It's no question that fans are still not sold on recent first round draft pick Johnny Manziel being centerpiece of the Cleveland Browns offense. This is partly due to confidence in Brian Hoyer and partly due to Manziel's off field antics. It is still not clear how the boost in bromance with Lebron James comming back to Cleveland will affect Manziel's booming social life.
Fresh off the news of star wide receiver Josh Gordon's DUI as well as the infamous Manziel rolled up dollar bill in Vegas bathroom picture, it is clear that the Browns need a stable component at quarterback.
Questions about current starting quarterback Hoyer revolve around the fact that he has only started started 4 games in his 5 years in the NFL. He is most notably known for being an undrafted free agent who signed with the New England Patriots in 2009 to play four years as Tom Brady's backup. Hoyer signed with the Browns in 2013 and had the opportunity to start for Cleveland in week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings when then starter Brandon Weeden was out with a thumb injury. In 3 consecutive starts for the Browns, Hoyer completed 57 of 96 passes, 615 yards, 5 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and most importantly 3 wins. This brief win streak ended when Hoyer suffered an ACL in week six against the Buffalo Bills.
Administration has let it be know that Hoyer is the team starter for now but a strong case for either quarterback candidate is hard to make. This has divided fans opinions as to who would be the best starter.
The other questions following Hoyer is his injury. ACL injury is notorious for taking time to fully recover from including the time it takes to regain strength, quickness and agility. The big question is whether his surgically repaired knee will hold him back when training camp starts this month.
"Yeah, no doubt, no doubt" Hoyer said on WKRK-FM, when asked if he was 100 percent. "I'm ready to go, so can't wait for Day 1."
If it isn't then Johnny Manziel has a chance to make his way up the depth chart.
Throwing the first pitch at the Cleveland Indian's game on Saturday, Hoyer was asked about any drama surrounding Johnny Manziel.
"I'm not really focused on my teammates, what they do in their off life, so that's none of my business," Hoyer said. "They can make those decisions on their own. All that matters is that we come back ready to go for the season."
The quarterback controversy has only begun for Cleveland. Both options are very uncertain. One hand you have incredible potential and bad decisions and the other hand you have stability, limited potential.