INDIANAPOLIS – There wasn’t much Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine could say about visiting quarterback Johnny Manziel in a treatment facility last week.
Pettine clearly didn’t want to violate Manziel’s privacy. But he said he supported Manziel, who a year ago was one of the most-watched players at this NFL scouting combine.
“I wanted to go see him and let him know we are proud of him for the decision he made to go in and he has our full support,” Pettine said.
Pettine said he didn’t know when Manziel would return to the Browns. Manziel’s future with the Browns is obviously cloudy, not just because of what he's going through off the field but also because he failed to impress on the field when given the chance late in the year. But the Browns are hopeful Manziel is helped by going to the treatment facility.
“He’s in a much better place now than before he went in,” Pettine said. “He’s very determined to come out of it in a much better way.”
On the business side of it, the Browns have as much uncertainty at quarterback as anyone in the league.
Manziel is an unknown at this point. Brian Hoyer is a free agent, although Pettine said he hasn’t closed the door on him coming back (Hoyer obviously has a say in that, too). This season’s free agent crop at quarterback is weak. After Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota the draft class as quarterback has a steep drop, and the Browns would need to pay an incredible price to get in position to draft one of them.
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“I’d be a lot more concerned if we had a game this Sunday,” Pettine said about the quarterback situation. “It’s a position we’ll look to address. All options are on the table.”
The Browns’ issues go deeper than quarterback, of course. Receiver Josh Gordon is suspended for at least a year. Cornerback Justin Gilbert, Cleveland’s first first-round pick last year, has been widely criticized for his attitude. Browns general manager Ray Farmer is being investigated for sending text messages to the sideline during games, which is illegal in the NFL and upset Pettine.
“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t thrilled about it,” Pettine said. “But Ray and I have had clear and open conversations about it.
“This game is very emotional, so I’m not going to go into my initial reaction. But I’m comfortable with my relationship with Ray, that hasn’t changed.”
Pettine came to the combine last year right after getting hired by the Browns and was very optimistic and energetic about the franchise. That hadn’t changed despite a season that was very tough at times.
Pettine went out of his way to defend owner Jimmy Haslam. He said it is unfair that Haslam is depicted as meddlesome, because he hasn’t made a decision in regards to draft picks or playing time. It has been widely speculated he did both when it came to Manziel last year. Pettine said Haslam is inquisitive and wants to know what’s going on with the team, but he’s not meddlesome.
“For us as a coaching staff in year one, he was outstanding,” Pettine said.
Despite all that’s going on with the Browns, and the cloud that seems to hang over the franchise since it re-entered the NFL in 1999, Pettine was upbeat.
“You’d be surprised how positive the feelings are not just in the coaching area but around the building about the Browns moving forward,” Pettine said.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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