Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter 5m5 minutes ago
Johnny Manziel will be Browns' third quarterback Monday night, behind starter Josh McCown and Austin Davis.
many on here "hate" Reese...Mike Loyko @NEPD_Loyko 3m3 minutes ago
This is a fascinating exercise. The Browns worst first round pick of the last 5 years is..
experiment. The kid has some talent. He was never projected to be one of the greats, but you hate to see someone with any kind of talent sabotage their own livelihood. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
There was a thread from earlier that Pettine was considering it. Much later it broke Manziel would be demoted to 3rd string just days after being named starter for rest of season. Thought it was worthy of a thread.
many on here "hate" Reese...Mike Loyko @NEPD_Loyko 3m3 minutes ago
This is a fascinating exercise. The Browns worst first round pick of the last 5 years is..
Richardson, Weeden, Manziel, Gilbert, Mingo.. go
It really is an interesting analysis. First you probably have to take Richardson off the list because the Colts generously gave them a do-over on that - got a first round pick back.
My vote is for Weeden -- if only because when they made the pick in the first place everyone shook their collective head.
many on here "hate" Reese...Mike Loyko @NEPD_Loyko 3m3 minutes ago
This is a fascinating exercise. The Browns worst first round pick of the last 5 years is..
Richardson, Weeden, Manziel, Gilbert, Mingo.. go
I have to admit I was high on Mingo. What the hell happened to that guy, is he still playing?
many on here "hate" Reese...Mike Loyko @NEPD_Loyko 3m3 minutes ago
This is a fascinating exercise. The Browns worst first round pick of the last 5 years is..
Richardson, Weeden, Manziel, Gilbert, Mingo.. go
It really is an interesting analysis. First you probably have to take Richardson off the list because the Colts generously gave them a do-over on that - got a first round pick back.
My vote is for Weeden -- if only because when they made the pick in the first place everyone shook their collective head.
Yeah, has to be Weeden. Failed and everyone expected him to fail. Richardson was a shocking bust.
whats worse is that they were smart for a hot minute and cut bait on Richardson and traded him to IND and they F'ed up the picks they got in the deal too. Manziel might have actually been one of those picks too.
Albert Breer @AlbertBreer
Robert Griffin III proved untradeable. Colin Kaepernick will be too, under his current deal. No one's trading for Manziel. All could be FAs.
The Browns have drafted four QBs in the first round since coming back into the league in '99. Tim Couch was the most successful of them.
And if Manziel is done w/the Browns after this year, that means their last 3 1st-round QBs will have lasted a TOTAL of 7 yrs with the team.
The kid is 22 years old and has hardly shown himself to be a bum.
I assume the Browns are trying some "tough love". Even the Browns couldn't be so stupid as to give up on him at this point. Then again, it's the Browns.
I'm an admitted huge fan of Manziel so I have followed his story very closely since he's joined the Browns. Simply put, the Browns make me understand just how lucky we are to be fans of the Giants organization. The term, "Factory of Sadness" is strewn about and it's fitting; the Browns have innovated ways in which to fail.
To understand the complexity of the dynamic that Manziel has/is working through within the Cleveland organization, it might be important to highlight the shotgun marriage and ongoing power struggle within the front-office. Owner Jimmy Haslem cleaned out the front-office prior to the 2014 draft but not before that front-office hired Mike Pettine, perhaps their 9th choice to lead the team (coaches aren't lining up to play for you after you fire Chud in one year). Haslem then hired Ray Farmer, a semi-respected talent evaluator, to be the GM. Farmer (GM) and Haslem wanted Manziel. Pettine has always been reluctant, as his game plan revolved around ball control and defense.
2014's failure was on Johnny. Sure, Hoyer and Shanahan did him no favors as a rookie (rumored to have left him out to dry) but Johnny didn't take the job seriously and was dreadful as a 21 year old rookie.
2015 had and should continue to be a resurrection for Johnny. By literally all accounts from players to the coaching staff, Manziel has been the First In-Last Out, an "A+" professional, and dedicated to his craft. Players such as Joe Thomas, Travis Benjamin, and Joe Haden has lauded his play, demeanor, and leadership with many mentioning that he's been a completely new man from 2014. Hell, Pettine himself has said that Johnny has been a consummate professional. For his part, Johnny put up one of the better performances from a 22 year old QB in recent memory by putting up 372 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int (4th down prayer), 70%+ completion percentage...all while operating almost exclusively from within the pocket.
