Browns owner Jimmy Haslam jumps off Johnny Manziel bandwagon: ‘We’ve got to get a quarterback and got to get it fixed’
By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: January 22, 2015 - 08:51 PM | Updated: January 23, 2015 - 06:57 AM
CLEVELAND: Browns owner Jimmy Haslam’s love of quarterback Johnny Manziel has transformed to disillusionment.
The shift in Haslam’s attitude toward Manziel was glaring Thursday night when he addressed the media backstage during the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel.
Haslam said selecting a quarterback in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft is on the table because the Browns have no idea who their starter will be next season. That’s an indictment of Manziel, the 22nd overall pick in last year’s draft who led the Browns to just three points in six quarters as a starter this past season.
“We’ve got to get a quarterback and got to get it fixed,” Haslam said. “Now that’s not to say Connor [Shaw], who in the last game played really well [as an undrafted rookie]. Right, for a first time? Hadn’t worked with the first team any against a really good [Baltimore Ravens] team on the road, played well. And that’s not to say Johnny can’t do it, but they both have to prove it, that they can do it over a period of time.
“You’ve got to have a really good quarterback and our situation, as coach [Mike] Pettine says, is still muddy, and we don’t know who our quarterback is going to be next year. And what I would say to our fans is we’re going to continue to work really hard to find that quarterback who can make us a championship team.”
Manziel has shown a dedication to partying but not a commitment to doing everything in his power to ensure he’ll improve as an NFL quarterback.
“I think Johnny has to show on and off the field he can be a professional,” Haslam said. “He knows that. Everybody in the organization has told him that. It’ll be up to [new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo] and Pett to decide whether he can be the kind of quarterback we need him to be. He knows what we expect of him on and off the field, and it’s up to him to prove he can do that.”
Haslam mentioned veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer as an afterthought.
Hoyer, who went 7-6 as a starter last season, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent March 10. The Browns benched him and started Manziel after Hoyer threw eight interceptions and one touchdown in a four-game span.
Asked where the Browns stand with Hoyer, Haslam said, “I think every option is open on the table for us in terms of who’s going to play next year.”
Will they try to negotiate with Hoyer soon?
“That will be up to [General Manager] Ray [Farmer] and Pett to decide what direction we go there,” Haslam said.
This much is certain: The Browns are going to focus this offseason on acquiring a starting-caliber quarterback.
“We’re going to work hard till we get a quarterback who can help us win and win consistently, which we’ve stated since Day One is our goal,” Haslam said. “And it’s not easy, but we understand it’s the mission, and we’re going to work hard at it.”
Other highlights:
• Haslam said NFL investigators have not spoken to him regarding a report about a high-ranking member of the personnel staff texting comments on play calls from the press box to the sideline during a game this past season.
“Ray and Pett and Sashi Brown, our general counsel, are cooperating fully with the NFL, and if we did anything wrong, then I’m sure we’ll correct it and make whatever amends,” Haslam said. “I know we’ve cooperated fully with the NFL.”
• Haslam was asked whether he’s concerned about friction between the front office and coaching staff reaching a point where offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan resigned two weeks ago. He declined to speak about Shanahan’s choice, but he spoke about how other key members of the franchise have been working together and revealed Farmer, Pettine, Brown and President Alec Scheiner would join him Sunday, Monday and Tuesday for a “strategic planning session.”
“I assure you we’ll work very hard. We’ll work very close together,” Haslam said. “Do we have disagreements? Of course. But I would venture to say that wherever you all work there’s disagreements every day, too. We work together extremely well. I think it’s also important to remember we’ve only been together, this group, the five of us, for a little bit less than a year, and it takes time to build the team and we’re learning each other, we’re learning how to work together with each other and I think we’ve got a really good group that we’re really excited about.”
• Haslam went out of his way to point out DeFilippo, whom the Browns hired Wednesday to succeed Shanahan, wants to be in Cleveland. Shanahan obviously did not.
“We’re really excited about DeFilippo,” Haslam said. “John wants to be here. And John’s the kind of guy that welcomes a challenge and looks at our quarterback situation, understands where he is, and looks at our schedule next year and understands where he is and looks forward to the challenge. That’s the kind of person we want to be part of our organization.”
