A position by position rundown of the Cleveland Browns as the offseason heads toward the NFL combine and free agency:
QUARTERBACK
Under contract: Johnny Manziel, Connor Shaw, Tyler Thigpen
Free agents: Brian Hoyer
The good: There really isn’t much. The Browns continue to lack at the most important position on the team. Manziel flopped completely given the chance to start last season, and his teammates had concerns about him all season. Shaw competed, prepared and played better than Manziel in his one start, but his talent is limited. Thigpen was nothing more than a late-season signing to fill out the roster. Finding much good in this group of holdovers is a difficult task.
The bad: Is it bad to not know your 2015 starter at this point of the offseason? The Browns, from Jimmy Haslam through Ray Farmer to Mike Pettine, call the quarterback situation muddy, and they say it needs to be fixed. Manziel is a first-round pick who played poorly and has done little to ingratiate himself with his team and teammates with his approach to the game. One year removed from the hiring of Pettine, the Browns have more questions about this position than they did when he was hired.
The money: The biggest financial decision the Browns have to make is what to do with Hoyer. Do they offer him a contract? Do they let him go to free agency? There seemed to be a slight shift back toward favoring re-signing him but the price is what matters. Hoyer is not desperate to return and is very comfortable testing the market. The Browns would have to give Hoyer legitimate starter’s money to have him turn away from free agency. The only other financial concern is that the Browns have guaranteed Manziel $7.7 million in his rookie contract. Part of the guarantee was a $4.3 million signing bonus. That may or may not be a factor in the team’s decision to go forward with Manziel.
Free agency need: High. But the market does not have many immediate impact guys. The choices come from players like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jake Locker or Ryan Mallett. Hoyer seems as good as any of them.
Draft priority: High, as long as it’s the right guy. The Browns decision to draft Manziel remains a complete mystery. He didn’t fit in the team’s offense, and his off-field exploits made him not really a fit in the team’s culture either. The Browns never-ending search for a quarterback has to have them considering drafting another passer in 2015. In what round the quarterback is selected is the question.