What a strange trip it has been for Johnny Manziel.

The 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft has seen any semblance of a career go up in smoke once his inconsistent play on the field has combined with off-field controversy. After a Heisman season with Texas A&M, character questions dinged his draft stock, but the Cleveland Browns still took a chance on him.

How has Manziel rewarded them for their patience? By making a general a** of himself during games, injuring fans, needing a stint in rehab for substance abuse problems, got into a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, partying during the season (who could forget the famous "Billy" incident in Las Vegas), another domestic dispute with his girlfriend, and an eventual release.

This kid is well on his way to becoming the next Ryan Leaf: multimillion-dollar skills with a five-cent head. When one of Cleveland's most storied athletes reaches out to help, you better take it.

Lately, Manziel has been rumored to clean up his act. He has appeared on the Uninterrupted's "The Thomahawk Show" with former Brown's receiver Andrew Hawkins and current left tackle Joe Thomas, saying that he acted immaturely and with a total lack of respect to an organization that was standing by him regardless. Now he blazes the comeback trail, as rumors swirl around him trying to break back into professional football.

Obviously, there has to be some cause for concern. The red flags in his past, even getting help and having major relapses, have to be troubling enough for any franchise to think he can actually stick with turning things around.

Going off of that, he is still young (he was just a freshman when he won the Heisman with the Aggies in 2013). He's only 25, so if he wants to regain anything that he has lost, there is still time to do it. Plus, if science has told us anything, it's that the brain is not fully developed until 25. So, if he is serious, that would make sense.

The best case for Manziel at this point comes down to this. Either A, he can play a season or two in Canada to get back into the feel of professional football, or B, he could do what Colin Kaepernick wouldn't: take back up money to be a backup and maybe work his way onto the field.

Is this the return of Johnny Football? Who knows. Critics have pointed out that his skills aren't there, but I figure that if he has proven to have grown up, the rest should follow suit.