When deciphering what ails the Cleveland Browns Johnny Manziel is an easy target. Money Manziel previously missed walkthroughs and had a highly publicized stint in rehab. Then TMZ posted a video allegedly showing Manziel partying in Texas during his bye week.
Now, after recently declaring Johnny Football their starter for the rest of the year, Cleveland has dropped him to the third string, elevating Josh McCown back to the top job.
But Manziel’s problems are not the root of the issue—instead they are symptomatic of the 2-7 Browns’ general malaise. Cleveland has been unable to draft and develop talent and that, not the behaviour of any one individual player, is the main reason why they’ve been unable to sustain on-field success.
The Browns’ last winning season was in 2007. Their last playoff appearance was in 2002. Mike Pettine is 9-17 in two seasons as a head coach. This year they are 2-8 and out of the playoff race. That all cannot be laid at the feet of Manziel. From an organizational standpoint they have failed to identify good players and adequately fill team needs.
Look at the lack of playing time—never mind production—they’ve gotten from their first-round picks. The Browns are routinely drafting high and yet they have failed to get players who can get on the field for bad football teams.
Here’s a look at the Browns’ five first-rounders from the last three drafts:
Draft year | Player | Pct. of Browns’ plays, 2015 |
---|---|---|
2015 | Danny Shelton | 48% |
2015 | Cameron Irving | 15% |
2014 | Justin Gilbert | 5% |
2014 | Johnny Manziel | 35% |
2013 | Barkevious Mingo | 23% |
Their drafting strategy is more obscene when you look at the recent first-round picks that have moved on. Trent Richardson and defensive lineman Philip Taylor (chosen in 2012 and 2011) are currently out of the league. Brandon Weeden (2012) is on his second team this year as a backup for the Houstan Texans. Weeden only got a shot in Houston after Brian Hoyer got hurt and Ryan Mallett got cut.
Manziel gets the headlines but that has taken attention away from the fact his draft mate cornerback Justin Gilbert has been a biger bust than Johnny.
Cameron Irving was seen as a safe pick that they initially were applauded for. Irving had a dominant career as a center at FSU. Now the Browns are playing him at left guard and he’s struggled.
Danny Shelton, who looked great in the draft evaluation process, has struggled being utilized at the nose guard position.
While they could improve, the selections look worse when you consider who they passed on. When they snapped up Gilbert at No. 8 in 2014, Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Donald and C.J. Mosley were all still in the board. So were a couple handfuls of other members of the crazy-good 2014 receiver class, for that matter, which was and still is a position of need for the Browns.
Though the Browns eventually got in on a WR in the draft, they were a full year and a few rounds late. In the 2015 draft, they got Vince Mayle out of Washington State in the fourth round—he was cut in training camp.
And when you miss in the draft, it forces you to take gambles in free agency. This past off-season, Cleveland signed Dwayne Bowe for $9 million guaranteed on a two-year deal. The 31-year-old receiver has just three catches for 31 yards and is decidedly not a piece of the Browns’ future.
And it’s not just drafting—it’s development. While the Browns are still trying to find out what they have in linebacker Nate Orchard (39 percent of plays this season), their 2015 second-round pick out of Utah, and running back Duke Johnson (48 percent), their third-round pick out of Miami, the track record says the two are unlikely to reach their potential while playing in orange and brown.
It’s one thing to draft a star, and it’s another to have a plan in place for him to succeed. And the Browns have done neither.
The Browns have the worst record in the league since 1999 and they’ve had ample opportunity to improve with their 20 first-round picks in that stretch, sixth-most in the NFL, but haven’t done so.
All that can’t be blamed on Johnny; their issues started long before him and will remain long after him if they don’t prioritize scouting and player development, and embrace a much more long-term approach to building their football team.
In a league that promotes parity in large part because of the benefit high draft picks provide, the Cleveland Browns have been stuck in neutral thanks to their front office. Not Johnny Football.