskins on Monday, and the pressure will only increase now that he has been named the starter, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He notes that even if the team’s defense exceed expectations, that Hoyer as a starter-by-default is not a recipe for success.
  • Before Hoyer was named the starter, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk assessed the media circus surrounding the team’s quarterback competition. He notes that the plan to curb his attention by not naming him the day one starter did not work, and that they were better off making an early decision on the depth chart. Florio believes they should have just named him the starter, to save him the scrutiny of the competition. They could also have relegated Manziel to the bench earlier, relieving him of the pressure to be a star in the preseason.
  • While Manziel is one of the most polarizing rookie quarterbacks among fans and pundits, NFL players believe in the young gunslinger. According to an ESPN player poll, 69% of players believe Manziel will enjoy some sort of NFL success, while only 31% envision him as becoming the next bust at quarterback for the Browns. ESPN collected answers to this question from 82 anonymous NFL players.
  • In a piece of non-quarterback news, Josh Gordon has still yet to hear about a ruling following his hearing after being suspended for violating the substance-abuse policy, writes Florio. If Gordon’s year-long suspension is relaxed, that will be the most significant upgrade the Browns’ offense could get, regardless of who is under center at the time the troubled wide receiver returns to the field.

Brian Hoyer Named Browns’ Starting QB

August 20th, 2014 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Browns have named Brian Hoyer as their starting quarterback heading into the regular season, the team announced today in a press release. First-round pick Johnny Manziel had been challenging the incumbent signal-caller for the No. 1 role in Cleveland, but ultimately couldn’t unseat Hoyer, at least for now.

“[Hoyer] was the clear leader from the beginning,” said head coach Mike Pettine. “We’ve maintained all along that if it was close, I would prefer to go with the more experienced player. Brian has done a great job in the meeting rooms and with his teammates on the practice field and in the locker room.”

Neither player has stood out during the team’s preseason games, as I pointed out yesterday when I asked PFR readers which QB would win the starting job. Manziel had the opportunity to win the job, with Hoyer coming off an ACL surgery and not exactly having much NFL playing experience himself, but the rookie didn’t appear ready to take over the starting role quite yet. For what it’s worth, over 75% of you correctly predicted that Hoyer would be named the Browns’ starter, though a portion of those voters believed Manziel should play instead.

According to Mike Freeman (via Twitter), the decision will be good news for most of the Browns’ locker room, since the majority of the club’s players preferred Hoyer. While the 28-year-old Ohio native can’t necessarily match Manziel’s upside – or popularity, he was solid last year before an injury derailed his season, leading the Browns to wins over the Vikings and Bengals before going down in his third start.

Poll: Will Browns Start Hoyer Or Manziel?

August 19th, 2014 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Last night’s exhibition game against the Redskins was supposed to help the Browns’ coaching staff determine which quarterback would start for the team in Week 1, but neither Brian Hoyer nor Johnny Manziel did anything to impress. While third-stringer Connor Shaw racked up 123 passing yards on just nine passing attempts, Hoyer and Manziel combined for 22 pass attempts and only accumulated double-digit yardage (81).

Meanwhile, it was a single digit – namely, the middle one on Manziel’s right hand – that dominated most headlines, after the rookie gave the finger to Washington’s sideline in a moment of frustration. Speaking to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, head coach Mike Pettine indicated that incident probably wouldn’t be a factor in his decision on the team’s starting quarterback, but added “it will be dealt with.” As for his signal-callers’ performances, Pettine confirmed that the game didn’t make his decision easier.

“I don’t know,” Pettine said. “Neither guy really distinguished himself tonight, and we’ll have to go back and study the tape and figure out who to go with. I will lean on [offensive coordinator] Kyle Shanahan and [quarterback coach] Dowell Loggains quite a bit, because they’ve watched them every day.”

