Johnny Manziel - Pro Football Rumors

Sunday Roundup: Browns, Whitworth, Brees

September 27th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

Dwayne Bowe is a healthy scratch for the Browns in Week 3, which, given Cleveland’s dearth of talent at wide receiver, speaks volumes about Bowe’s present ability. Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com appears to believe that the team will cut ties with Bowe sooner rather than later, tweeting that the team will wait for GM Ray Farmer to return from suspension after next week’s game and then pull the plug on Bowe. Grossi’s ESPN colleagues Adam Caplan and Jeremy Fowler, however, disagree. Fowler tweets that the Browns will at least wait to see if Bowe can get himself into game shape, while Caplan tweets that, between the $9MM in guaranteed money the Browns invested in Bowe, combined with the team’s need at wideout, Bowe will have a little more time to prove himself.

Now let’s take a peek at a few more links from around the league:

Johnny Manziel may not be playing for the Browns this week, but as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, he continues to impress Cleveland brass with the strides he has made both on and off the field. The team will continue to roll with veteran Josh McCown for the time being, but if the Browns should begin to slip from the playoff picture, Manziel will get the chance to prove he is the team’s long-awaited solution under center.
Coley Harvey of ESPN.com believes the extension that the Bengals recently gave to Andrew Whitworth is a clear indication that the team does not see its window of opportunity closing, and that they will continue to be championship contenders for the foreseeable future. Although the team has not officially announced the extension, Harvey tweets that the announcement could come after today’s game against Baltimore.
Drew Brees‘ injury clouds his future with the Saints, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the team could free up $20MM in salary cap room by parting ways with Brees next year and beginning the rebuilding process. Of course, before that happens, the team would have to have a viable alternative under center; Luke McCown is not the answer, and rookie Garrett Grayson, needless to say, has a long way to go.
If Brees should end up looking for a new home next year, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says the Jets would likely be a strong contender for his services.
Chuck Pagano may be coaching his last season in Indianapolis, but he is apparently unafraid to make drastic changes to jump start his struggling club. As Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets, the Colts went with a new-look offensive line today, starting Jack Mewhort at left guard, Hugh Thornton at right guard, and Joe Reitz at right tackle. Free agent acquisition Todd Herremans, notably, moves to the bench.
During the 2009 draft, the Jaguars traded their seventh-round pick in that draft and their second-round pick in the 2010 draft to the Patriots in exchange for New England’s third-round pick in 2009. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, Jacksonville selected Derek Cox with that third-round pick, and the Pats parlayed their two choices into Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.

AFC Notes: Geno, Raiders, Browns, Chiefs, Broncos

September 25th, 2015 at 7:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Geno Smith‘s prospects when it comes to turning into a viable starting quarterback in the NFL ostensibly aren’t good, but one of his Jets teammates – receiver Brandon Marshall – thinks the 24-year-old has a bright future.

“But like I said from the beginning — and I’ll stand by this — Geno is going to have a monster year, but unfortunately he’s not in it right now,” Marshall said Friday on SiriusXM Radio, according to Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin. “But he’ll get his shot. He’s still young and he has a long career ahead of him.”

Smith was supposed to be the Jets’ starter this year, but ex-teammate IK Enemkpali broke Smith’s jaw with a punch in August. Since then, Ryan Fitzpatrick has taken the reins and helped lead the Jets to a 2-0 start. As a result, Fitzpatrick has earned a vote of confidence from head coach Todd Bowles. Even without Fitzpatrick to take into consideration, the fact is that Smith hasn’t played well during his career. The 2013 second-round pick’s completion percentage sits in the high-50s and he’s thrown 25 touchdowns against 34 interceptions in 30 games.

Other news and notes from the AFC:

Oakland city and stadium officials have restarted exploratory talks on a new stadium with the Raiders, ESPN’s Bill Williamson reports. The Raiders have set a deadline for Oakland to figure out a new stadium plan by year’s end. If no progress is made, the Raiders – whose lease expires at the end of the season – could relocate to Carson, Calif.
The Browns had two first-round picks in the 2014 draft. They came out of the round with cornerback Justin Gilbert and quarterback Johnny Manziel. Gilbert’s career has been an abject disaster thus far, and Manziel’s hasn’t been a whole lot better. The Browns’ Sunday opponent is the Raiders, whose first two picks in 2014 were star linebacker Khalil Mack and blossoming QB Derek Carr. With that in mind, Tom Reed of Cleveland.com took a look at what could have been for the Browns.
In other Browns news, they tried out free agent receiver Jerry Rice Jr. this week, tweets Pro Football Talk. The son of the greatest wideout ever went undrafted out of UNLV in 2014 and has spent time with Washington and Baltimore.
Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who won an offseason battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, has regained his spot as a starter in the team’s base defense, coordinator Bob Sutton said (link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star). This comes on the heels of the three-time Pro Bowler playing 71 of 73 snaps in the Chiefs’ Week 2 loss to Denver. Berry’s increase in playing time means a decrease for Hussein Abdullah, who played 37 percent of snaps in Week 2 compared to 86 in Week 1.
The Broncos’ defense has allowed the fewest yards per game and the seventh-fewest points per game this year. Their players and coaches believe third-year tackle Sylvester Williams has played a key role in their success. “It’s exciting to start to see him develop into the type of player that we all know that he can be,” linebacker Von Miller said, according to Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post. “He’ll have a heck of a year. He’s truly a hard worker,” added defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. “He’s got talent, but a lot of guys have talent and they don’t work how he does.”

