Johnny Manziel - Pro Football Rumors

AFC North Notes: Manziel, Bengals, Atkins

February 12th, 2018 at 3:30pm CST by Zachary Links

In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel opened up about his history of substance abuse and disclosed that he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“I was self medicating with alcohol because that’s what I thought was making me happy to help me get out of that depression to a point where I felt like I had some sense of happiness,” Manziel said (transcript via Joey Morona of Cleveland.com). “But at the end of the day, when you wake up the next day after a night like that or after going on a trip like that, and you wake up the next day and that’s all gone. And that liquid courage or that liquid sense of euphoria that’s over you that’s all gone and you’re left staring at the ceiling by yourself and you’re back in that depression and back in that hole, that dark hole of sitting in a room by yourself and being super depressed again thinking about all the mistakes you made in your life. Where did that get me? Where did that get me except out of the NFL? Where did it get me? Disgraced.”

Manziel remains focused on mounting an NFL comeback, but he’ll have to get on a football field somewhere before he can put himself on the radar for teams. At last check, Manziel’s agent was in a standoff with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats as they try to negotiate a contract.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

One of the Bengals‘ top priorities this offseason is getting new deals done for defensive tackle Geno Atkins and defensive end Carlos Dunlap, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Ideally, the Bengals would like to frontload those deals, giving them more room to work with in 2019 and beyond. This year, Atkins is slated to carry a $9.5MM cap hit and Dunlap is slated to count for $7.3MM. If the Bengals can get both deals squared away before free agency begins next month, they will have a better idea of how much room they have to work with. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson examined the Bengals’ other top priorities for the offseason, starting with the offensive line.
The Steelers recently created $13.5MM in cap space by moving some money around, but there’s more that can be done in that area, Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette writes. Antonio Brown ($7.875MM), Cam Heyward ($9MM), Joe Haden ($9MM), Ryan Shazier ($8.72MM) and Maurkice Pouncey ($7MM) all have large salaries for 2018 that can be restructured, if needed. The Steelers are expected to use that increased flexibility on a new multi-year deal for star running back Le’Veon Bell. For his part, Bell says that this round of talks has been more productive than 2017’s negotiations.

Latest On Johnny Manziel

February 1st, 2018 at 9:16am CST by Zachary Links

Recently, Johnny Manziel‘s agent set a deadline of January 31 for the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats to present his client with a deal to his liking. That date has come and gone, but the Ti-Cats say that they will continue to pursue a deal with the troubled quarterback.

“While the discussions with Johnny Manziel and his representative have been very cordial and informative, there is nothing imminent and nothing to report. We will continue to do our due diligence and will have no further public comment on the matter as we move forward,” the team said in a statement.

Manziel’s camp is trying to play hardball with Hamilton, but the reality is that the QB doesn’t have many options on the table. So far, no NFL team has been willing to take a chance on the former first-round pick, not even on a practice squad deal. The Tiger-Cats hold the CFL’s exclusive negotiating rights for Manziel and the north-of-the-border league is the best professional platform for Manziel to showcase himself. Ultimately, he may have no choice but to accept whatever offer is put in front of him.

In his statement last month, agent Erik Burkhart said that he was seeking a contract in line with what other Ti-Cats QBs have received in recent years. As ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert notes, last year’s starter Zach Collaros earned about $500K in 2017.

For his part, Manziel doesn’t seem to think the two sides are far apart in negotiations (Twitter link).

Latest On Johnny Manziel

January 25th, 2018 at 11:13am CST by Zachary Links

Johnny Manziel’s agent says that he is giving the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL until Jan 31 to work out a ”fair deal.” The Tiger-Cats say they will not abide by any deadline.

“A lot of stuff happens in the negotiation process,” Hamilton GM Eric Tillman said (via Alex Marvez of The Sporting News). “We have a lot of respect for Erik. Our meetings with Johnny have been good. We’ll be patient. I know the deadline is there but will be fluid. There’s a lot of time between now and the beginning of camp (in May).”