The team likes Hoyer, who was solid when healthy last season and has several years of experience as a backup on his résumé. But Hoyer has only thrown 192 regular-passes during his NFL career, so it’s not as if he’s all that more experienced than Manziel, who was drafted in the first round and figures to start sooner or later. Whether the rookie is ready to step in and play right away remains to be seen, and Pettine’s decision will ultimately depend on how far along the team feels Manziel is.

What do you think? Will the Browns play it safe and go with the veteran option in Hoyer, or roll the dice with the higher-upside option in Manziel?

AFC North Notes: Gordon, Manziel, Roethlisberger

August 14th, 2014 at 7:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A decision in the Josh Gordon appeal case might not be delivered until the end of next week, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). On August 4, we heard that a ruling would be handed down within one to three weeks — that time frame would set August 25 as the deadline, meaning the end of next week would be plausible. Gordon is facing a one-year ban for violating the league’s policy on drugs of abuse. As of last week, no settlement had been discussed, though it seems like a reduced suspension would benefit all parties involved.

  • We heard earlier today that the NFL is considering harsher penalties for domestic abuse incidents after the fallout of Ray Rice‘s two-game ban, but a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that increased discipline might not be that easy. The league would need to consult the NFL Players Association before installing stiffer suspensions, and per Florio, league management has not yet raised the topic with the union. While the NFL’s position might be that it controls all disciplinary regulations, Florio notes that the NFLPA would argue that any changes would need to be negotiated.
  • It had previously been reported that Johnny Manziel would start the Browns’ second preseason game, but according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), Brian Hoyer will take the reins at quarterback against the Redskins. Both players will spend time with the first-team offense, tweets Rapoport, alternating every two series.
  • More Manziel: ESPN’s Chris Mortenen reports that the rookie quarterback, along with several other first-year players, were a few minutes late to a team meeting on Monday. The incident is being handled intenally, and was not a factor in the Browns’ decision to start Hoyer next week. The episode shouldn’t be a big deal, but it speaks to the media coverage that surrounds everything Manziel-related.
  • Ben Roethlisberger was hurt by former teammate Emmanuel Sanders‘ recent declaration that Peyton Manning is a “far better leader” than the Steelers quarterback, writes Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I wish he would have reached out to me and just say that and I would have been fine with it,” said Roethlisberger. “Whether he meant it or not, it hurt in a sense that I tried so hard to keep him here last year and was always supporting him.”

Pettine Denies Brian Hoyer Trade Speculation

August 13th, 2014 at 7:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have rookie Johnny Manziel and longtime Mike Pettine favorite Rex Grossman in the fold, but quarterback Brian Hoyer isn’t chopped liver. As Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal explains, Pettine used three opportunities in the last 24 hours to shoot down speculation that Hoyer, the projected starting QB for Cleveland, could be traded.

When asked yesterday if the arrival of Grossman, who hasn’t played in a regular-season NFL game since 2011, could make Hoyer expendable, the coach responded, “No, absolutely not.” During an interview this morning with ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike, Pettine was asked the same question and gave a similar, but longer, answer.

“I got that question yesterday, and that’s really not the case,” Pettine said. “It was just something that we looked to upgrade that third [quarterback] spot. We think the world of Brian, and he’s been real solid for us, has done nothing to have that job taken away. We’re really pleased with where he is. A lot of people don’t realize it — he played against Detroit [in the preseason opener Saturday]. That was his first live action since coming off a serious knee injury, and we thought he handled himself very well.”

The third denial came earlier today when a reporter asked Pettine about a bogus rumor that had Hoyer going to the Texans for wide receiver Andre Johnson. While it’s possible that Manziel could vault himself to the top of the depth chart in 2014, it sounds like we should expect Hoyer to continue to remain in the picture.