Ahh, Pettine. Therein lays the rub. Pettine has been engaged in a power struggle with Farmer and Manziel (to a lesser extent, Gilbert) has represented the battleground. Last season, Farmer was urged by the owner to text OC Shanahan to put Manziel in the game as Hoyer imploded. These texts led to "Textgate" and Farmer being suspended. This season Farmer brought in Josh McCown with the explicit intent of Josh grooming Manziel (which he has done, nicely). However, while he's played well McCown has repeatedly been injured and/or the Browns are out of playoff contention. Manziel has offered very encouraging performances in relief which led to curious decisions by Pettine to reinsert the 36 year old journeyman. Furthermore, rumors persist that Pettine is going against GM Farmer and Jimmy Haslem's wishes by not starting Manziel. Pettine also offers comments pertaining to his wishes that Johnny would fit his game into the confines of his system...comments roundly critisized across the NFL (again, Manziel then proceeded to operate exclusively from the pocket to the tune of a 95+ QBR rating)
So, what do we have now? Well, Johnny voluntarily admitted himself to rehab for 10 weeks last winter. We don't know what the rehab was for, as it could be for anger/booze/coke/etc and we do know that Manziel is not part of any NFL substance abuse program. We do know that his teammates and coaches have lauded his work ethic this season. We also had an incident which involved his GF in which the police concluded that he was not intoxicated and there was not reason to arrest either party...the NFL also has concluded as such from their own investigation. A poor look for Johnny, no doubt, but the trained professionals concluded that there was nothing to raise much ire over.
And here comes the BYE week. Johnny plays very well against the Steelers, is almost grudgingly announced starter by Pettine, and is told that players report for their next game on the following Wednesday. Johnny goes home, is seen at a club...not doing anything out of the ordinary mind you... on his off day, returns to attend the OSU/MSU game in Ohio, attends a volunteer food drive, heads to the training facility earlier than expected, and *boom* is demoted after a video emerges of him having been at a club nearly one week prior to when he's to report back to camp.
There is something very wrong with how Manziel is being treated by his coah and the media.
A) We don't know what Manziel entered rehab for and he did it via his own volition. If he entered rehab for anger, is he precluded from drink? In fact, there are progressive rehab programs that now preach moderation.
B) Violating the terms of your own voluntary rehab should not be cause for punishment by your employer or anyone else for that matter. Manziel's club appearance did not Impact his performance or cause anyone, including himself, harm.
C) Why even entertain the media questioning if you're Pettine? Would Bill Belichick speak towards Gronk's social behavior? No, he might ignore a media member for eternity if such a question were posed to him. For Mike Pettine to allow this issue to dog a player of whom has been universally regarded as having a dedication to his craft...it's puzzling.
Manziel will hopefully be out of Cleveland this winter and there will be some team within the NFL that gets a 22 year old with demonstrated NFL success, a unique skill set, and every reason to prove the naysayers wrong. You could almost feel the reluctance from many who had to give Manziel credit for his perfromance against Cinci and Pittsburgh...now that the narritive of Manziel not performing in the NFL has been shot, time to take aim at his social life. Puritan punishment of Manziel - ( New Window )
Sounds like you've given Manziel a pass on any potential drinking problems, writing it off to anger instead.
It's possible this guy doesn't have a problem - but it's just as likely based on the evidence that he has a serious drinking problem - one that he got some help for, but obviously still needs to work on. If that's the case, for his sake, I hope he doesn't brush his fortunes off to some power struggle between coach and FO.
He just got the starting job, it was his. His season's over in 6 weeks
And with all his past issues he can't lay low? Reminds me of Ricky Williams.
What is laying low for a 22 year old (heck, for a 30 year old)? If my employer told me to lay low and I in turn assured them that I wouldn't embarrass them then I wouldn't think that going to a bar, a club, a concert, a professional sporting event, etc qualifies as violating these assurances. Now, if I'm jumping onto an inflatable swan or making it rain or running onto the stage..well, yes. Should that standard be different for Manziel? I dont believe that it should be.