The Tiger-Cats, who own Manziel’s CFL rights, showed interest in signing the quarterback to a deal last year However, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie blocked the deal, saying that Manziel would first have to satisfy certain off-field conditions. In late December, Ambrosie opened the door for Manziel to join the league. The Tiger-Cats remain intrigued by Manziel’s potential, though they are unwilling to cave to demands by Manziel’s agent.

“I see a lot of good in Johnny. We see a lot of upside in him,” Tillman said. “We visited with him and looked him in the eye. I think he’s a guy who wants to reestablish himself even more as a person than a player. If he comes, I think it will be a win-win situation.”

Manziel, 26, has not played in the NFL since the 2015 season and the CFL could be a launching pad for his NFL return. If his camp can’t come to terms with Hamilton, he could always look into joining the XFL 2.0.

Latest On Johnny Manziel

January 8th, 2018 at 5:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Will Johnny Manziel wind up north of the border? Not unless the Hamilton Tiger-Cats make with the money.

Johnny Manziel’s agent Erik Burkhardt says that he is giving the Tiger-Cats until Jan 31 to work out a ”fair deal,” . Burkhardt adds that Manziel’s salary must be “on par with what Hamilton has paid their QB in recent years, despite not having much on-field success. If no deal is reached, Manziel will move on to “other professional options” (it appears that Manziel’s representation has a personality as bold as the quarterback himself).

Here is the statement, in full, courtesy of NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Facebook link):

“Despite much speculation and several comments from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and CFL, Johnny and I have remained silent and continued to focus on his training and preparation. Due to the tremendous support, Johnny wants to let Hamilton fans know where things stand and that he has been working hard in preparation for his comeback.

As context, the CFL maintains an archaic and restrictive rule, whereby their teams can claim an amateur players’ rights, and essentially hold those rights into perpetuity, without any consideration or compensation for the player. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL claimed Johnny’s rights when he was a freshman at Texas A&M, and have continued to hold them for over 6 years.

Johnny and I have done our due diligence on the League and team, which has included visiting Hamilton, meeting with CEO Scott Mitchell, as well as multiple meetings and working out for Coach June Jones. All of these interactions have been very positive and served to reinforce Johnny’s excitement for coming out to play for the Tiger Cats. Johnny was pleased to have the opportunity to talk ball with Coach Jones, who has publicly shared his belief that Johnny would be a good fit for the team he’s trying to field.

As Hamilton has announced, and per the aforementioned restrictive rule requirements, they sent us a place-holder contract in order to maintain Johnny’s rights and allow us adequate time to negotiate a deal. During our diligence process and at my request, Hamilton also graciously gave me permission to discuss potential trade options with at least one other club. Johnny and I met with those executives in Texas to discuss their organization and thoughts on Johnny’s market and value around the CFL. However, due to Johnny’s strong relationship with Coach Jones and Hamilton executive Kent Austin, we’ve made the decision to deal exclusively with Hamilton and give them until January 31st to work out a fair deal to make him their Quarterback. So that there will not be any ambiguity in regards to financial expectations, and so the public understands how seriously Johnny is considering this move, I will tell you that we believe ‘fair deal’ means on par with what Hamilton has paid their QB in recent years, despite not having much on-field success. If we cannot reach a deal with Hamilton by this date, we will turn our focus to several other professional options readily available to us.”

Manziel, 25, years old, has not played in the NFL since the 2015 season. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former Heisman trophy winner completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. There could still be untapped potential there, but the longer we go without seeing Manziel on the field, the harder it is to have faith.

Johnny Manziel Offered CFL Contract

January 7th, 2018 at 1:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel has been offered a contract by the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, as the club announced today.

The CFL announced in late December that a Manziel contract would be approved for the 2018 season, opening a 10-day window during which the Tiger-Cats — the club which has controlled Manziel’s contractual rights for some time — could ink the former Browns signal-caller. Now that Hamilton has indeed offered a deal to Manziel, it’s up to the ex-first-round pick to decide if he wants to head north of the border.

