Johnny Manziel

Browns To Start Josh McCown At QB

November 24th, 2015 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

A week after declaring that Johnny Manziel would be the team’s starting quarterback for the rest of the season, the Browns announced today that Josh McCown is returning to the starting lineup for Week 12. The decision comes in the wake of head coach Mike Pettine telling reporters that he was “very” disappointed in Manziel after video footage surfaced of the second-year QB partying at a nightclub in Austin, Texas.

“Josh McCown will be the starting quarterback on Monday night against the Ravens,” Pettine said in a statement. “I informed the quarterbacks of that decision after I sat down and spoke with Johnny, Flip (John DeFilippo) and Kevin (O’Connell) after practice today. Johnny will be the third quarterback. I’ve spoken to Ray (Farmer) and Jimmy (Haslam) to inform them of my decision, and they are in full support.

“Everyone in this organization wants what is best for Johnny just like we do for every player in our locker room. I’m especially disappointed in his actions and behavior because he has been working very hard. The improvements from last year to this year have been tremendous but he still has to consistently demonstrate that he has gained a good understanding of what it takes to be successful at the quarterback position on this level. It goes well beyond the field. We are going to continue to support him in every way possible, but at this point, we’ve decided it’s best to go with Josh as the starter going forward.”

Not only will Manziel not be starting this Monday, but he’ll find himself third on the depth chart. According to the club, Austin Davis will be McCown’s backup, and will be the next man up if the veteran struggles or goes down with an injury.

In the wake of Manziel’s latest off-field incident, his future in Cleveland has become increasingly murky. While he remains under contract through the 2017 season, with a team option for 2018, Manziel appears to be running out of chances to become the long-term answer at the quarterback spot for the Browns.

AFC North Notes: Manziel, Pouncey, Ravens

November 24th, 2015 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Video footage has surfaced in recent days of Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel partying at a nightclub in Austin, Texas, the latest off-field distraction for a player who vowed to cut down on those stories this season. While Manziel hinted that the video posted of him could be an old one, multiple outlets have indicated it was filmed last week, during the Browns’ bye, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com outlines.

Speaking today to reporters, including Cabot, head coach Mike Pettine said that the Browns are still in the process of gathering information about the video, but called it “very” disappointing (Twitter links). It was only a week ago that Pettine committed to Manziel as the club’s starting quarterback for the rest of the season, but this situation may make the staff reconsider — Pettine confirmed today that Josh McCown is ready to play if Cleveland decides to start him over Manziel (Twitter link).

As Pettine explained, the Browns’ concern and frustration stems from Manziel’s “repeated pattern of behavior” (Twitter links). The head coach wouldn’t say if the organization would ask Manziel to get more help, after he spent 10 weeks in a rehab facility during the offseason (Twitter link).

Here’s more from around the AFC North:

Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey has been on IR-DTR since the start of the season, and it doesn’t sound like he’s quite ready to be activated. The initial timetable for Pouncey, who broke his fibula, suggested he’d be out until at least Week 12, and head coach Mike Tomlin said today that he hasn’t checked on the veteran lineman’s status, adding that it’s not the “11th hour” for that situation quite yet (Twitter link via Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network).
The Ravens are in the market for a backup quarterback, with Matt Schaub set to take over for Joe Flacco. However, there’s nothing going on between the team and veteran free agent Jason Campbell, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). That’s not surprising, since other teams have had no luck wooing Campbell this year.
Flacco’s ACL injury adds another layer to the contract re-negotiations that are sure to happen this offseason between the quarterback and the Ravens, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. In Zrebiec’s view though, Flacco will still have the leverage, assuming his recovery is progressing smoothly. Zrebiec also addresses Tyrod Taylor‘s offseason departure, Quinton Coples‘ potential fit – or lack thereof – in Baltimore, and the idea of the Ravens targeting a tackle in next year’s draft.

QB Notes: Osweiler, Winston, Manziel, Kaep

November 21st, 2015 at 6:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Three years after the Broncos selected him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, quarterback Brock Osweiler will finally make his first career start Sunday. Osweiler has sat behind the now-injured Peyton Manning as QBs who were taken after him have garnered far more playing time. Seattle’s Russell Wilson, chosen 18 picks after Osweiler, is already a Super Bowl winner and one of the most decorated signal callers in the league. Kirk Cousins – who went 31 choices behind Osweiler – is doing a fine job in his first season as Washington’s starter. On the other hand, Nick Foles (45 picks after Osweiler) has cooled off significantly since a red-hot 2013 and is currently riding the bench in St. Louis.