You, me, and the Browns are not in a position to diagnose someone's issues from afar.
RE: He just got the starting job, it was his. His season's over in 6 weeks
And with all his past issues he can't lay low? Reminds me of Ricky Williams.
What is laying low for a 22 year old (heck, for a 30 year old)? If my employer told me to lay low and I in turn assured them that I wouldn't embarrass them then I wouldn't think that going to a bar, a club, a concert, a professional sporting event, etc qualifies as violating these assurances. Now, if I'm jumping onto an inflatable swan or making it rain or running onto the stage..well, yes. Should that standard be different for Manziel? I dont believe that it should be.
You, me, and the Browns are not in a position to diagnose someone's issues from afar.
Browns don't have to diagnose anything if he told them he wouldn't be out partying. The guy's been shown to doing coke, going to rehab, day-drinking and driving with an inebriated college girl that required police intervention, etc.
Just awful priorities on his end. Does he have no support system?
The moralizing over this incident is ridiculous....
very little BBI enjoys more than getting on their high horse to engage in a bunch of groupthink.
If the kid is doing his job then what he does on his free time should be nobody's business unless it's illegal or has a negative impact on his preparations.
RE: The moralizing over this incident is ridiculous....
very little BBI enjoys more than getting on their high horse to engage in a bunch of groupthink.
If the kid is doing his job then what he does on his free time should be nobody's business unless it's illegal or has a negative impact on his preparations.
"It was something we felt had violated the trust that we had put in him for the bye coming out of the Pittsburgh game."
It doesn't seem to be a moral issue, more of a trust issue.
Not saying he's an alcoholic - but if they're concerned he
might be - it's a question of his longer term reliability, not this particular point in time.
It starts small - ok, he was out having a few drinks and someone caught him on film, no big deal. These things tend to escalate, and the next time maybe he'll miss a practice or show up drunk for a meeting. If he came to an agreement with the team that he would curtail or eliminate his drinking and failed to hold up his end of the bargain, they might be worried about his potential for relapse going forward.
that Manziel has been socially drinking alcohol for months now. Not necessarily going to clubs or anything to that extent but casually enjoying beverages with teammates and in controlled situations. Through this, Manziel has clearly undergone tremendous development on the field and seemed to have regained this organizational "trust," enough trust to make him the starter going forward
Why is Pettine so suddenly concerned? Is it simply because it hit the media and they ran with it? Or is it because he told Johnny to lay low and they clearly have different interpretations as to what laying low encompasses.
I had an interesting discussion with a friend of mine (hedge fund guy that picked up a DUI as a young analyst) and asked him what his response would have been if his boss told him that he was no longer permitted to imbibe, etc. Or if he'd expect to be fired if a facebook or instagram photo surfaced of him drinking responsibly. My friend's response was that it probably wouldn't be a company that he'd feel comfortable working for.
RE: Not saying he's an alcoholic - but if they're concerned he
might be - it's a question of his longer term reliability, not this particular point in time.
It starts small - ok, he was out having a few drinks and someone caught him on film, no big deal. These things tend to escalate, and the next time maybe he'll miss a practice or show up drunk for a meeting. If he came to an agreement with the team that he would curtail or eliminate his drinking and failed to hold up his end of the bargain, they might be worried about his potential for relapse going forward.
that Manziel is a Cowboy next season? Hopefully Jerry gives up a 2nd round pick for him.
I heard the way his contract is structured he's basically untradable, more likely to be released. No one's picked up Mallett, curious what the interest would be in Manziel.
to release him next season - the cap hit of keeping him around and seeing if he could get his head on straight is worth it. It's not as if they've got a capable QB riding the pine being blocked.
For his part, Johnny put up one of the better performances from a 22 year old QB in recent memory by putting up 372 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int (4th down prayer), 70%+ completion percentage...all while operating almost exclusively from within the pocket.
I've been reading a lot how well Manziel played against a bad Steelers defense the other week. The same defense Colin Kaepernick shredded in garbage time.
but that 8:15am is really silly. Poor Johnny - cops just pull over people in the middle of the day and investigate fights between guy & girl for the hell of it. Hell i bet most people on this thread have been investigated for domestic abuse, and of course most of us during the season (eg work) drink in the middle of the day too. But sure... you've convinced me that Manziel always drinks lightly in a contained, social manner. Any other bridges up for sale?
