The Cleveland Browns found themselves at the bottom of the NFL rankings this season. Despite boasting of a promising roster, the football team failed to perform well enough to make it to the playoffs. However, sports analysts feel that the biggest problem of the Cleveland Browns involves something beyond the group's strategies and playing style. Some members of the NFL community believe that a single person can be identified as the most destructive part of the football team.
The 2014-15 NFL season of the Cleveland Browns has been tumultuous, to say the least. The NFL team struggled with weak plays and injuries. While the football team overcame most of the issues, it looks like they cannot get rid of one problem that keeps hounding the group: Johnny Manziel.
The Cleveland Browns have been pushed into the spotlight throughout the season and even at the height of Super Bowl 50 fever. While players of the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers attempt to outshine one another regarding stats, Manziel appears to be outdoing the NFL players when it comes to police reports linked to his name.
In a recent domestic violence-related incident, the Cleveland Browns quarterback finds himself the center of the investigation. With this in mind, sports analysts are calling for the NFL team to simply let go of Manziel. In fact, even supporters of the football team are pitching in on the campaign against the erring quarterback.
"The Browns made a mistake two years ago in drafting Johnny Manziel," said Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. He shared, "They would make a larger one by not cutting him the moment the NFL allows teams to release players on Feb. 8."
Reed went on to state, "Manziel has embarrassed the franchise so many ways, on so many levels, it's difficult to keep track of them...The player who entered the league as a brash anti-establishment hero has devolved into a pitiful spectacle of overindulgence - his word carrying as much currency as Confederate money." He further asserted, "The Browns don't need analytics to guide them -- just a bit of common sense."
Despite the issues surrounding Manziel and the consensus of practically everyone in the football community, the Cleveland Browns remain hesitant in letting go of the quarterback. In fact, NFL team owner Jimmy Haslam actually believes that there is a chance to fix the situation.
"Oh, yeah, I don't think there's any question about that," Haslam responded via Ohio.com, referring to the possibility of mending the relationships broken in the wake of Manziel's recent behavior.
The NFL team owner added, "We talked to Johnny before he left [for the offseason]. I know a big deal was made that Hue [Jackson] hasn't called Johnny yet. Well, we've got 53 players on the active [roster] and 10 more, and there were a couple of other real prominent players that he just talked to in the last day or two. So I'm sure he'll get around to talking to him."
Haslam's confidence appears to be echoed by former Cleveland Browns superstar Jim Brown. The fullback shared via Cleveland.com that Manziel can still turn things around. Brown also shared that a trade will not fix the situation.
"To be honest, I don't want to see him traded or anything like that. I just never feel that's the answer to anything. But that's my opinion and I don't expect you to feel that way. I like Johnny," said Brown.
He added, "I like Johnny and I know a lot of kids that if you don't know how to deal with them, you lose them. They don't come ready made, but on the other hand, the argument is he's a man. He should know how to conduct himself. He has an opportunity and we've got all that, but I like him and I hope they are able to relate then he will respect the coach."
