Jul 30, 2015; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) during training camp at the Cleveland Browns practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
It was Johnny Manziel’s day on Thursday during training camp as the Cleveland Browns prepare for Friday night’s Orange and Brown Scrimmage.
Manziel earned some praise from head coach Mike Pettine, who pointed out that if Manziel puts in the time, good things will happen.
“When you come in every day with a great attitude and you work and it’s important to you, you can’t help but get better,” Pettine said. “I’m just happy for him that he’s getting the results on the field and the guys around him sense that as well.
“The one play he made where defense was a heavy blitz look, he walked up, changed the protection, stepped up in the pocket and threw a touchdown pass. That was probably, start to finish, his best play of camp … It was more preparation than anything else. I just think he has so much more of an intimate knowledge of what we’re doing.”
Manziel met with the media following practice and talked about the changes he has seen since he stopped being Johnny Football and started being a football player.
“A year older and a year smarter. (I am) not a rookie anymore. I have kind of gone through the ringer in a year and got to see everything,” the second-year quarterback said, according to the team’s website. “Now it is – coming out here and getting better. There is not as much pressure or hype. I am just another guy on the team. I think everyone is responding well. I am just happy to be out here and come into work every day. It is a lot of fun. We have a lot of fun with the staff and a lot of fun with the guys in this locker room. I can honestly say going through these days is not a drag, it is not a grind, (but) it is a lot of fun.
“Off the field for me, right now is really simple. Its football right now and it’ll be that way through out the rest of the season. Now it’s a really simple schedule, just come to work every day, be in the building do what I’m supposed to do and everything else will take care of itself. Just do the next right thing and things will be good. That’s where I’m at right now.”
It’s great that the coaches are making Manziel work for his opportunities rather than just handing him a starter’s role simply because he was a first-round draft pick. It’s even better that Manziel seems to have a better understanding of what it means to be an NFL player and is taking the situation more serious.
“When it comes down to through the preseason if I can go out and show what I can do and show that I’m improving, I want to do that,” Manziel said. “I want to show that I can really go out and play and that I’m making improvements and I’m making strides to get better. I’d never really been a backup before so, this year I’m definitely just trying to take a different approach and if I take care of my business and show that I’m getting better and go out in the preseason and play well then who knows what will happen.”
It is still early, and looking good in practice is different from looking good against an opposing defense, but so far the news about Manziel has been encouraging.
Next: Bad news on Mingo
Jul 30, 2015; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) throws over Cleveland Browns linebacker Barkevious Mingo (51) during training camp at the Cleveland Browns practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Another day of practice, another day of more players hobbling off the field in Berea.
On Thursday it was defensive back Pierre Desir, with a hamstring, and tight end Kevin Haplea, with a knee, who joined the list.
Linebacker Barkevious Mingo, who is quickly turning into Courtney Brown, had a minor arthroscopic knee procedure for a meniscus tear and is expected to be out a month. It will be the second surgery for Mingo this year, as he had a torn labrum fixed in the off-season.
“Especially a guy that works that hard, that is that quality a character, an individual that it’s important to him and he puts the time in,” Pettine said of Mingo’s latest injury. “Unfortunately you have some guys that get some unfortunate injuries but you root for guys like that to come back, and come back and play well.
“What is really means is that (Paul) Kruger will take on some more of our SAM linebacker role along with (Nate) Orchard who we’ve been prepping to do that,” Pettine said. “We might have to package some other things, using whether it’s an additional safety or and additional inside linebacker. But still, we’re a ways away from having to worry about that chart from a game standpoint.”
Next: On to Columbus
Jul 30, 2015; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive back Joe Haden (23) during training camp at the Cleveland Browns practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Browns will be at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Friday evening for the annual Orange and Brown scrimmage.
According to the team’s website, the first-team offense and the first-team defense will face each other, as will the second-team offense and second-team defense.
“We’ll do some 7-on-7 work and some crossover work with the line,” Pettine said. “Some one-on-one blocking and maybe some group protection stuff to get them some reps there. All of the coaches submitted their plan for their guys and it’s up to coordinators to put that together. I think that’s tentatively, now, what the plan is.”
Pettine also said that Manziel will see some time with the first team offense on Friday to give starting quarterback Josh McCown some rest, so that’s nice.
“You want to mix up the supporting cast,” Pettine explained. “Josh will not go with the twos, but guys competing to be your No. 2 quarterback – it happens every season – he’s going to have to play with that group. You don’t want the first time to be in a game. I wouldn’t read too much into it that he’s going with the ones. Josh right now is firmly the one, but don’t be surprised at some point during camp you maybe see Thad (Lewis) maybe even Connor (Shaw) with that group as well.”
The NFL Network will televise the scrimmage live starting at 6 p.m. with Inside Training Camp Live with the Browns, which will include analysis from Mike Mayock and Solomon Wilcots. NFL Network subscribers can watch online at NFL.com/nflnetwork.