The Cleveland Browns officially hired former Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo as their offensive coordinator yesterday. At the time, I wrote that DeFilippo's positive experience with rookie quarterback Derek Carr in Oakland was a good sign for Johnny Manziel. Unfortunately, I may have spoken too soon.
During his introductory press conference today, DeFilippo would not commit to Manziel for next season. In fact, he didn't even know if Cleveland's quarterback of the future was even on the roster yet.
"We're not sure if our starting QB is in the building or not," DeFilippo said.
Veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer is set to hit the open market this offseason, and it's unlikely that he would want to come back to the Browns. Manziel, meanwhile, disappointed in his limited playing time this season.
Johnny Football did not look like the strong-armed, mobile play maker he was in college during his first career start against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns ended up losing 30-0, and Manziel finished the season on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury the next week against the Carolina Panthers.
What's worse than Manziel's lack of production on the field - he threw for a total of just 175 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions on the season - was his inability to repair his reputation. Several times throughout the season Manziel's maturity and work ethic were questioned by teammates and those in the Cleveland organization.
"It's about actions," Maziel said in late December. "It's about being accountable and doing what I'm going to say instead of looking like a jackass."
DeFilippo may have only been on the job for a day, but it's clear that he won't just hand the starting gig over to Manziel because he was a first-round pick. The 22-year-old QB will have to prove that his partying ways are behind him and earn the job throughout spring training and the preseason.
