Johnny Manziel remains in rehab, despite some conflicting reports, and appears to be making significant personal strides in become a more mature individual. That's great news as someone's wellbeing is much more important than football.
The bad news is that when he does resume football activities, it will be with the Cleveland Browns. The shaky situation Manziel will be placed back into may make it impossible for him to ever succeed in the NFL.
"Yet this is the problem for Manziel: He returns to a franchise that isn't just a dumpster fire," Mike Freeman, the NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report, wrote. "It's doing something worse. It's giving him no chance to win if and when he returns to football. None. He's dead. Toast.
"Manziel may have halted his personal free-fall, but his professional one will continue because the franchise that drafted him has surrounded him with nothing. Just one year later, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota will enter far better situations than him."
On the field, it's hard to argue with Freeman's assessment. The team lost tight end Jordan Cameron in free agency and top wide receiver Josh Gordon will be suspended for at least the entire 2015 season. Off the field, it's even worse. Cleveland's General Manager Ray Farmer is involved in a texting scandal for messaging the sideline during games, a big no-no in the eyes of the league, and the Browns are about to pay their sixth offensive coordinator in as many years.
It's not as if Manziel is some shiny savior, though. He completed just 18-of-35 passes for 175 yards, two picks, 29 rushing yards and a touchdown in five game appearances last season. Not exactly All-Pro material. But Cleveland has not done enough with the rest of the roster to aid Manziel's development at QB. If you think Brian Hartline and Andrew Hawkins are about to turn Johnny Football's career around, you need to get your head checked.The same goes for Dwayne Bowe.
"There will also be concerns about the talent deficit," Freeman wrote. "This is where things get equally complicated. It's possible we may never know just how good Manziel is because he's so under-served by the front office. I don't think he has the ability to be a good NFL quarterback, but in fairness, it's so early, and in fairness it's likely a totally inept front office will fail to help him."
