Last week, a report from Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland pegged quarterback Johnny Manziel as a “fish out of water” in the Browns offense and that the team was “to all appearances” moving on from the 2014 first-round pick.
On Tuesday, Browns coach Mike Pettine was asked about that report and denied that was the case. He said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal, it was “irresponsible” to say that the team was moving on from Manziel and that the quarterback is grasping offensive coordinator John DeFillipo’s offense well thus far.
None of that changes the fact that Josh McCown looks firmly ensconced as the starter in Cleveland and that any notions of a competition are on hold unless he shows he can’t handle the job. McCown’s record says that such a day could arrive, which would leave the Browns with a decision to make about just how good a fit Manziel is for their offensive goals.
Pettine also addressed Manziel’s bottle throwing incident at a Texas golf tournament over the weekend. He called it a “non-story,” although he added that he had a conversation with Manziel when asked if he wanted the quarterback to keep a lower profile in the future.