Should Johnny Manziel Get a Shot to Start?
Dec 21, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) prepares to throw the ball during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
After a disaster of a rookie year from Johnny Manziel, the Cleveland Browns brought in Josh McCown to start. Left tackle Joe Thomas among others spoke in April of the lack of trust the team had in him. Manziel then checked himself into alcohol rehab this offseason and went to the offseason program a different man.
The team spoke out about his apparent changes but you can tell the he hadn’t yet regained their trust. But what he has done so far in training camp has raised eye browns and restored the belief in many. Manziel has especially won over Thomas the main one that expressed his distrust in him.
He told the Cleveland.com, “He’s really proved to a lot of people that this is important to him and he’s ready to be an NFL starting quarterback. “Playing well in the scrimmage tonight and looking like an NFL quarterback is another good step in the direction that he wants to go. He’s just earning that trust of his teammates that he’s going to need to do if he wants to be that starter. He impressed a lot of people out here tonight.”
In that scrimmage, which was on Friday, Manziel completed 9-11 for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Scrimmages in which quarterbacks are never hit don’t make great quarterbacks but its a start. Thomas isn’t too carried way, saying, “Josh has done so many good things that to me it’s not really a conversation about who should be the starter right now.”
But he’s only had a quarterback rating of 74.9 once in his 13 years so his “so many good things” need perspective too. If Manziel keeps his head on straight, he has the talent to really be something in the NFL. So to me, a quarterback that couldn’t do much with Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson last year isn’t going to take you to the promised land.
In that case, you might as well see what the youngster can do for development if not anything else. They should at least open the position up for competition during camp and the preseason games. McCown may have played like a starter back in 2013 but in 2014, he went back to being McCown.
What have you to say about that?