The Broncos opted for Osweiler with the 57th pick in 2012 rather than someone like Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David – who went 58th – for multiple reasons, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com: 1. General manager John Elway liked Osweiler’s size (6-foot-8, 240 pounds), especially compared to the diminutive Wilson’s (5-11, 206). 2. Manning came to the Broncos that year off a major neck injury, so Denver wanted to make sure it could find an insurance policy as early as possible in the draft. In Elway’s opinion at the time, Osweiler was the best fit. We’ll begin finding out whether he can be the answer for 7-2 Denver when its struggling offense goes on the road Sunday to face 4-5 Chicago.

Here are some more QB notes from around the league:

Buccaneers rookie Jameis Winston has notified CNN that he could sue the network if it goes through with its Sunday plan to broadcast “The Hunting Ground,” a documentary about college campus rape, according to ESPN. The documentary centers on Winston’s rape investigation from his time at Florida State and includes the first public interview with his accuser, Erica Kinsman. “We urge CNN to reconsider the reckless decision to proceed with the broadcast of this deeply-flawed documentary in the face of the overwhelming evidence the film’s producers consciously and intentionally failed to adhere to any accepted journalistic standards,” Winston’s lawyer wrote in a letter to CNN.
The Browns decided earlier this week that second-year man Johnny Manziel, not veteran Josh McCown, will start the rest of the season under center. Head coach Mike Pettine was committed to McCown earlier this season, but Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer opines that he made the choice because it’s time to truly see what Manziel can do. At 2-8, the Browns need to find out whether Manziel, a first-rounder in 2013, can be the answer going forward. If not, they might need to spend another top pick on a QB in next year’s draft. If the draft were today, they’d pick No. 1, which has often been a prime spot to land a franchise passer. Manziel has acquitted himself well statistically this season, especially in a 372-yard effort in a loss to Pittsburgh last Sunday, and will obviously need to continue doing so in order to convince the Browns to use their first-rounder on another position.
After the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick landed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn left labrum earlier Saturday, his brother tweeted that he played four and a half games with the injury. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora subsequently deduced that Kaepernick sustained the injury during a Week 4 loss to Green Bay. The 49ers are now acknowledging that they did examine Kaepernick’s shoulder after the Packers game, though they concluded at the time that he didn’t suffer a significant injury (Twitter link via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee).

NFL Won’t Discipline Johnny Manziel

November 17th, 2015 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The good news keeps coming today for Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel. After the team announced earlier today that Manziel would be the starting QB for the remainder of the 2015 season, the NFL has announced that the second-year signal-caller won’t face any discipline from the league for an October 12th incident that involved a public altercation with girlfriend Colleen Crowley.

“Consistent with the procedures of the league’s Personal Conduct Policy, we have examined the available evidence regarding the recent incident involving Johnny Manziel,” the NFL announced in a statement. “Our investigation included a thorough review of information from law enforcement and our own interviews with multiple individuals, including the two involved in the incident.

“Based on the information gathered, we have concluded that there is an insufficient basis on which to take disciplinary action. In all cases of this nature, under the Personal Conduct Policy our concern goes well beyond the issue of discipline, and we have made comprehensive professional resources available on a confidential basis.”

The decision from the NFL opens the door for Manziel to start the rest of the Browns’ games without having to worry about a looming suspension. The team has Week 11 off, and will play its next game on Monday, November 30th at home against the Ravens.

Browns Plan To Start Manziel Rest Of Season

November 17th, 2015 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

After declining to commit to Johnny Manziel for the last several weeks, Browns head coach Mike Pettine appears to have made a definitive call on the team’s quarterback situation for the rest of the 2015 season. According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the Browns plan to start Manziel over Josh McCown throughout the remainder of the second half.

Manziel, who turns 23 next month, has started the Browns’ last two games, a pair of losses that saw the team outscored by a combined score of 61-19. Still, the sophomore signal-caller has shown some positive signs, completing nearly 75% of his passes and racking up 372 yards through the air on Sunday against the Steelers.

Manziel will have nearly two weeks to prepare for his next game, since the Browns are off in Week 11, then play the Ravens on Monday night in Week 12. He’ll also play his next three games in Cleveland, with the club set to host Baltimore, Cincinnati, and San Francisco before heading back out on the road. The combination of the bye week, that somewhat favorable schedule, and the Browns’ 2-8 record should take a little of the pressure off Manziel as the team sees what it has in him down the stretch.