Extra Points: Jack, Johnny Football, Bucs

September 23rd, 2015 at 9:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Two-way UCLA star Myles Jack has a $5MM insurance policy that pays out if he’s not a first-round pick, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. Jack, who is done for the season after suffering a torn meniscus, might have an easier time entering the draft this year with that financial security backing him. Prior to the injury, Jack was widely considered to be a top ten prospect. Now, his stock is very much up in the air. Here’s more from around the NFL..

When asked if he’s still the team’s quarterback of the future, Johnny Manziel said, “From everything I’ve heard, whether it’s our GM or owner, that’s still the case [as] far as I know,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). On Wednesday, the Browns announced that Josh McCown will resume his duties as starting quarterback in Week 3 against the Raiders.
The Buccaneers tried out cornerback Tay Glover-Wright, wide receiver Donatella Luckett, defensive back Ryan Murphy, wide receiver Evan Spencer, and safety Pierre Warren, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter) wouldn’t be surprised if cornerback Josh Gordy resurfaces with another team this year. The Giants cut the cornerback from IR with an injury settlement on Wednesday.

Browns To Start Josh McCown In Week 3

September 23rd, 2015 at 8:34am CST by Luke Adams

Last week, reports suggested that the Browns would have played Josh McCown over Johnny Manziel at quarterback if the veteran signal-caller had been medically cleared, and even after Manziel led the team to a Week 2 win over the Titans, it appears that stance hasn’t changed. After passing through the concussion protocol and getting the go-ahead, McCown will start this weekend against the Raiders, the Browns announced today in a press release.

McCown, 36, led the Browns all the way down the field in the team’s opening series of the regular season, completing five of eight passes for 49 yards, and picking up another 23 yards on the ground. However, he suffered a concussion on the very last play of the drive, when he took a big hit while trying to dive into the Jets’ end zone.

Manziel held his own in McCown’s absence, so the leash for the veteran figures to be a little shorter beginning this weekend than it would have been at the start of the season.

In other Browns news, Berea prosecutor Jim Walters won’t be filing charges against offensive line coach Andy Moeller, according to Vince Grzegorek of Cleveland Scene (Twitter link). The Browns suspended Moeller indefinitely earlier this month while he was being investigated for a possible domestic incident.

“It is quite clear an incident of volatile nature took place,” the Berea prosecutor’s office said in a statement, per Grzegorek (Twitter link). “What is less clear is the actions of the two persons involved.”

While Moeller will no longer face charges for the incident, the NFL could still suspend him after conducting its own investigation, so we’ll have to wait and see whether or not he’s reinstated by the Browns.

North Notes: Beachum, Browns, Suggs

September 20th, 2015 at 12:41pm CST by Rory Parks

One of the more important contract situations that has not received a great deal of media attention is that of Steelers left tackle Kelvin Beachum. The former seventh-round selection from SMU started all 16 games for Pittsburgh last season and graded out as the fifth-best tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Beachum was particularly effective at pass-blocking, and it is no coincidence that Ben Roethlisberger and his arsenal of explosive weapons enjoyed an immensely successful 2014 campaign.

However, as Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes, the deadline for the Steelers and Beachum to come to a contract extension came and went last week, which means that Beachum will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in March. Beachum presents an interesting case, as he is the smallest starting left tackle in the league, but he has proven that he can be at least a capable starter, which is something that the Steelers have been seeking for a long time. Beachum understandably wants to be paid like one of the elite left tackles in the league, which would garner him a contract worth between $8MM and $13MM per year, but as Kaboly writes, “with the Steelers tight against the cap and Lawrence Timmons, Le’Veon Bell, Heath Miller and David DeCastro up for extensions next year, the Steelers simply can’t afford to pay Beachum market price.”

