Although the Browns have named Brian Hoyer as the starting quarterback to start the season, enigmatic backup Johnny Manziel has taken the news in stride. Manziel acknowledged that he is “smart enough to know” that he did not play well enough in his preseason action in order to take a lead on the starting job, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer (via Twitter).
Manziel stands by his polarizing actions off the field, saying that he would not have done anything differently this offseason, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
While he doesn’t regret his transgressions this offseason, he does admit that he needs to continue to practice and prepare extremely diligently and with a purpose, while he awaits an opportunity to get on the field, writes Ulrich (via Twitter).
Here are some other notes from around the Browns:
- Hoyer “crumbled under the pressure” of the spotlight during the Browns’ preseason matchup with the Redskins on Monday, and the pressure will only increase now that he has been named the starter, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He notes that even if the team’s defense exceed expectations, that Hoyer as a starter-by-default is not a recipe for success.
- Before Hoyer was named the starter, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk assessed the media circus surrounding the team’s quarterback competition. He notes that the plan to curb his attention by not naming him the day one starter did not work, and that they were better off making an early decision on the depth chart. Florio believes they should have just named him the starter, to save him the scrutiny of the competition. They could also have relegated Manziel to the bench earlier, relieving him of the pressure to be a star in the preseason.
- While Manziel is one of the most polarizing rookie quarterbacks among fans and pundits, NFL players believe in the young gunslinger. According to an ESPN player poll, 69% of players believe Manziel will enjoy some sort of NFL success, while only 31% envision him as becoming the next bust at quarterback for the Browns. ESPN collected answers to this question from 82 anonymous NFL players.
- In a piece of non-quarterback news, Josh Gordon has still yet to hear about a ruling following his hearing after being suspended for violating the substance-abuse policy, writes Florio. If Gordon’s year-long suspension is relaxed, that will be the most significant upgrade the Browns’ offense could get, regardless of who is under center at the time the troubled wide receiver returns to the field.