As for McCown, the veteran has been battling a rib issue, but figures to return to the No. 2 role when he’s healthy. He remains under contract with Cleveland through the 2017 season, so the decision to go with Manziel the rest of the way doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve seen McCown playing as a Brown for the last time.

Depending on how the second half plays out, McCown could return in 2016 to compete for the starting job — he also wouldn’t be an overly expensive backup, with a base salary of $4.375MM due next year. Of course, it’s also possible he’ll reclaim the starting role before year’s end, if Manziel struggles badly or goes down with an injury of his own.

AFC Notes: Hunter, Manziel, Pettine, Luck

November 15th, 2015 at 4:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Congratulations are in order for Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who, with a four-yard pass to running back Ronnie Hillman, leaped Brett Favre and took hold of the NFL’s passing yardage record with 71,840 yards (and counting). It’s been a trying season at times for Manning — in fact, he threw an interception to begin today’s contest — but the future Hall of Famer earned some deserved recognition from the crowd following today’s accomplishment.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC:

Titans receiver Justin Hunter had to be carted off the field during today’s game against the Panthers, and head coach Mike Mularkey said the injury is “not good,” per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link), who adds that Hunter has a cast on his right leg and is using crutches (link). Dr. David Chao of SiriusXM tweeted that the injury looks like a leg/ankle fracture, and postulated that Hunter will likely miss the remainder of the season.
Due to an injury to Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel started at quarterback for the Browns today, completing 33 of 45 attempts for 372 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 30-9 loss to the Steelers. However, head coach Mike Pettine‘s refusal to commit to Manziel full-time could be Pettine’s undoing, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Per La Canfora, there is “sweeping support” for Manziel throughout the organization, from ownership to the front office to the coaching staff. By continuing to stick with McCown, says La Canfora, Pettine is putting his job at risk. Meanwhile, owner Jimmy Haslam told Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link) that there will not be any coaching changes during Cleveland’s upcoming bye.
The NFL is still conducting its investigation into the Colts failure to report Andrew Luck‘s rib ailment on their injury report, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Indianapolis is expected to argue that it wasn’t necessary to include Luck’s rib injury given that it was actually a shoulder problem that kept him out of game action.

Sunday Roundup: Hardy, L. McCown, Welker

November 8th, 2015 at 12:47pm CST by Rory Parks

As this week’s games get underway in full force, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:

Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times, citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, reports that the Buccaneers put together a contract structure for Greg Hardy that the Cowboys ultimately mirrored, but Tampa Bay’s contract was contingent on the club meeting with Hardy for evaluation. Once it became clear that such a meeting was not possible, the Bucs pulled the offer (Twitter links).
Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune writes that Saints backup quarterback Luke McCown will get a second opinion on his back injury this week, but Terrell’s source indicates that McCown will likely require season ending surgery. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, the news is fairly significant, as New Orleans has never had to rely on a rookie to back up Drew Brees.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes that free agent wide receiver Wes Welker is still waiting for his phone to ring, and that he has passed both physicals he has taken this year. He wants to play for a contender, and he has instructed his agent to reach out again to the teams on his list to see if there is a fit.
ESPN’s Jane McManus tweets that the NFL’s investigation into Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel‘s recent encounter with police is expected to conclude this week. McManus notes that the police report and various witness testimony have complicated the investigation.
Although there was more league-wide effort to make a deal prior to this year’s trade deadline than in seasons past, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that only one trade was made because the demand from sellers was too great. The Browns and 49ers in particular asked for compensation that rival executives believed was unreasonable.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a detailed look at the 2016 wide receiver free agent class and the types of contracts some of the bigger names in the class can expect to land. Fitzgerald says the best player on that list, Alshon Jeffery, is better equipped to handle a franchise tag should the Bears go that route because he is so young and the tag will not impact the way teams view his future as long as he remains healthy.
ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the Jaguars are likely to part ways with Toby Gerhart at season’s end.
Likewise, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com believes Jon Beason has played his last game for the Giants (Twitter link).

North Notes: Browns, J. Thomas, Lions

November 6th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

With Josh McCown bothered by a painful rib injury, second-year quarterback Johnny Manziel got the nod for the Browns on Thursday night. The returns weren’t great, with Manziel struggling in the second half, completing less than 50% of his passes as the Browns fell 31-10 to the division-rival Bengals.

Still, there were some positive signs for the former 22nd overall pick, who threw for 128 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Was it enough for the Browns to give him another start? Head coach Mike Pettine wasn’t ready to commit to that following the game, as Pat McManamon of ESPN.com writes.

“When we get in and get back from this time off, we will assess what pool of players are available and go ahead and make those decisions from there,” Pettine said. “This will be a good time to step away and reassess where we are moving forward.”

