Johnny Manziel has not been heard from since he admitted himself into a rehab clinic almost two months ago. The Cleveland Browns quarterback has been a major headline this offseason as many wonder exactly what his role on the team will be following his return. The Browns continue to stress their full commitment in the former first-round draft pick and expect him to return in time for spring workouts.
After Manziel went to the rehab clinic, head coach Mike Pettine admitted he was uncertain what the timetable for the quarterback would look like. That forced the Browns to sign veteran Josh McCown to a contract after Brian Hoyer went to the Houston Texans. However, general manager Ray Farmer spoke out on the progress of Manziel and stressed the quarterback would return in time to begin team workouts on April 20.
"I don't think it's in doubt," Farmer said, via ESPN.com. "Again, I'm not the point person in that. So I would defer to those kind of controlling his care and let them decide what that looks likes."
Farmer was of course pressed to speak on the role Manziel would have on the team given the contract to McCown. Many believed Manziel was the future face of the franchise and while that might still be true, he has yet to show that talent on the field in the short time he has been given. Farmer made it clear that Manziel's rehab stint would not be a factor in his ability to compete for the starting job.
"That'd be the equivalent of me telling you that I could predict the future and tell you that he's not prepared," Farmer said. "If he is prepared and he demonstrates the things that he needs to demonstrate, then yeah he should get every opportunity to be the guy."
A quarterback rotation of Manziel and McCown still leaves a lot to be desired. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, a trade up for Marcus Mariota is still very much an option for the Browns given their two first-round draft picks. It was reported earlier that the Browns were extremely interested in acquiring Sam Bradford for a first-round draft pick from the Philadelphia Eagles, something Farmer denied. Farmer told the media that it was a "dead issue" and that Bradford "got traded already."
Bradford is out as an option, but Mariota could easily be in. There is also the idea that the Browns try and pry away either Philip Rivers or Drew Brees, something that is even more unlikely than a late move for Bradford. Both the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers have denied their quarterbacks are available for deals. The Browns will either make a move for Mariota or potentially target someone later in the draft instead.
