Judging solely on the accounts of his veteran teammates, it sure seems that Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has entered this offseason with a completely revamped attitude and renewed focus.
What that amounts to once the regular season rolls around remains to be seen, but it's certainly encouraging for fans of the Browns that Manziel seems to have shaken off the party boy façade and honed in on his job as a leader of men on the football field.
Still, despite his newfound commitment, Manziel will enter offseason workouts as the clear cut No. 2 behind journeyman Josh McCown. While this may simply be a case of head coach Mike Pettine forcing Manziel to earn back a chance at the starting gig, the issue could go much deeper than that.
"It was Pettine who was ready to move on from Manziel when he entered rehab, one league source told Yahoo Sports. Another league source said that three others - Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, general manager Ray Farmer and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo - still believe Manziel can be salvaged. At the very least, DeFilippo has made several positive public comments about Manziel since he returned to the team a little over two weeks ago," reports Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports.
Considering the abysmal rookie year he stumbled through - 18 completions for 175 yards and two interceptions in five games of work - it wouldn't be hard to fault the Browns brass if they were ready to move on from Manziel.
Of course, considering the reports of a "toxic" culture being cultivated under Haslam in Cleveland, it seems troubling that Pettine is ready to pull the plug on Manziel while his GM and owner are adamant that he be given a second and possibly third chance. That kind of organizational disagreement seems to belie a much deeper dysfunction.
Pettine's stance is understandable. Manziel has repeatedly said the right things only to then turn around and do the wrong thing.
Manziel though, was a first-round pick for a reason.
Despite his diminutive stature and over-reliance on his athleticism and ability to make something out of nothing, he's a talented quarterback and has the tools to become a quality NFL starter.
It makes sense that Farmer and Haslam would be so willing to give him every chance possible to turn it around, because beneath all the bluster and money signs, there is a franchise quarterback waiting to be developed.
McCown, at 35, will never be that.
He's in place now either to keep the seat warm until Manziel can put it all together and take his rightful place as the Browns field general or until Johnny Football squanders his last chance(s) and the Browns commit another high selection to the quarterback position.
