Such is the kind of riches to rags story this Heisman Trophy winner has become. Sad, actually, but not all that surprising if you’ve been paying attention.
The Browns knew of Manziel’s hard-partying ways and disdain for authority and desperately spent a first-round draft pick (No. 22 overall) on him anyway in 2014.
Now, after embarrassing the organization one final time (funny how police helicopters never are needed to track down Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, etc.), he is soon to be an afterthought, his jersey merely a conversation piece, much like those of Brady Quinn (2007) and Brandon Weeden (2012), other QBs drafted in the first round by various Cleveland regimes. Quinn's out of football. Weeden is with his third organization.
They, like No. 1 overall pick Tim Couch (1999), have fallen victim to the Cleveland quarterback curse that shows no evidence of easing its grip.
Heaven help either Jared Goff of California or Carson Wentz of North Dakota State, whichever unlucky soul ends up being drafted by the Browns in April as their next signal-calling savior.
For Manziel, the road out of Cleveland could lead to Dallas.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones almost drafted him, remember, before being talked out of it by his sane son (just as Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was being talked into it by that homeless guy) and could be ready to rekindle a relationship.
And New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a big Cowboys fan, might have to make good on his pledge to throw himself in front of the Manziel train. That would be fun to watch.
Here's a full timeline of Manziel's transgressions from ESPN. Maybe someone can print it on one of the jerseys that ends up in the clearance bin.
Browns’ SB drought a good bet to continue
The Browns are one of four franchises never to make the Super Bowl, along with the Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Hard to say which is closest to ending its drought, but if you believe the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, it’s definitely not the Browns.
According to Westgate, the Browns are 200-1 to win next year's Super Bowl. Not 100-1, but 200-1, the only team with triple-figure odds. You can read all about it here, but it's no mystery. They'll be coming off a 3-13 season with a new coaching staff, a suspect defense and probably a rookie quarterback.
In the AFC North, the Steelers are 8-1 to win it all, the Bengals 14-1, the Ravens 30-1.
And those other three franchises looking for their first Super Bowl? The Lions and Texans are 40-1 to take the crown, the Jaguars 50-1.
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