Now let’s take a look at some more links from the league’s north divisions:

Although Johnny Manziel is getting the chance to start for the Browns today, Josh McCown will reclaim the job when healthy, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com (citing NFL.com colleague Ian Rapoport). Cleveland brass is pleased with the progress Manziel has made thus far, but the Browns continue to believe that McCown, who won the job in training camp, represents the best chance for them to win.
Former NFL agent Joel Corry took a bit of a dig at the Browns this morning, tweeting that Cleveland appears to be a prime candidate to overpay for Bears WR Alshon Jeffery in free agency next offseason if Chicago does not put the franchise tag on Jeffery.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Ravens LB Terrell Suggs, who is out for the season after tearing his ACL in the team’s Week 1 loss to Denver, is not even considering retirement. Suggs will begin rehabbing his injury shortly and fully intends to play in 2016.
Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune examines recent comments made by Cardinals GM Steve Keim regarding how he was able to effect such a quick turnaround in Arizona–specifically Keim’s belief in building through the draft and using free agency for short-term relief–and wonders if it is a model the Bears can realistically follow.

North Notes: AP, Walsh, Manziel, Bears

September 19th, 2015 at 7:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is at his best in the shotgun. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is at his best in the I-formation. Bridgewater is eight years younger than Peterson, meaning the Vikings have to consider his development of the utmost importance. That doesn’t mean they’re going to phase Peterson out of their offense, writes Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. Peterson had just 10 carries for 31 yards in the Vikings’ 20-3 loss in San Francisco on Monday, but offensive coordinator Norv Turner doesn’t expect that lack of usage to become a trend.

“We’re looking at the things we have to do and the things that give us a chance to beat Detroit,” said Turner. “Games come up different and we all know Adrian is a big part of what we do and we want him to be able to have an impact.”

The Vikings’ matchup against the NFC North rival Lions is one of Week 2’s biggest, considering both playoff hopefuls are looking to avoid 0-2 starts. It’ll be interesting to see if Peterson rebounds and tears through the Lions’ defense – something he’s done throughout his career. The 30-year-old has 1,258 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games against Detroit.

Here’s more on the Vikings and a couple other North-based clubs:

The Vikings elected in the offseason to let Peterson’s former lead blocker, fullback Jerome Felton, depart in free agency. Felton signed in Buffalo for $3.6MM in guarantees, and the Vikings gave kicker Blair Walsh slightly more ($3.7MM guaranteed). Both decisions could prove to haunt the team, opines Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Walsh’s accuracy has dropped precipitously every year of his career, from 92.1 percent to 86.7 to 74.3 last year, and he missed one of his two kicks Monday.
With Johnny Manziel set to make his third career start, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal checked off what the second-year man will need to do against Tennessee in order to show the Browns he’s ready for a bigger role. Manziel’s tenure in the pros has been disastrous thus far, so a solid Sunday showing would obviously be a welcome change for him and the Browns.
The Bears had the second-most turnovers during the preseason, but most of the plays were made by defenders who are no longer filling prominent roles now that the regular season has begun. That’s a problem, writes the Chicago Sun-Times’ Adam Jahns, who wonders where the Bears’ defensive playmakers are. They have several well-paid defenders and former high-round draft picks, but they were quiet during the exhibition season and in the team’s Week 1 loss to Green Bay. Head coach John Fox is hoping for better things against Arizona in Week 2. “You get 16 opportunities, and we’re into our second one,’’ Fox said. ‘‘I look for improvement.’’

Johnny Manziel To Start Week 2 For Browns

September 18th, 2015 at 10:38am CST by Connor J. Byrne

FRIDAY, 10:38am: The Browns have officially announced (via Twitter) that Manziel will start on Sunday. Ulrich tweets that McCown remains in concussion protocol and won’t practice today, opening the door for the second-year signal-caller.

THURSDAY, 5:40pm: Browns quarterback Josh McCown will likely start the team’s game against the Titans this Sunday if he’s medically cleared to practice Friday morning, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes.

“If he’s cleared and practices fully tomorrow, I don’t see, barring anything unforeseen, a reason why we wouldn’t play him,” head coach Mike Pettine said, according to Ulrich.

McCown entered the season as the Browns’ starter, but he suffered a concussion in their 31-10 loss to the Jets after completing 5 of 8 passes for 49 yards. McCown sustained the injury in the first quarter while diving into the end zone for what could have been a touchdown. However, multiple Jets hit him and caused a fumble that New York recovered. The game was scoreless at the time. Cleveland’s second-string QB, Johnny Manziel, entered the game in relief and performed poorly, hitting on 13 of 24 throws for 182 yards, a touchdown, an interception, and two fumbles.

Manziel will start against 1-0 Tennessee if McCown isn’t medically cleared to play, though Pettine is optimistic about McCown’s chances.

“We’re hopeful, optimistic,” said Pettine. “To me, these situations you learn over time, they’re just impossible to predict.”