And the notion that so many are out to get this guy - he doesnt even work for a relevant team. A lot fewer people care than the apologists would like to believe. He does this to himself. How many QBs find themselves in hot water DURING a season so often? I honestly can't think of any. Did Kerry Collins even have this many infractions?
As for your hedge fund friend - that take is nice and all but Manziel got a fat rookie contract and completely pissed away his rookie season by not taking his job seriously. The Browns have every right to treat him like a child -- if he doesnt like it perhaps he can find a different career for himself.
but that 8:15am is really silly. Poor Johnny - cops just pull over people in the middle of the day and investigate fights between guy & girl for the hell of it. Hell i bet most people on this thread have been investigated for domestic abuse, and of course most of us during the season (eg work) drink in the middle of the day too. But sure... you've convinced me that Manziel always drinks lightly in a contained, social manner. Any other bridges up for sale?
And the notion that so many are out to get this guy - he doesnt even work for a relevant team. A lot fewer people care than the apologists would like to believe. He does this to himself. How many QBs find themselves in hot water DURING a season so often? I honestly can't think of any. Did Kerry Collins even have this many infractions?
As for your hedge fund friend - that take is nice and all but Manziel got a fat rookie contract and completely pissed away his rookie season by not taking his job seriously. The Browns have every right to treat him like a child -- if he doesnt like it perhaps he can find a different career for himself.
Fair enough, MAB. I dont disagree that Manziel has consistently put himself in bad situations and isn't deserving of the benefit of the doubt.
I think part of what frustrates me is that Manziel having entered rehab, an act of his own volition but perhaps encouraged by the Browns, is now being used as a weapon of sorts from which to judge him. If Manziel doesn't enter rehab then he's a 22 year old that parties, had a dust up with his GF (cleared by the police & NFL), but has turned it around on the field. As a result of having acknowledged some sort of struggle with addition the narrative is now that he's a 22 year old documented drunk that puts partying ahead of the team.
As far as I'm concerned Johnny had one incident of note this season which involved a legally sober Manziel (who admitted to drinking a couple of drinks earlier with Joe Haden) and a very intoxicated girlfriend. It was a bad look for everyone involved. If the Browns organization was satisfied enough with how those events unfolded and reached a level of trust in which they were still comfortable enough to hand Johnny the keys for the remaining six games, I'm just not sure how that changes because he happened to be at a club on an off night. To me, that's a non-event.
As for Johnny's on-field performance, like all quarterback play it comes down to context. Whether it was Pettine, Joe Thomas, Pro Football Focus, ESPN, the Steelers, whomever...nearly everyone was in agreement that Johnny played very well and put in perhaps the only redeeming performance of note from the game. Yes I know...drops, fumbles, sacks, etc..excuses, but it's true. Against the Bengals Johnny played very well for a half but was challenged to stay in the pocket and subsequently stumbled in the second half. Against the Steelers Johnny not only operated almost exclusively from within the pocket but did so effectively. He wasn't Tom Brady but for a 22 year with a supposed substance abuse problem the level of play and improvement was impressive.
Johnny Manziel will be Browns' third quarterback Monday night, behind starter Josh McCown and Austin Davis.
Wasn't he in rehab at that point, or did that end before the season?
Ask EVERY4YEARS to mention it to Mike next time he calls him
TMZ aired a video of him drinking and partying - which he claims is old.
he is the eddie haskell of qbs(google eddie if you do not know know who he is)
This is a fascinating exercise. The Browns worst first round pick of the last 5 years is..
Richardson, Weeden, Manziel, Gilbert, Mingo.. go
There was a thread from earlier that Pettine was considering it. Much later it broke Manziel would be demoted to 3rd string just days after being named starter for rest of season. Thought it was worthy of a thread.
This is a fascinating exercise. The Browns worst first round pick of the last 5 years is..
Richardson, Weeden, Manziel, Gilbert, Mingo.. go
It really is an interesting analysis. First you probably have to take Richardson off the list because the Colts generously gave them a do-over on that - got a first round pick back.