AFC North Notes: Tate, Jones, Cameron, Hoyer

August 11th, 2014 at 8:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Wide receiver Brandon Tate is entering his fourth season with the Bengals, but he understand that he is not a shoo-in for a spot on the final roster. After all, he hasn’t provided much offensively for the team, compiling 217 yards and one touchdown in three seasons. He’s made the majority of his impact on special teams, but he’s now battling younger players who could contribute in the return game and in the passing game.

Having been in the league for five seasons, Tate knows that competition is just part of the job. Via ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey…

“We’ve got a new O-coordinator (Hugh Jackson) and the one thing he stressed is that everything is open,” Tate said. “He doesn’t want nobody to be comfortable.”

Special teams coach Darrin Simmons agreed with the sentiment…

“That’s what you always try to create in training camp. You try to create competition,” Simmons said. “Everybody should feel heat because there’s always somebody right behind you nipping at your tail.”

Still, the coaches are confident that Tate can rise above the rest…

“He’s got a lot of fight this camp; there’s no doubt about it,” receivers coach James Urban said. “But I’ve always felt that way with him. Brandon is a proud man. So he knows if he has any sense of feeling that he’s fighting for a job, then he’s going to come out there every day and fight for his job.” 

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC North…

  • We learned earlier today that Bengals receiver Marvin Jones will miss “a few weeks.” Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that the team is hoping Jones can return following their bye week, which would be against the Patriots on October 5th.
  • Browns tight end Jordan Cameron indicated to August Fagerstrom of the Akron Beacon Journal that extension talks are going well. “Yeah, it’s positive,” Cameron said. “The whole process has been positive. I’ll leave it at that. It’s ongoing and it’s going well.”
  • While there may be a lot of hype surrounding Browns rookie Johnny Manziel, quarterback Brian Hoyer made it clear that the starting gig belongs to the veteran. “To me, this is my team until someone else tells me otherwise,” Hoyer told Vic Carucci of ClevelandBrowns.com.

Sunday Roundup: Manziel, Marciano, Chiefs

August 10th, 2014 at 12:54pm CST by Rory Parks

As teams try to improve upon their performances from the first week of preseason games, let’s take a look at some links from around the league:

Browns Notes: Holmes, Gordon, Manziel

August 6th, 2014 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

While the Browns addressed most of their positions of need this offseason, wide receiver remains an area of concern, with Josh Gordon potentially facing a lengthy suspension. A Gordon decision is expected within the next couple weeks, but in the meantime, the club continues to explore its options at the position. Last night, we heard that former Richmond wideout Ben Edwards auditioned for the Browns, though he didn’t sign with the team. Here’s more on Gordon, Cleveland’s receiving corps, and anything else Browns-related:

  • A Tuesday report from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggested that veteran wideout Santonio Holmes had drawn interest from the Browns, but Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link) hears that the team is not currently interested in the former Jet.
  • The longer the league’s decision on Gordon’s suspension is delayed, the more hope the Browns and their fans will have that his penalty will be reduced, and the crueler it would be if the NFL upheld the original year-long ban, writes Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland.
  • Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report polled six NFL general managers on which rebuilding team they were most optimistic about, and five of the six picked the Browns. Per Freeman, the sixth GM chose the Bills.
  • Within Freeman’s piece, he also notes that Browns players have been impressed by Johnny Manziel‘s work ethic and his ability to quickly pick up the offense and the playbook, though many players on the roster still prefer to head into the 2014 season with Brian Hoyer as the starter. For now, Hoyer tops the depth chart at quarterback, as Pat McManamon of ESPN.com details.

Extra Points: Trump, Ravens, Manziel, Eagles, 49ers

August 3rd, 2014 at 10:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Al Michaels spoke to Donald Trump prior to NBC’s Sunday Night Football and the commentator revealed that the business magnate made a substantial bid to purchase the Bills. How substantial?

“He said he offered $1 billion. All cash, no contingencies, immediate closing. He’d have the check in one hour,” Michaels said (via ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio). “He was a little miffed that it went out for bid again.”

