In a scathing story published on ESPN, teammates of Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel ethered the rookie signal-caller, who appeared in just five games during his first-year campaign, calling his NFL debut a "100 percent joke", among other things.
Citing his lack of preparation, inability to make pre-snap decisions, and failure to remember plays, Manziel's fellow Browns, both named and unnamed, expressed their love and hate for the rookie.
As one player put it, Manziel throughout the entire 2014 season was a "100 percent joke."
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"People make mistakes," cornerback Joe Haden said. "I'm all about giving second chances."
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"Johnny's his own worst enemy," one source said.
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"He's competitive," said tight end Jordan Cameron, a free agent. "So I'm hoping that competitive nature will get him past all the other stuff. Hopefully he does, and hopefully he figures it out."
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"He's a kid that I think wants to do well but needs to be shown how, and he didn't always get that help, in my opinion," one Browns staffer said.
These were just a few of the assessments of Manziel's first year; they were peppered with anecdotes reminiscing on Manziel's failures, regular contradictions, and incessant partying, including the infamous house party on December 26, which left Manziel "drunk off his ass" the next morning, just a day before the team's regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens.
Yikes.
Can Manziel bounce back from the bumpy debut? It remains to be seen. However, Cleveland is ready to move on from the turbulent arrival, with or without Manziel. If he can't follow suit, the legend of "Johnny Football" may soon prove to be short-lived.
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[via ESPN]