There’s every indication that Manziel does indeed want to join the CFL, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported last September that Manziel “very much wants” to sign with the Tiger-Cats or another CFL club. Manziel, whose original workout with Hamtilton reportedly didn’t go well, has evidently met the conditions set by the CFL in order to be approved for a contract. Those parameters included an in-person interview, a legal review, and an independent assessment of past off-field accusations against Manziel.

Manziel is still only 25 years old, but he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former Heisman trophy winner completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

CFL To Allow Johnny Manziel To Join In 2018

December 28th, 2017 at 1:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The CFL has announced that it will approve a contract for Johnny Manziel to play in 2018. However, the approval is conditional and Manziel must meet certain requirements in order to take the field for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

“[The eligibility process] has included an ongoing assessment by an independent expert on the issue of violence against women, a review by legal counsel, and an in-person interview of Mr. Manziel conducted by the commissioner,” Canadian Football League Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. “As well, Mr. Manziel has been required to meet a number of conditions set by the league. As a result of this process, the Commissioner has now informed Mr. Manziel and the Tiger-Cats he is prepared to approve a contract for Mr. Manziel should one be negotiated. “The process that led to this decision does, however, continue. Mr. Manziel has been informed he must continue to meet a number of conditions in order to remain eligible. These conditions, while extensive and exacting, remain confidential.”

Rumors of Manziel taking his talents north of the border have been circulating for more than a year. However, the CFL has declined to get into business with Manziel given his ugly off-the-field behavior, including accusations of domestic violence. Now that he has satisfied his legal requirements here in the United States, Manziel may try to resurrect his career north of the border.

Manziel, 26, has not played in the NFL since the 2015 season. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former first-round pick completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven scores, and seven picks. His overall passer rating was just 74.4. Still, he remains a celebrity in the sport for his incredible performances at Texas A&M as well as the hard partying that derailed his NFL career. If Manziel can demonstrate that he is back on the right track, the CFL may be a springboard for an NFL return.

Charge Dropped Against Johnny Manziel

December 1st, 2017 at 8:14am CST by Zachary Links

A domestic assault charge against Johnny Manziel has been dismissed, as the Associated Press writes. Manziel first reached an agreement with prosecutors to dismiss the charge in December of last year. On Thursday, the court confirmed that he officially completed the requirements of the deal.

The agreement stipulated that he take an anger management course, participate in the NFL’s substance-abuse program, and stay away from former girlfriend Colleen Crowley. Alternatively, Manziel could have faced up to a year in jail and a $4K fine.

Of course, Manziel will likely have to serve a suspension before playing in the NFL again. He’ll also need a team to actually sign him. The Cowboys kept tabs on Manziel in the past and Saints coach Sean Payton met with him during Super Bowl week, but both teams have downplayed their level of interest in him.

Manziel, who turns 26 on Wednesday, hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former first-round pick completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven scores, and seven picks. His overall passer rating was just 74.4.

Hue Jackson “Pushed Hard” For QB Trade This Offseason?

October 31st, 2017 at 11:50am CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the 49ers snagging Jimmy Garoppolo for a second-round pick that’s likely to fall at the top of Day 2, the Browns were the team most connected with the former Patriots backup this offseason. And Hue Jackson may have been a key driver behind that Garoppolo-to-Cleveland buzz.

The second-year Browns coach “pushed hard” this offseason for the team to trade for Garoppolo or former Bengals charge A.J. McCarron, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. Jackson felt Garoppolo could be a big part of a turnaround from Cleveland’s 1-15 season, Cabot reports, and made Tom Brady‘s then-backup his primary offseason target.

