Johnny Manziel has lost one of his biggest supporters. The rookie quarterback is currently waiting to hear about a ruling on his future with the Cleveland Browns as the team let go of one of his biggest advocates. With offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan out of the picture, does that hurt the future of Manziel in Cleveland?
ESPN.com is reporting that Shanahan is leaving Cleveland along with quarterback coach Dowell Loggains. This move was not necessarily unexpected. Both coaches did have contracts signed through 2015, but tension had been reported over the last week over Manziel. According to ESPN sources, Shanahan did not like that he was being pressured to start Manziel in a game over veteran Brian Hoyer. The coaching staff had a lot of confidence in Hoyer, but struggles late in the season made everyone cry for Manziel. Shanahan and Loggains were not thrilled with the amount of pressure coming from the front office to put the rookie into the game.
What does the departure of the two coaches mean for Manziel? The rookie quarterback's future has been placed into question as Ray Farmer hinted that the team would not hesitate to use a first-round draft pick on a quarterback like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. He told the media that he had faith that Manziel could be a starter in the league, but might not be an elite quarterback.
"I do understand everybody is eager to see what's under the hood and what it looks like and what it could be," Farmer said. "We'll find out in time. There are different ways to look at it. I just don't think solving it with one play or one opportunity or one game is really the answer to anybody's long-term questions. Development is individual. Guys get out of it what they put into it. For me, I'm excited where our guys are. All along, we knew (when) we drafted Johnny we wanted him to develop and take his time."
The Browns have a lot to think about at quarterback. If they hire a coordinator who works better with pocket passers, Hoyer's contract will be a priority. If they bring in someone that could better develop Manziel, the rookie might be able to stick around. If Cleveland can get a deal in place for Mariota or Winston, both quarterbacks could be out.