My vote is for Weeden -- if only because when they made the pick in the first place everyone shook their collective head.
This is a fascinating exercise. The Browns worst first round pick of the last 5 years is..
Richardson, Weeden, Manziel, Gilbert, Mingo.. go
I have to admit I was high on Mingo. What the hell happened to that guy, is he still playing?
Quote:
many on here "hate" Reese...Mike Loyko @NEPD_Loyko 3m3 minutes ago
This is a fascinating exercise. The Browns worst first round pick of the last 5 years is..
Richardson, Weeden, Manziel, Gilbert, Mingo.. go
It really is an interesting analysis. First you probably have to take Richardson off the list because the Colts generously gave them a do-over on that - got a first round pick back.
My vote is for Weeden -- if only because when they made the pick in the first place everyone shook their collective head.
Yeah, has to be Weeden. Failed and everyone expected him to fail. Richardson was a shocking bust.
Already split decisions on him. He was never going to get a proper chance.
Robert Griffin III proved untradeable. Colin Kaepernick will be too, under his current deal. No one's trading for Manziel. All could be FAs.
The Browns have drafted four QBs in the first round since coming back into the league in '99. Tim Couch was the most successful of them.
And if Manziel is done w/the Browns after this year, that means their last 3 1st-round QBs will have lasted a TOTAL of 7 yrs with the team.
Just got a text from a Browns player regarding the qb situation saying its like a reality show right now
Owner stuck his nose in and made Manziel the guy.
Bad owners ruin teams.
Quote:
No matter how much they spend, and all those high draft picks they have every year, the Browns are always near the cellar of the NFL.
Their owner wanted Manziel, the coach did not.
Already split decisions on him. He was never going to get a proper chance.
He had the starting job. Not proper enough?
What a shit show its been
I assume the Browns are trying some "tough love". Even the Browns couldn't be so stupid as to give up on him at this point. Then again, it's the Browns.
To understand the complexity of the dynamic that Manziel has/is working through within the Cleveland organization, it might be important to highlight the shotgun marriage and ongoing power struggle within the front-office. Owner Jimmy Haslem cleaned out the front-office prior to the 2014 draft but not before that front-office hired Mike Pettine, perhaps their 9th choice to lead the team (coaches aren't lining up to play for you after you fire Chud in one year). Haslem then hired Ray Farmer, a semi-respected talent evaluator, to be the GM. Farmer (GM) and Haslem wanted Manziel. Pettine has always been reluctant, as his game plan revolved around ball control and defense.
2014's failure was on Johnny. Sure, Hoyer and Shanahan did him no favors as a rookie (rumored to have left him out to dry) but Johnny didn't take the job seriously and was dreadful as a 21 year old rookie.
2015 had and should continue to be a resurrection for Johnny. By literally all accounts from players to the coaching staff, Manziel has been the First In-Last Out, an "A+" professional, and dedicated to his craft. Players such as Joe Thomas, Travis Benjamin, and Joe Haden has lauded his play, demeanor, and leadership with many mentioning that he's been a completely new man from 2014. Hell, Pettine himself has said that Johnny has been a consummate professional. For his part, Johnny put up one of the better performances from a 22 year old QB in recent memory by putting up 372 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int (4th down prayer), 70%+ completion percentage...all while operating almost exclusively from within the pocket.
Ahh, Pettine. Therein lays the rub. Pettine has been engaged in a power struggle with Farmer and Manziel (to a lesser extent, Gilbert) has represented the battleground. Last season, Farmer was urged by the owner to text OC Shanahan to put Manziel in the game as Hoyer imploded. These texts led to "Textgate" and Farmer being suspended. This season Farmer brought in Josh McCown with the explicit intent of Josh grooming Manziel (which he has done, nicely). However, while he's played well McCown has repeatedly been injured and/or the Browns are out of playoff contention. Manziel has offered very encouraging performances in relief which led to curious decisions by Pettine to reinsert the 36 year old journeyman. Furthermore, rumors persist that Pettine is going against GM Farmer and Jimmy Haslem's wishes by not starting Manziel. Pettine also offers comments pertaining to his wishes that Johnny would fit his game into the confines of his system...comments roundly critisized across the NFL (again, Manziel then proceeded to operate exclusively from the pocket to the tune of a 95+ QBR rating)
So, what do we have now? Well, Johnny voluntarily admitted himself to rehab for 10 weeks last winter. We don't know what the rehab was for, as it could be for anger/booze/coke/etc and we do know that Manziel is not part of any NFL substance abuse program. We do know that his teammates and coaches have lauded his work ethic this season. We also had an incident which involved his GF in which the police concluded that he was not intoxicated and there was not reason to arrest either party...the NFL also has concluded as such from their own investigation. A poor look for Johnny, no doubt, but the trained professionals concluded that there was nothing to raise much ire over.
