The Cleveland Browns are expected to release Johnny Manziel this offseason after the quarterback dealt with numerous issues off the field. The team likely will look to the NFL draft to find a replacement for Manziel and names like Carson Wentz and Jared Goff could be targets.
Manziel came into the season with baggage after spending time in rehab last offseason and now it looks like his time in Cleveland is done. Manziel is dealing with an off the field issue regarding his ex-girlfriend and that likely will lead to the Browns releasing him this offseason. ESPN reports that the Browns are expected to release Manziel when the league year begins on March 9 if the team can't find a trade option for the quarterback.
At this point a trade is looking unlikely and Manziel's future in the NFL is uncertain. Manziel showed some flashes of talent over the past two seasons, but his off field issues derailed any chance of him being a consistent option for the Browns. ESPN sources report that the team will cut Manziel when the new league year begins, as they will have enough cap space to make a move at that point. Manziel's future was already uncertain before this latest incident, as head coach Hue Jackson reportedly wanted to move on from Manziel after taking over for Mike Pettine.
The Browns now appear to be moving in that direction and the team could use free agency or the draft to add some talent at the position. The free agent class has names like Sam Bradford, Brock Osweiler and potentially RG3 as options, while the draft has top prospects like Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Paxton Lynch at the QB position. Goff has been pegged as the top QB in the draft class by many scouts and some early mock drafts have Goff going to the Browns.
The Browns may start Josh McCown next season even if they draft Goff and the quarterback said that he would be willing to mentor a young player. McCown said to Pro Football Talk that "whatever my role is, I'm all in. I just want to help." McCown is on an affordable contract at $5 million in each of the next two years and that gives the Browns a buffer if the team wants to develop someone to take over as the franchise QB.
Travis Benjamin is heading towards the free agent market and he is a main target for the Browns this offseason. Benjamin is coming off of a career season and the wideout said that he is "hopeful" that a new deal will get done with the Browns. According to ESPN Cleveland, the two sides have made progress in talks and the team likely will retain Benjamin in the offseason.
Check here for more on the Browns and Manziel.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14697600/cleveland-browns-moving-johnny-manziel-latest-incident-source-says
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/teams/afc/cleveland-browns/
