The Browns have one of the league’s top reality shows going anyway, but they don’t necessarily want it filmed around the clock.
And they may not have to worry about it.
According to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, the Browns request to not be on the HBO training camp documentary has been granted. He mentions that Washington, along with the Bills and the Texans, are the likeliest subjects this year.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has confirmed that the Texans are one of three finalists, and a decision could come as soon as next week.
With quarterback Johnny Manziel easing back into the football world after a stint in rehab, the presence of cameras 24-7 would have only added a layer of ridiculousness to what is already going to be an unusual camp. The Browns made it clear that the Manziel situation made them uneasy with the prospect of doing the show.
And since NFL Films doesn’t really want an “unwilling participant,” the Browns appear to be off the hook this year.
There were nine teams eligible to be “drafted” to do the show this year, in addition to the aforementioned four: The Giants, Vikings, Bucs, Rams, Jaguars and Titans.
The Bills could have been exempt since they have a first-year coach, but they’ve never been on the show and could volunteer.
New coach Rex Ryan is one of the most colorful characters in the league anyway, and generally welcomes the attention the way he used to welcome a G-D snack.
But there were reports the Bills weren’t interested, so we’ll see if they follow through. They’d clearly be the most interesting of the teams mentioned in the report, guaranteed to be good summer television.