The same mentality that helped Johnny Manziel get selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft also could lead to his demise in Cleveland in 2015.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Browns team owner Jimmy Haslam said the organization remains on a mission to find a championship-caliber quarterback. And because Johnny Manziel is already part of the team, that means he is not that hard to find.
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So is Haslem saying that Manziel is not the championship-caliber quarterback the Browns need?
"I think (coach Mike Pettine) said it well and I think (new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo) said it well today, we don't know yet,'' said Haslam. "We're going to work until we find the right person, and I'm not slighting Connor (Shaw) or Johnny, we have two quarterbacks, or Brian (Hoyer), if he were to come back, I'm not slighting any of them. We're going to work hard until we get a quarterback who can help us win and win consistently, which we've stated since Day 1 is our goal. And it's not easy, but we understand it's the mission and we're going to work hard at it.''
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It's not difficult to understand the position of the Browns front office. Manziel's offseason was filled with social media photos of him partying, even when management asked him to lay low. At the end of the season, he slept late after a night of partying and missed medical treatment, the New York Post's Page Six reported.
"It's about being accountable . . . instead of looking like a jackass," Manziel said, offering an apology for his tardiness.
And on the field, Manziel did nothing to raise his stock or justify his off-the-field behavior. The rookie appeared in five games and made two starts in 2014. He completed 18 of 35 passes for 175 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
Manziel did manage to rush for a touchdown as part of his 29 yards rushing during the season.
The Plain Dealer added that Haslem reiterated general manager Ray Farmer's postseason comments that the Browns again could be on the market for a quarterback in the first round of the draft next year.
"Yeah...we've got to get a quarterback and we've got to get it fixed,'' said Haslam. "Now that's not to say Connor, who in the last game played really well, hadn't worked with the first team any against a really good team on the road, played well and that's not to say Johnny can't do it but they both have to prove it that they can do it over a period of time.''
According to profootballtalk.nbcsports.com, Haslem can be too impatient to let players develop.
"It's the latest example of the quick-fix mentality that has plagued Haslam's tenure as an NFL owner," profootball.nbcsports.com reported. "Obsessed with winning and clearly frustrated by the many factors that fall beyond long hours, hard work, and a strong will, Haslam seems to believe that the best way to succeed in football is to keep changing out the pieces until he happens to find the right ones.
"What he overlooks is the potential for growth by the people he has."
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