As the Browns figure out who their starting quarterback will be the next time they take the field, let’s check in on some other items from out of the NFL’s North divisions….

All-Pro Browns left tackle Joe Thomas was nearly dealt to the Broncos at the trade deadline on Tuesday, and while he admitted he would have been “really crushed” to leave Cleveland, he added that he’s not upset the team considered moving him. “It doesn’t really bother me that they listened to people that offered things,” Thomas said, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “It’s kind of like you’re walking down the street and somebody says, ‘Hey, nice watch. You want to sell it?’ You say, ‘Well, it’s not for sale.’ But then you think and go, ‘Well, what will you give me?’ It’s just a matter of what the price is. Obviously, from the sounds of it, it was close but no cigar.”
Having watched Dwayne Bowe outperform Taylor Gabriel in Thursday’s game, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk wonders why the Browns have been playing Gabriel over Bowe for most of the season. In Smith’s view, the fact that Bowe hasn’t seen much playing time after Cleveland gave him $9MM in guaranteed money speaks to a possible disconnect between GM Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine.
After seeing GM Martin Mayhew and president Tom Lewand get axed yesterday by the Lions, Detroit players acknowledged that major changes to the roster could be the next shoe to drop. “When new people come in, they obviously feel like the people who were here weren’t getting the job done, so they try to bring in their own guys,” safety Glover Quin said, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “Everybody, at least for me, I feel like everybody’s on the chopping block. Everybody’s job is on the line.”

North Notes: Packers, Peterson, Jacoby Jones

November 4th, 2015 at 7:14pm CST by Zachary Links

There are some big free agent decisions looming for the Packers, as Rob Reischel of the Journal-Sentinel writes. The Packers’ unrestricted free agents will include defensive end Mike Daniels, defensive tackles B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion, cornerback Casey Hayward, outside linebackers Mike Neal and Nick Perry, kicker Mason Crosby, wide receiver James Jones, fullback John Kuhn, and running back James Starks. Meanwhile, safety Chris Banjo, linebacker Andy Mulumba and guard Lane Taylor headline Green Bay’s list of restricted free agents. GM Ted Thompson has done a great job of keeping the team’s core together in recent years, but this year’s free agent class might test his abilities.

Here’s more out of the North divisions:

Tom Brady isn’t the only star that wants to play for another decade, as Mike Florio of PFT writes. “If God’s willing, 10 more years,” Vikings running back Adrian Peterson said regarding the duration of his career. “If God’s willing, I’ll just be able to walk away from the game at the highest level whenever I decide.” For his career, AP has run for 10,823 total yards. He’s still 7,532 yards behind Emmitt Smith’s all-time career total.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh wasn’t aware of Jacoby Jones‘ release until shortly after practice Wednesday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. Harbaugh said that Jones’ availability will at least be discussed. On Tuesday, the Chargers parted ways with the one time Baltimore Super Bowl hero. The veteran returned five punts for a grand total of -4 yards for the Bolts, which clearly wasn’t what they had in mind when they gave him a two-year, $5.5MM deal in the spring.
The Browns will start Johnny Manziel vs. the Bengals on Thursday night, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

No Major Trades Expected For Browns

November 3rd, 2015 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

1:47pm: The Browns continue to discuss possible trades involving Mingo and Kruger, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

1:35pm: Within the last few days, the Browns have emerged as one of the most fascinating teams to watch at the trade deadline, with names like Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, and Barkevious Mingo emerging as potential trade candidates. However, despite all the rumors and speculation, Cleveland isn’t expected to participate in any major deals at this afternoon’s deadline, says ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

As I noted earlier today, there was a chance of the Browns becoming the day’s biggest seller if their asking prices were met, but those prices sounded quite steep. Several reports indicated the team was seeking more than a single first-round pick for Thomas, while one report suggested Cleveland wanted a third-round pick for either Mack or Mingo.

General manager Ray Farmer still has nearly 90 minutes to make a trade, and it remains possible he’ll make a move or two. It doesn’t sound like a player as notable as Thomas will be involved in any deal, however.

Here are a couple more Browns-related notes, as the deadline nears:

If the Browns do make a move, outside linebacker Paul Kruger is another player worth keeping an eye on. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the team is willing to pay some of Kruger’s remaining salary to complete a deal.
While Josh McCown hasn’t been ruled out yet, the Browns are preparing for Thursday’s game as if Johnny Manziel will start, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network. The short week doesn’t allow for a banged-up McCown to get much in the way of recovery time.

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