@everlastingxxx said:

I dont think Hoyer has to be great. He just has to win. He proved that he could last season. Manage the offense and protect the ball. With the defense the Browns have thats really all he has to do. Although i would love to see Manziel start the season i do know that Hoyer needs another chance to build on what he did last season. Do i think he is the real thing? I dont know. He is a little inconsistent but so would a rookie QB. I thought the best throw of the game was the pass Hoyer threw to Austin that was dropped. That was a perfect throw. I kindof feel sorry for all these quarterbacks with the shit they have to throw to.

Um, he proved what?

He started 3 games, and only threw 4 passes in one of those three games. Lets not act like he put together a 10 game winning streak or something.

There is nothing wrong with an open competition. Everyone has to earn their spot... but the people who have been watching Manziel since he was in highschool know how this is going to end.

@utzie said:

Regular and postseason, ya know, when the games actually are important for the organization. Regular season wins get you to the playoffs while postseason wins gets you to a championsip.

Anything before that just gets you to the next practice.

So what on earth is the Hoyer excitement around here about then? He hasn't done anything of note on the field during the regular season... and that has been over 5 seasons in the league.

@the-cysko-kid said:

And what of shaw? Practice squad?

PIzza Hut?

@unsympathetic said:

Nobody could part Lake Erie at this point.. those harmful algae blooms are bad times.

Let Pettine do his job. JF does have a better arm than Hoyer, but his arm isn't the only thing needed.

Remember: JF's arm isn't as good as Spergon Wynn's.

Spergon Wynn? Seriously?

Wynn passed for less than 600 yards in his career.(QB rating 39.5, not a typo) There is a heck of a lot more to having a good arm than being able to throw the ball 100mph to nobody at all.

I am pretty sure the head coach isn't going to address him as "Johnny Football." If nothing else that is kind of a mouthful...

I think a simple "Mr Football" would suffice.

@scdawg82 said:

I thought so. I didn't see any of the arrogance I keep hearing about. Sounds humble. Like he's ready to work to TAKE starting spot, not have it handed to him.

Liked what I heard out of Bitoino as well.

A lot of "Johnny Football" is a media invention. He is extremely confident and hyper competitive. If you actually listen to him speak though you won't hear him saying anything but the right thing.

ESPN spent most of last year trying to cast him as college football's villain, but nobody who knows the guy seems to have anything negative to say about his attitude, abilities, or work ethic.

@hoorta said:

LOL, ever hear of a grocery bagger named Kurt Warner? Incidentally, the Browns could have had him in the expansion draft of 1999. But I have to give you the Cleveland perspective on Hoyer. The guy is 100% Cleveland- west side St. Ignatius, went to the same school as LeCharles Bentley (who unfortunately blew his knee out and never actually got to play for the Browns)- another in a long line of our tragedies. I can tell you this- every kid who's ever strapped on a football helmet in Cleveland has dreams of playing for the Browns one day. Brian is living the dream- and he's not going to just roll over and play dead for JF. Farmer texted him before they drafted JF- and Hoyer's response was "Bring it on." So there's a substantial local kid makes good undercurrent going on here. Us Clevelanders love a good underdog story, and Hoyer sat on the sidelines for years learning from one in the best in the biz- Brady. And finally Hoyer did not look to shabby in the limited action he saw before he took a crummy slide attempt against the Bills. I'm sure the training staff has taught him how do do a dive to not get hurt.

PS- you know who else the Steelers cut? Johnny Unitas.

Sure, there are examples of guys coming out of nowhere and proving to be excellent, but they are exceptions to the rule for a reason. I also fully understand the local boy angle with Hoyer. Who wouldn't like that? Lets face it though this is the NFL, and if you are going to bet on someone, bet on the first round draft pick to win the job.

@topdawg31 said:

There are many bronze bust's in Canton that were undrafted free agents. Brian Hoyer may be on the verge of becoming a very talented QB, our offense was in quicksand when he was not in there and appeared to move fluidly with him. How many remember fans in Mich couldn't wait to get rid of Brady most people probably think he was good before he got to the NFL.

There have certainly been undrafted free agents that have turned into excellent pros, no question at all about that. I am just saying that Hoyer is hardly an established starter.

He has started four games in his 5 year career.

@diehardbrownsfan said:

Some of you newbs make me laugh. Manziel is a rookie, ROOKIE. He hasn't proven anything in the NFL yet. You all act like he has A god given right to be starter. And how dare the owner say he has to earn the position. This isn't college. This is PROFESSIONAL. Big, big difference.

Of course he needs to earn the job, but lets be real here for a moment, he isn't competing with Peyton Manning... he is competing with a guy who is a former undrafted free agent, who has been cut by New England, Pittsburgh, and Arizona, has only started four games in his career... and that was before he blew his knee out.

@diehardbrownsfan said:

Imagine the amount of pressure this kid will be under? More then any quarterback in recent history I'd say.

The good news is that it isn't new to him. He was already "Johnny Football" (or JFF) back in high school when he was something of a local/state legend.

He has been on Sportscenter seemingly every night since he took his first snap at A&M, both during the season and the off season... you could make an argument that he has drawn more media scrutiny than any college player in recent years, perhaps ever. He hasn't always handled it well, but the spotlight is more than a little familiar to him.

If the Browns wanted a backup they shouldn't have drafted Manziel. He may not start from day one, but he is either going to be a huge star or a complete bust... nothing in between.

@osiris said:

Buddy show me a player in this draft that didn't have any question marks. We won't know how good JM is until he plays but being optimistic/hopeful isn't hurting anyone.

Exactly.... every player in the draft has some question marks. Manziel is an unconventional quarterback, but he is unquestionably a phenomenal talent. The only question now is how his talent translates to the NFL.

Howdy,

I am actually something of a Browns fan and lived in Cleveland from 1999 to 2004, but am also an A&M fan (from Texas) and so Manziel's arrival is a bonus.