Johnny Manziel is auditioning. The quarterback has been named the starter for the remainder of the season for the Cleveland Browns despite Josh McCown being healthy again and now he must prove he can stick around for the long-term. With off-the-field issues getting discussed once again, Manziel continues to dig his hole a little deeper, but he can silence all of the critics with improved play against a weakened Baltimore Ravens team.
The Browns are thinking about 2016 with this year all but over for the team and they need to evaluate if Manziel is going to be a part of that or not. McCown was never thought of as the long-term option at quarterback, but the jury is out if Manziel is or not. The Browns are looking at a high draft pick again that could be used on a quarterback while trades remain an option. Manziel will determine the route Cleveland takes in the next couple of weeks.
"He took a big step forward in a lot of the small details of quarterback play," head coach Mike Pettine said, via ESPN.com. "It's as simple as that for us, just to continue to get better. He did some good things but there's some things that can be improved upon. Each week presents a new challenge, and he has to be able to react to how a defense is playing him and be able to play within a game plan, the structure of it and stay tight to that."
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, the Browns are already planning on entering the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes if the quarterback becomes available in the offseason. Colin Kaepernick will be an option according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. Sam Bradford and Kirk Cousins will be available as two quarterbacks Cleveland has looked at in the past. Manziel has a chance to prove the Browns do not need to go in that direction and it starts with having a big game against the Ravens.
Coming out of their bye week, the Browns are healthy and ready to play. The run game will be critical for the quarterback to avoid mistakes as Duke Johnson remains the better option over Isaiah Crowell. Meanwhile, Gary Barnidge is proving age is simply a number at the tight end spot. The biggest question will be the role of Dwayne Bowe who really came on in the last game. Bowe has gotten more playing time as Andrew Hawkins deals with injuries. His production will be huge for the Browns if he can continue to play well.