And here comes the BYE week. Johnny plays very well against the Steelers, is almost grudgingly announced starter by Pettine, and is told that players report for their next game on the following Wednesday. Johnny goes home, is seen at a club...not doing anything out of the ordinary mind you... on his off day, returns to attend the OSU/MSU game in Ohio, attends a volunteer food drive, heads to the training facility earlier than expected, and *boom* is demoted after a video emerges of him having been at a club nearly one week prior to when he's to report back to camp.
There is something very wrong with how Manziel is being treated by his coah and the media.
A) We don't know what Manziel entered rehab for and he did it via his own volition. If he entered rehab for anger, is he precluded from drink? In fact, there are progressive rehab programs that now preach moderation.
B) Violating the terms of your own voluntary rehab should not be cause for punishment by your employer or anyone else for that matter. Manziel's club appearance did not Impact his performance or cause anyone, including himself, harm.
C) Why even entertain the media questioning if you're Pettine? Would Bill Belichick speak towards Gronk's social behavior? No, he might ignore a media member for eternity if such a question were posed to him. For Mike Pettine to allow this issue to dog a player of whom has been universally regarded as having a dedication to his craft...it's puzzling.
Manziel will hopefully be out of Cleveland this winter and there will be some team within the NFL that gets a 22 year old with demonstrated NFL success, a unique skill set, and every reason to prove the naysayers wrong. You could almost feel the reluctance from many who had to give Manziel credit for his perfromance against Cinci and Pittsburgh...now that the narritive of Manziel not performing in the NFL has been shot, time to take aim at his social life.
Puritan punishment of Manziel - ( New Window )
It's possible this guy doesn't have a problem - but it's just as likely based on the evidence that he has a serious drinking problem - one that he got some help for, but obviously still needs to work on. If that's the case, for his sake, I hope he doesn't brush his fortunes off to some power struggle between coach and FO.
What is laying low for a 22 year old (heck, for a 30 year old)? If my employer told me to lay low and I in turn assured them that I wouldn't embarrass them then I wouldn't think that going to a bar, a club, a concert, a professional sporting event, etc qualifies as violating these assurances. Now, if I'm jumping onto an inflatable swan or making it rain or running onto the stage..well, yes. Should that standard be different for Manziel? I dont believe that it should be.
You, me, and the Browns are not in a position to diagnose someone's issues from afar.
Could Manziel have avoided this media blitz by having a few drinks at home? Sure. Should he have? Yes. Did he have to? I dont agree.
Quote:
And with all his past issues he can't lay low? Reminds me of Ricky Williams.
What is laying low for a 22 year old (heck, for a 30 year old)? If my employer told me to lay low and I in turn assured them that I wouldn't embarrass them then I wouldn't think that going to a bar, a club, a concert, a professional sporting event, etc qualifies as violating these assurances. Now, if I'm jumping onto an inflatable swan or making it rain or running onto the stage..well, yes. Should that standard be different for Manziel? I dont believe that it should be.
You, me, and the Browns are not in a position to diagnose someone's issues from afar.
Browns don't have to diagnose anything if he told them he wouldn't be out partying. The guy's been shown to doing coke, going to rehab, day-drinking and driving with an inebriated college girl that required police intervention, etc.
Just awful priorities on his end. Does he have no support system?
If the kid is doing his job then what he does on his free time should be nobody's business unless it's illegal or has a negative impact on his preparations.
If the kid is doing his job then what he does on his free time should be nobody's business unless it's illegal or has a negative impact on his preparations.
"It was something we felt had violated the trust that we had put in him for the bye coming out of the Pittsburgh game."
