During the 2014 NFL draft, Johnny Manziel was the 22nd overall pick by the Cleveland Browns out of Texas A&M University, in hopes that he would be their franchise quarterback. After a bad rookie season, many thought that Manziel would make strides in his second season. However, after many off-field issues in the past few months, Manziel was released by the Browns, making him a free agent.
Any team is able to sign him, but no team has yet to show interest in the 23-year-old quarterback. The question is why? A young quarterback with a strong arm and the ability to run and make miraculous plays should be able to make a roster, but the off-field issues has caused teams to not even consider him as a viable option.
These issues can be fixed, which is why I'm a believer that Manziel will get another chance and become a good starting quarterback in the NFL.
After going to rehab, Manziel showed true signs of maturity. He became more familiar with the playbook, and appeared to be more focused and driven leading into the 2015-2016 season. Despite all of this, head coach Mike Pettine decided to go with a different quarterback as his starter.
One of the reasons for Manziel’s issues had to be Mike Pettine. Pettine didn't agree with the drafting of Manziel from the beginning, and was public about it. As a young quarterback, it would be ideal if your head coach would have your back and support you. But Pettine criticized his lifestyle before he even had real issues, and showed no faith in the quarterback. Manziel went on a trip to Las Vegas and put on a disguise so he might not be recognized. Most 23-year-olds don't have to put on a fake identity to go out a have fun with their friends, but that shows the type of pressure Pettine was putting on Manziel.
Pettine was constantly looking for a reason to put Manziel on the bench. Even when the fans would support him, Pettine would not listen. Poor coaching was one factor for Manziel struggling on the field. And when you go about your business the right way and still don't get rewarded, it's more understandable why Manziel might have done some of the things he did.
Being in Cleveland also had something to do with his issues. Spending more than a month in Cleveland can make most people want to drink. If you're in Cleveland and you ask Siri what sadness is, Siri will respond with "FirstEnergy Stadium," which is where the Browns play.
Cleveland hasn't been able to get a good quarterback in years. Cleveland is just a graveyard for the position. Jeff Garcia had a poor year for them in 2004, and after leaving, he went on to have a few 2000-yard seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Manziel can get into a different city, he should find success easier.
This was proven with Hall of Fame quarterback, Brett Favre. Favre had a drinking problem when playing for the Atlanta Falcons, and the organization lost faith in him. So, they traded him to the Green Bay Packers (Green Bay isn't much of a party, besides on Sundays).
This allowed Favre to get his life together, and he ended up having one of the greatest careers of any quarterback ever. If Manziel gets into the ideal situation with coaching and city, he should be able to become a good starting quarterback.
His talent is undeniable. He just needs to get on a team that will support him and have his back. In Cleveland, he wasn't surrounded by a lot of talent and the coaching staff didn't utilize his ability to run and make plays happen.
On certain occasions, he showed flashes of his ability to improvise and make big plays. If a team shows that they trust Manziel and support him I believe that Manziel can put his off-field issues behind him and get back to playing football.
