The Browns have signed quarterback Josh McCown, giving themselves a veteran option to Johnny Manziel for the 2015 season shortly after Manziel entered a treatment facility in the wake of a rough rookie season.
It’s not the most inspiring scene for the offense or for Manziel’s future, but offensive coordinator John DeFilippo thinks that he can get things moving in the right direction. He said the offense Manziel ran in college was limited, leaving a lot of work for DeFilippo to do to “take the grey area” out and turn things into the “pure progression” he’ll need to succeed as a professional.
The coach said that Manziel “needs experience playing the game at this level” if he’s going to improve, but that there’s also a mental aspect that requires a commitment on the quarterback’s part.
“It’s truly a lifestyle to be an NFL quarterback,” DeFilippo said on ESPN 850 WKNR. “It’s not just a job. It’s all-consuming. You need to sleep, eat, do everything fast and just think about football all the time. The great ones have an obsession with it. You watch the Peyton Mannings and the Drew Brees and the Aaron Rodgers, those guys are obsessed with football. And you talk about quarterback lifestyle, in our very first meeting that’s what we’re going to talk about with those guys.”
DeFilippo did an evenhanded job of assessing the areas where Manziel needs work on and off the field. He also laid out a pretty big mountain of work ahead for Manziel since there’s clearly a lot of work to do on both fronts in an environment that can be short on patience and rope for quarterbacks who aren’t ready for the job.