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Cleveland Browns Should Strongly Consider Trading Johnny Manziel

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Cleveland Browns Johnny Manziel

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns made an error in the 2014 NFL Draft, and it is time for the front office to repair that mistake with a trade. With a healthy Brian Hoyer, the Browns have a productive starting quarterback. So when the team drafted Johnny Manziel in the first round, more than a few heads turned. Manziel is a dynamic player and a polarizing person, so some people were very happy to see him in Cleveland, while others felt that was a wasted pick. With Hoyer playing well and leading the Browns to some key victories and some close losses, the team needs to part ways with Manziel to avoid anymore unnecessary quarterback controversies.

Last season, Hoyer was putting up great numbers and was winning games for the Browns. However, that was before a knee injury prematurely ended his season. That injury was clearly the reason that Cleveland decided to take Manziel in the first round. That being said, at the beginning of last season, Browns fans were raving that Hoyer was the quarterback of the future. He is a Cleveland native and his teammates like to play with him, so why shouldn’t fans have been excited about him leading the team?

The very second that the Browns selected Manziel in the draft, however, there were people calling for him to start over Hoyer. That is not a good position to put a starting quarterback into, especially a quarterback who was so effective the year before. The Hoyer haters did not stop until a few weeks into the season, after close losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, and a win against the New Orleans Saints. That is unnecessary pressure to put on a player and on a team. Even now, after a Week 7 loss to the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars, there are rumblings that Manziel should be starting.

Say what you will about Manziel, but the fact of the matter is that he is not NFL ready. He is undersized and he maintains a run-first attitude. That is not a good combination for his health and for the Browns’ offense. The backbone of Cleveland’s offense is the running game, and the quarterback is mostly counted on to be a game manager. Why put an untested and undersized rookie into that position when there is a very good quarterback already playing there? Hoyer has proven to be a difference maker for the Browns this season, and the Browns should look into trading Manziel to keep the rumblings to a minimum.

The entire Browns’ offense was ineffective in the loss to the Jaguars. There was plenty of blame to go around but fans’ focus was solely on Hoyer. The running game was nonexistent and the defense let inexperienced running backs rack up yardage and touchdowns; Hoyer had the deck stacked against him. If fans really think that Manziel would be more productive than Hoyer at this point, they need to think again.

With the trade deadline coming up, the Browns should be listening to any and all offers for Manziel. Let him be another team’s headache and have some faith in the quarterback who has shown what he can do in the league. There are suitors in the league who were close to drafting Manziel back in April, so the Browns need to admit that he was a mistake and find the best offer out there. Browns fans are not used to winning ball games and they can’t get too greedy now that they have tasted victory. Hoyer has been an instrumental piece in those wins, and it’s time for Cleveland to put the controversy to rest.

Andrew Lenz is a Blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RealAndyLenz, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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