We previously heard that Buffalo Sabers owner Terry Pegula bid a reported $1.3 billion while the Toronto-based group led by Jon Bon Jovi bid an estimated $1.2 billion.

With that, that’s take a look at some more NFL notes…

  • The Ravens worked out free agent tight end Steve Maneri, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson notes that the team auditioned Maneri as an offensive tackle.
  • ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon believes that Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel “took advantage” of his opportunities during Saturday’s practice. While Brian Hoyer has been “steady and solid” in camp, McManamon opines that he hasn’t improved much since the second day. As a result, the writer believes the rookie has changed the Browns quarterback conversation.
  • On Friday, Eagles cornerback Cary Williams expressed his displeasure about practicing with the Patriots during the preseason because “they are cheaters” (via CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher). On Sunday, Williams was missing from practice, but he made sure to emphasize that his absence had nothing to do with his comments. “[I]t had nothing to do with that,” Williams said (again, via Mosher).  “I haven’t even discussed anything with Chip (Kelly). I don’t think he’s trying any type of. . . . I’m sure maybe we’ll have a conversation, but I don’t know.”
  • Meanwhile, there were no question about 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh‘s intent when he sent a duo of starters to the locker room. As CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco writes, wideout Anquan Boldin was booted from practice on Friday following a scuffle. On Sunday, cornerback Chris Culliver was sent off the field following a rough hit on David Reed.

Sunday Roundup: Bon Jovi, Orton, Browns

August 3rd, 2014 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up some links from around the league as Sunday morning turns into Sunday afternoon:

  • In order to stem concerns from Bills‘ fans that the Toronto-based group led by rocker Jon Bon Jovi would like to ultimately move the team to Toronto if its ownership bid is successful, Bon Jovi himself wrote a letter published in the Buffalo News on Sunday morning stating that he hopes to make the Bills successful “in Buffalo.” As John Wawrow of the Associated Press writes, however, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told the AP several weeks ago that he has no doubts regarding Bon Jovi’s group’s long-term intentions to move the team to Toronto.
  • Bears‘ GM Phil Emery is open to a reunion with Kyle Orton if Orton wants to play in 2014, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Orton, who was released by the Cowboys last month, began his career in Chicago and the Bears have twice tried to re-sign him since trading him to Denver in the Jay Cutler deal five years ago. Orton would represent an upgrade at backup quarterback over Jimmy Clausen and Jordan Palmer.
  • Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thinks that it is a “good sign” that Browns‘ receiver Josh Gordon and his attorneys are heading back to New York on Monday to resume Gordon’s appeal hearing. Cabot believes that Gordon will still be suspended, but perhaps not indefinitely.
  • In the same piece, Cabot opines that Browns‘ second-year pro Barkevious Mingo could produce double-digit sacks in 2014. George M. Thomas and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal similarly believe that Mingo looks poised for a breakout campaign.
  • In a separate piece, Ulrich writes that Browns‘ rookie QB Johnny Manziel could be gaining ground on presumed starter Brian Hoyer.
  • Scott Brown of ESPN.com writes that Steelers‘ head coach Mike Tomlin is paying particularly close attention to the unheralded running backs fighting to make the team’s 53-man roster, including Tauren Poole, Miguel Maysonet, and Josh Harris.
  • I posted an article earlier today regarding a potential contract extension for 49ers‘ head coach Jim Harbaugh, and Eric Branch of the San Fransisco Chronicle adds to that discussion. He writes that CEO Jed York believes he and Harbaugh are “on the same page” in their contract talks and that both parties will assess where they are after the 2014 season.
  • Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune writes that Buccaneers wide receiver Tommy Streeter has been the pleasant surprise of training camp thus far.
  • Herbie Teope of ChiefsSpin.com tweets that Chiefs‘ star safety Eric Berry returned to practice today.
  • ESPN.com has created a chart detailing the first impressions that the first-round picks of 2014 have made.
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