By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: January 22, 2015 - 08:51 PM | Updated: January 23, 2015 - 06:57 AM
CLEVELAND: Browns owner Jimmy Haslam’s love of quarterback Johnny Manziel has transformed to disillusionment.
The shift in Haslam’s attitude toward Manziel was glaring Thursday night when he addressed the media backstage during the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel.
Haslam said selecting a quarterback in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft is on the table because the Browns have no idea who their starter will be next season. That’s an indictment of Manziel, the 22nd overall pick in last year’s draft who led the Browns to just three points in six quarters as a starter this past season.
“We’ve got to get a quarterback and got to get it fixed,” Haslam said. “Now that’s not to say Connor [Shaw], who in the last game played really well [as an undrafted rookie]. Right, for a first time? Hadn’t worked with the first team any against a really good [Baltimore Ravens] team on the road, played well. And that’s not to say Johnny can’t do it, but they both have to prove it, that they can do it over a period of time.
“You’ve got to have a really good quarterback and our situation, as coach [Mike] Pettine says, is still muddy, and we don’t know who our quarterback is going to be next year. And what I would say to our fans is we’re going to continue to work really hard to find that quarterback who can make us a championship team.”
Manziel has shown a dedication to partying but not a commitment to doing everything in his power to ensure he’ll improve as an NFL quarterback.
“I think Johnny has to show on and off the field he can be a professional,” Haslam said. “He knows that. Everybody in the organization has told him that. It’ll be up to [new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo] and Pett to decide whether he can be the kind of quarterback we need him to be. He knows what we expect of him on and off the field, and it’s up to him to prove he can do that.”
Haslam mentioned veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer as an afterthought.
Hoyer, who went 7-6 as a starter last season, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent March 10. The Browns benched him and started Manziel after Hoyer threw eight interceptions and one touchdown in a four-game span.
Asked where the Browns stand with Hoyer, Haslam said, “I think every option is open on the table for us in terms of who’s going to play next year.”
Will they try to negotiate with Hoyer soon?
“That will be up to [General Manager] Ray [Farmer] and Pett to decide what direction we go there,” Haslam said.
This much is certain: The Browns are going to focus this offseason on acquiring a starting-caliber quarterback.
“We’re going to work hard till we get a quarterback who can help us win and win consistently, which we’ve stated since Day One is our goal,” Haslam said. “And it’s not easy, but we understand it’s the mission, and we’re going to work hard at it.”
Other highlights:
• Haslam said NFL investigators have not spoken to him regarding a report about a high-ranking member of the personnel staff texting comments on play calls from the press box to the sideline during a game this past season.
“Ray and Pett and Sashi Brown, our general counsel, are cooperating fully with the NFL, and if we did anything wrong, then I’m sure we’ll correct it and make whatever amends,” Haslam said. “I know we’ve cooperated fully with the NFL.”
• Haslam was asked whether he’s concerned about friction between the front office and coaching staff reaching a point where offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan resigned two weeks ago. He declined to speak about Shanahan’s choice, but he spoke about how other key members of the franchise have been working together and revealed Farmer, Pettine, Brown and President Alec Scheiner would join him Sunday, Monday and Tuesday for a “strategic planning session.”
“I assure you we’ll work very hard. We’ll work very close together,” Haslam said. “Do we have disagreements? Of course. But I would venture to say that wherever you all work there’s disagreements every day, too. We work together extremely well. I think it’s also important to remember we’ve only been together, this group, the five of us, for a little bit less than a year, and it takes time to build the team and we’re learning each other, we’re learning how to work together with each other and I think we’ve got a really good group that we’re really excited about.”
• Haslam went out of his way to point out DeFilippo, whom the Browns hired Wednesday to succeed Shanahan, wants to be in Cleveland. Shanahan obviously did not.
“We’re really excited about DeFilippo,” Haslam said. “John wants to be here. And John’s the kind of guy that welcomes a challenge and looks at our quarterback situation, understands where he is, and looks at our schedule next year and understands where he is and looks forward to the challenge. That’s the kind of person we want to be part of our organization.”
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