Going into the 2014 NFL draft, all of the hype was surrounding Johnny “Football” Manziel. During college, Manziel became known for his ability to scramble out of the pocket and his ability to salvage plays that looked to be over. He was able to escape the pocket, beat out defensive end players, and often run the ball in for a touchdown.
Despite all of this hype, Manziel fell during the draft all the way to the 22nd pick, where he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. As of right now, the Cleveland Browns fan base is in full support of Johnny Manziel; however, if they want any chance at success, QB Brian Hoyer needs to be the starter on the team.
The biggest issue with Manziel is that his style of football will not work in the NFL. Over the last couple of NFL seasons, the NFL seemed as though it was moving towards the read option offense; however, this is no longer the case. Since then, defensive players are now told to hit the quarterback no matter what, making mobile quarterbacks too risky to play. If they are being hit hard on every play, a team cannot rely on them. Look at the situation with RGIII. When RGIII came into the league, he was supposed to be one of the best quarterbacks available; however, after multiple concussions and an ACL tear, it became clear that he his NFL career would not last. The same can be said about Manziel.
Manziel was a great college player, but none of his skills are effective in the NFL. If he tries to escape the pocket at the NFL level, he will not be able to maneuver his way out of the pocket and he will pretty much look like Geno Smith. If he tries to play in the pocket, he will not do well either. Manziel has one of the least accurate arms in his rookie class, and he is easily a worse passer than QB Blake Bortles, QB Teddy Bridgewater, and QB Derek Carr. Due to this Hoyer is the best option.
Over the past few seasons, Hoyer studied under the great Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, and he understands the game of football better than most. Last season, he looked very solid with the Cleveland Browns; however, he was held back injuries. So far in OTAs, Manziel has looked awful, which has shown Hoyer as the main starter. Manziel has been throwing interceptions to every player on the field, and he has been getting absolutely humiliated by Browns CB Joe Haden. If this wasn’t enough to create some hate towards Manziel, what is even worse is that he has made no attempt of cleaning up his personal life, and it is clear that he can’t keep it together off of the field.
As of right now, Manziel has nothing going for him, and if the Browns decide to start him, they will be making the wrong choice.
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