AFC Notes: Pats, Hilton, Rice, Manziel

September 17th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Earlier this week, the NFL reinstated Patriots employee Jim McNally from suspension for his role in the DeflateGate scandal. McNally may not be totally out of the woods yet, though, as new allegations against him have come to light. Former official Mark Baltz, the league’s head linesman from 1989-2013, told WTHR.com that he was always suspicious of McNally, according to John Breech of CBSSports.com.

“[McNally] was always worried about the footballs. Always,” Baltz stated. “It was very odd. I reported him to the league, but never got any reaction from them. I don’t think they thought it was a big deal at the time. But [McNally] did things that 31 other locker room attendants don’t do.”

Baltz said he reported McNally to the league six to eight years ago.

“All I know is, when he got [the footballs], he would run. He would take off,” Baltz added. “Whether he was going somewhere and letting air out, I’m definitely suspicious, but I don’t know for sure.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Colts No. 1 receiver T.Y. Hilton caught seven passes for 88 yards before suffering a knee injury that caused him to leave the team’s 27-14 loss to Buffalo last Sunday. Afterward, there was fear that he’d be out for a solid chunk of time. However, Hilton and head coach Chuck Pagano think he could be ready to go in time for Monday’s game against the Jets. “A game-time decision depending on how I feel,” Hilton said Thursday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Pagano said he has “a lot” of optimism that Hilton will play this week.
With LeSean McCoy‘s hamstring injury continuing to be an issue, the Bills suddenly look thin at running back. However, don’t expect them to sign free agent Ray Rice, according to Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). Instead, look for rookie Karlos Williams‘ workload to increase. Williams rushed for a team-high 55 yards and a touchdown on just six carries in the Bills’ win over Indianapolis.
There aren’t many believers left when it comes to Johnny Manziel, but Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is one of them. “Johnny has tremendous physical attributes — tremendous physical attributes,” DeFilippo said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We just have to keep grooming him and keep teaching him situational football and when to take chances and when not to.”
The Ravens got just 190 total yards from their offense in their 19-13 opening week loss to Denver. New offensive coordinator Marc Trestman took the blame, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Trestman said his offense has to find ways to get the ball downfield. That should be easier this week against a thin Oakland secondary.

Browns Release Thad Lewis, Pat Devlin

September 5th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns have released quarterbacks Thaddeus Lewis (via WFNY’s Scott Sargent on Twitter) and Pat Devlin (via ESPNCleveland.com’s Tony Grossi on Twitter). The move leaves the team with only two quarterbacks on their roster, which indicates that Johnny Manziel should be healthy enough to back up starter Josh McCown. Former quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who is trying to make the team as a receiver, could also be considered an emergency, third-string play-caller.

Lewis signed with the Browns in March, inking a one-year contract. The 27-year-old didn’t make an appearance with the Texans in 2014, but he did start five games for the Bills in 2013.

Devlin joined the team in August after having spent three seasons with the Dolphins. Grossi notes that Devlin could return to the organization via the practice squad.

Both moves will save the Browns $585K.

Browns Links: Manziel, Pryor, Johnson

August 22nd, 2015 at 6:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest on the Browns:

While backup quarterback Johnny Manziel looked much better than starter Josh McCown during Thursday’s game against Buffalo, don’t expect the two to flip-flop on the depth chart. Bud Shaw of the Northeast Ohio Media Group writes that Manziel lost a lot of trust within the organization as a rookie last year and it’s going to take more than solid preseason work to unseat McCown.
Terrelle Pryor, who’s in the incipient stages of his career as a wide receiver after switching from quarterback in June, is far from a shoo-in to make the Browns’ roster. The hamstring injury that has bothered the fifth-year man for nearly all of August isn’t helping his cause, according to head coach Mike Pettine. “He’s not guaranteed a spot,” Pettine said Saturday, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. “He’s got to play, and that window narrows every day he’s not out there.”
Fellow Browns wideout Dwayne Bowe seems a lot more bullish about Pryor than Pettine does. “He’s a specimen,” Bowe said Saturday, according to ESPN’s Pat McManamon. “You’ve got to have a guy like that on the field.”
Like Pryor, third-round rookie Duke Johnson has also been felled by a hamstring this month. But, despite sitting out most of August and both of Cleveland’s preseason games, the ex-Miami Hurricane is still confident he can be the Browns’ starting running back as early as Week 1. “I feel like I can (start) but that’s not my decision,” he told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “If I’m not that starting guy, just know whoever is that starting guy, that’s the man for the job because we came out here and competed and we push each other to be the best.” The Browns are hoping to get some Johnson on the field for their next preseason game. Pettine stated that “the next two weeks are big for Duke.”