Cabot adds the Patriots would have traded Garoppolo to the Browns for “the right offer,” which the longtime Browns reporter notes would have had to include at least one first-round pick. The Browns had two of those going into the draft and ended up with three first-round selections while also carrying multiple second-round picks in April after making the Brock Osweiler trade.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported the Browns offered a second-round pick for Garoppolo, with Cabot adding the team did not go further on Day 2 of this draft to make the necessary offer to the Pats. Browns executive VP Sashi Brown said going into the draft the team was not interested in trading for a veteran quarterback.

Kyle Shanahan and Garoppolo spent time together when the current 49ers coach worked as the Browns’ OC in 2014, and Shanahan told cleveland.com at this year’s Super Bowl he had Garoppolo ranked high among the draftable 2014 passers during his one-year stay in northeast Ohio. Shanahan did not want Johnny Manziel, whom the Browns drafted, nor did he prefer Teddy Bridgewater. However, the short-term Browns play-caller did like Derek Carr and Tom Savage, per Cabot.

When the Patriots and Browns could not agree on terms for Garoppolo, Jackson pivoted to McCarron, Cabot reports. But Jackson viewed the current Bengals backup, whom he coached for two seasons in Cincinnati, as a stopgap until the Browns could land their long-term solution.

Cabot wonders if McCarron would be in play by today’s 3pm CT deadline but reports it would have likely taken at least two second-round picks to pry him from the Bengals this offseason. McCarron is under contract through the 2018 season.

Johnny Manziel Won’t Play In CFL This Year

September 27th, 2017 at 10:30am CST by Zachary Links

We won’t be seeing the birth of Johnny Canadian Football. At least, not this year. Johnny Manziel has been barred from playing in the CFL in 2017, the league’s commissioner announced on Wednesday.

“After an extensive process of due diligence and an in-person meeting with Mr. Manziel, the Commissioner has decided that he will not register any contract for Mr. Manziel for this season,” said the league in a statement. “However, Mr. Manziel will be eligible to sign a contract for the 2018 season and, if Mr. Manziel meets certain conditions that have been spelled out by the Commissioner, the CFL will register that contract. The specifics of those conditions are confidential and will not be disclosed. The CFL has extended the stay on the expiry of the 10-day window for Mr. Manziel until Nov. 30, 2017 and therefore Mr. Manziel will remain on Hamilton’s negotiation list until that date.”

Recently, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats worked out Manziel and, depending on who you ask, they may have had some interest in signing the controversial quarterback. The Ti-Cats have Manziel on their 45-man negotiation list, but the league will not green light a signing until next year.

Moments after the league rendered its decision, Manziel issued a statement of his own:

“I recently had a really positive meeting with Commissioner Randy Ambrosie and welcomed the chance for us to get to know each other and have an in-depth talk about a possible future with the CFL. I love this game and want to be back on the field in a situation where I can help a franchise in the long term. Over the past months, my agent helped me vet all of my options for playing, figuring out where I could be most effective and get back to having the most fun with the game I love. I’m ready to play today, but we all agreed with the Commissioner that it made no sense for me to join a team with only a month left in the season – it wouldn’t have been fair to my teammates, coaches or the fan base. I want to come into a team and earn my job day one, like everyone else. I look forward to preparing myself as best I can and look forward to what the future holds.”

Manziel, 25 in December, hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former first-round choice completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Johnny Manziel To Sign With CFL Team?

September 15th, 2017 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

There were conflicting reports on how well Johnny Manziel did in his August audition for the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Apparently, the quarterback performed well enough to garner real interest from the team. The expectation among other CFL clubs is that the league office will allow Hamilton to sign the former Texas A&M star, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) hears. JLC adds that he would be surprised if a signing does not happen.

Hamilton holds Manziel’s CFL rights, which would theoretically pave the way for a deal. However, there have been whispers of the league effectively blackballing troubled players in the past. Depending on who you ask, Greg Hardy may have been blocked from signing with a team north of the border. League officials apparently will not stand in the way of Manziel making a return to the gridiron.

Manziel, 25 in December, has not been on the field since Dec. 27, 2015 when he was with the Browns. In eight career NFL starts, the former first-round choice completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His Browns went 2-6 in those games.