For all the football fans out there that watched Johnny Manziel‘s first career start, you saw exactly what I saw. Rushed, poor decisions, and bad throws were three key thoughts to assess Manziel’s performance, as the former college stud accounted for only 93 yards and two interceptions. If you asked any one out in that Browns clubhouse if Manziel was the future of their squad, I doubt any of them would say yes.
In fact, recently a report came out that the Browns’ GM Ray Farmer is very interested in Marcus Mariota and that the Browns have scouted Mariota all season. The Browns are a QB away from being a legitimate contender, even in the highly competitive AFC North, and clearly no one, not even head coach Mike Pettine, thinks that Brian Hoyer or Manziel is the guy to take them to the next level.
Manziel has struggled thus far shifting his talents to the pro stage.
For the Browns to get Mariota they’d have to trade up, as their worst enemy is actually their success. Going 7-7 through 14 games this season, they will likely land a mid- to late-first round pick. Luckily for the Browns, after being terrible for so long, they finally are picking it back up. Their recent success is due to all the assets they have, and high draft picks they collected. Most notably, the Browns have the Bills‘ 2015 first and fourth round picks, along with Baltimore‘s sixth rounder. Three picks, especially in this year’s deep incoming class, would be a lot for teams looking to rebuild to pass up.
In short, is it likely next season we could see two of the past three Heisman winners practicing on the same field? No, it’s not. But it is plausible, and just that is enough to make sports fans like myself excited.
Top photo by Craig Strobeck
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Caleb is a sophomore at the University of Oregon intending to double major in Journalism and Sports Management. He is the Managing Editor for FishDuck.com, along with being a lifetime Saints and San Francisco Giants fan, as Caleb fell in love with sports at a young age and developed that love into a passion for sports analysis. He is looking forward to cheering on the Ducks throughout his career at Oregon, and is always willing to talk sports with any fellow fan.