It doesn't seem to be a moral issue, more of a trust issue.
It starts small - ok, he was out having a few drinks and someone caught him on film, no big deal. These things tend to escalate, and the next time maybe he'll miss a practice or show up drunk for a meeting. If he came to an agreement with the team that he would curtail or eliminate his drinking and failed to hold up his end of the bargain, they might be worried about his potential for relapse going forward.
Why is Pettine so suddenly concerned? Is it simply because it hit the media and they ran with it? Or is it because he told Johnny to lay low and they clearly have different interpretations as to what laying low encompasses.
I had an interesting discussion with a friend of mine (hedge fund guy that picked up a DUI as a young analyst) and asked him what his response would have been if his boss told him that he was no longer permitted to imbibe, etc. Or if he'd expect to be fired if a facebook or instagram photo surfaced of him drinking responsibly. My friend's response was that it probably wouldn't be a company that he'd feel comfortable working for.
It starts small - ok, he was out having a few drinks and someone caught him on film, no big deal. These things tend to escalate, and the next time maybe he'll miss a practice or show up drunk for a meeting. If he came to an agreement with the team that he would curtail or eliminate his drinking and failed to hold up his end of the bargain, they might be worried about his potential for relapse going forward.
I heard the way his contract is structured he's basically untradable, more likely to be released. No one's picked up Mallett, curious what the interest would be in Manziel.
I've been reading a lot how well Manziel played against a bad Steelers defense the other week. The same defense Colin Kaepernick shredded in garbage time.
The Browns lost that game 30-9.
And the notion that so many are out to get this guy - he doesnt even work for a relevant team. A lot fewer people care than the apologists would like to believe. He does this to himself. How many QBs find themselves in hot water DURING a season so often? I honestly can't think of any. Did Kerry Collins even have this many infractions?
As for your hedge fund friend - that take is nice and all but Manziel got a fat rookie contract and completely pissed away his rookie season by not taking his job seriously. The Browns have every right to treat him like a child -- if he doesnt like it perhaps he can find a different career for himself.
And the notion that so many are out to get this guy - he doesnt even work for a relevant team. A lot fewer people care than the apologists would like to believe. He does this to himself. How many QBs find themselves in hot water DURING a season so often? I honestly can't think of any. Did Kerry Collins even have this many infractions?
As for your hedge fund friend - that take is nice and all but Manziel got a fat rookie contract and completely pissed away his rookie season by not taking his job seriously. The Browns have every right to treat him like a child -- if he doesnt like it perhaps he can find a different career for himself.
Fair enough, MAB. I dont disagree that Manziel has consistently put himself in bad situations and isn't deserving of the benefit of the doubt.
I think part of what frustrates me is that Manziel having entered rehab, an act of his own volition but perhaps encouraged by the Browns, is now being used as a weapon of sorts from which to judge him. If Manziel doesn't enter rehab then he's a 22 year old that parties, had a dust up with his GF (cleared by the police & NFL), but has turned it around on the field. As a result of having acknowledged some sort of struggle with addition the narrative is now that he's a 22 year old documented drunk that puts partying ahead of the team.
As far as I'm concerned Johnny had one incident of note this season which involved a legally sober Manziel (who admitted to drinking a couple of drinks earlier with Joe Haden) and a very intoxicated girlfriend. It was a bad look for everyone involved. If the Browns organization was satisfied enough with how those events unfolded and reached a level of trust in which they were still comfortable enough to hand Johnny the keys for the remaining six games, I'm just not sure how that changes because he happened to be at a club on an off night. To me, that's a non-event.
As for Johnny's on-field performance, like all quarterback play it comes down to context. Whether it was Pettine, Joe Thomas, Pro Football Focus, ESPN, the Steelers, whomever...nearly everyone was in agreement that Johnny played very well and put in perhaps the only redeeming performance of note from the game. Yes I know...drops, fumbles, sacks, etc..excuses, but it's true. Against the Bengals Johnny played very well for a half but was challenged to stay in the pocket and subsequently stumbled in the second half. Against the Steelers Johnny not only operated almost exclusively from within the pocket but did so effectively. He wasn't Tom Brady but for a 22 year with a supposed substance abuse problem the level of play and improvement was impressive.