When the Cleveland Browns selected Johnny Manziel out of Texas A&M with the 22nd choice in last April's NFL Draft, Manziel sent a text message to then-Browns quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains stating that he wanted to "wreck this league" as a member of the Browns.
Now, months later and with his rookie season in the rearview mirror, Manziel still just doesn't seem to get it. The question of whether Manziel can even perform as a competent quarterback, let alone a starter or consistent game-winning quarterback in the league, lingers.
A rookie season that began with such promise ended after six abysmal quarters of football, a team-imposed fine for missing practice the Saturday before the Browns final game of the season and a seemingly complete lack of understanding of what it takes to become a successful NFL quarterback.
All this and more was highlighted in a recent Browns season post-mortem report by Jeremy Fowler and Pat McManamon of ESPN, who spoke to "20 Browns sources, both on the record and on condition of anonymity," which reveals the depth of the anger and frustration festering within the Cleveland organization for and toward Manziel.
"Those who spoke talked of a year-long pattern that showed a lack of commitment and preparation, a failure to be ready when given a chance in his first start against Cincinnati and a continued commitment to nightlife, which affected his preparation and work while in the team facility."
One unnamed Browns teammate referred to Manziel as, a "100 percent joke."
Manziel, who vowed to teammates and media members that he now understood the importance of preparation and focus and was ready to be "the guy" for Cleveland ahead of their season finale at Baltimore in late December, proceeded to miss the morning walk-through ahead of the game and was discovered by team security at his downtown home, hung-over from the night before.
"Two team sources said security found a player who they felt clearly had partied hard the night before. One source used the words 'drunk off his a--.'"
Manziel again professed to "get it" and announced he was ready to change his ways days later, but, as ESPN notes, he was pictured in an Instagram post on Miami Beach that night, a club in Houston a few days later and at a ski resort in Aspen, Colorado shortly thereafter.
"But several Browns sources say privately Manziel's words to the media -- he's not the same Johnny Football, he's learned how to be a pro -- simply didn't always match his work."
But it may not only be the notorious party-boy quarterback who is at fault.
"One Browns staffer said he believed Manziel didn't get tough love when attention to detail wasn't there, that the team did not always hold him accountable when he was late."
That attention to detail came up time and again as, per ESPN, Manziel would often not know the play-call in the huddle or would get the offense lined up wrong because his verbiage was incorrect. There was a belief that Manziel did not practice well ahead of his first ever NFL start against the Cincinnati Bengals, "completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes during the week."
Some veterans, "clearly didn't want to play for Manziel" because of his lack of preparation - one source likened his hard work in practice ahead of his two starts as cramming for a test - and lack of toughness - he hurt a hamstring in the second quarter of his second start then missed treatment on it the final Saturday of the season.
Ultimately, Manziel will be back with the Browns next season and it will be up to him to write his own ending to his still-nascent NFL career.
Luckily for Manziel, it sounds like guys in the Cleveland lockerroom are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"People make mistakes," cornerback Joe Haden said. "I'm all about giving second chances."
Two chances, though, may be all he gets.
