The Cleveland Browns have some tough QB questions coming up, as Brian Hoyer was benched on Sunday for Johnny Manziel and now moving forward they may have to decide whether to sign Hoyer to a long term free agent deal, which could lead to a Manziel trade to the Eagles or Dallas Cowboys, or allow Manziel to take over as the starting quarterback moving forward.
Manziel got a chance to play quite a bit on Sunday for the first time this season and it came after Hoyer was not effective against the Buffalo Bills. Hoyer has been solid for most of the season, but many did not harp on his numbers since the team was winning and was playing without Josh Gordon. Now Gordon is back and Hoyer has not played well, turning the ball over five times and throwing for zero TD passes over the past two games.
According to ESPN.com, the Browns are going to look at the film and will make a decision about who to start during the week. Hoyer said that he feels that the team is "his" and that he did not have a great performance on Sunday and deserved what happened based on his play. The Bills coasted against the Browns and while they are still in the mix, that loss could be devastating to their playoff chances.
Manziel came in with 12 minutes left after Hoyer threw his second pick and Hoyer ended up with 192 yards in the game on 18 completions. Manziel threw for 63 yards while completing all but three of his eight passes and he also scored his first NFL touchdown. Manziel showed off some of the speed that made him a college star, beating the Bills secondary into the endzone on a scramble in the redzone.
The Browns are in playoff contention and remain there despite losing on Sunday, but as the season ends they have to decide how hard they are going to pursue Hoyer in free agency. According to Pro Football Talk, the Houston Texans, Titans and Oakland Raiders all could be interested in Hoyer and that means the Browns will have some major decisions to make. Manziel was drafted as the QB of the future, but with Hoyer coming into free agency and likely signing a deal, staying in Cleveland means keeping Manziel back for another year or two at least.
Manziel clearly wants to play and Hoyer has shown that he can be a serviceable quarterback but how much is he worth to the Browns or other teams? The Browns used a first round pick on Manziel and with all the media attention on him, it may not be a smart move to keep him and sign Hoyer to a long term deal. Many think that the Browns would consider trading Manziel for the right price if they sign Hoyer back, but now that is not as forgone conclusion either. The Texans and Raiders will be in the market for a new starter along with other teams and Hoyer will be one of the top players on the free agent market at the position.
