Daily Dawg Tags: Opportunity is there for Johnny Manziel

Spanning the virtual globe to bring you the latest news about the Cleveland Browns and the NFL – these are your Daily Dawg Tags for Thursday, Dec. 10.

Cleveland Browns: 

Mike Pettine: Opportunity is there for Johnny Manziel

"Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine said on Wednesday that the opportunity is there for quarterback Johnny Manziel – but the consequences could be harsh if Manziel squanders it yet again. After benching Manziel for two weeks after his latest off-the-field transgression, the Browns are turning back Manziel for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers and, possibly, the remainder of the seasons. Now it is up to Manziel to prove he is ready to be a starting quarterback in the NFL."

2016 NFL Mock Draft: Cleveland Browns select Laremy Tunsil

"While drafting Tunsil would be beneficial to the offensive line, he is not what the Browns need right now. Joe Thomas leaving town does not seem like it will happen, even though he was nearly traded to the Denver Broncos this season. He is under contract through the 2018 season, and trading him would set the team back even further. Thomas is one of the greatest to ever play his position, and not even he can help the quarterbacks and running backs behind him on this Browns offense. I could not see Tunsil making anything different."

Cleveland Browns Cameron Erving: I played like (bleep)

"Lost in all the noise over Johnny Manziel returning to the starting lineup for the Cleveland Browns is the news that rookie first-round draft pick Cameron Erving will be returning to the bench. Erving had been filling in for the injured Joel Bitonio at left guard, but was struggling to adapt to the NFL game while playing an unfamiliar position. He will be replaced in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers by former undrafted free agent Austin Pasztor. But unlike some other first-round draft picks on the Browns roster, Erving is taking ownership of his struggles."

Mike Pettine said he didn’t realize how bad Johnny Manziel’s drinking problem was (Deadspin)

"Johnny Manziel will get the start for Cleveland against the 49ers on Sunday, and the job is his for the remainder of the season if he can hang on to it. Of course, that’s what we thought three weeks ago, before some bye-week partying put him back on the bench. Head coach Mike Pettine said today the team didn’t realize just how much Manziel’s drinking would affect the Browns when they made the call to draft him. Everyone wants to dance around what those problems are—Pettine can’t even bring himself to say “alcohol” or “drinking”—because alcoholism is a medical diagnosis and one that Manziel hasn’t publicly acknowledged. But that’s what we’re all talking about here."

Johnny Manziel won’t say he agreed with benching: ‘I was forced to learn a hard lesson’ (NEOMG)

"Johnny Manziel didn’t pretend to agree with Mike Pettine’s decision to bench him. Nor did he apologize for being a distraction or promise he’d never do it again. “I was forced to learn a hard lesson,” he said. “I had to learn the hard way and I’m lucky to be back in the position that I’m in and being the starter again so I’m definitely not taking that lightly. That’s for sure.” And what exactly did he learn."

NFL News:

Dez Bryant, Calvin Johnson want to help clarify catch rules (ESPN)

"If commissioner Roger Goodell wants to clarify what constitutes a catch in the NFL, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant is ready to help. Bryant has been haunted by his overturned catch in a playoff loss to theGreen Bay Packers last January. Last week, Goodell acknowledged that the rules need to be looked at, and he is putting a committee together to study the issue. “That’s cool!” Bryant told USA Today on Tuesday. “They need to invite me. Tell them they need to call me, so I can have my input."

Herm Edwards absolutely shreds LeSean McCoy (FanSided)

"LeSean McCoy has made a lot of comments about his former head coach Chip Kelly since he was traded in the off-season from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Buffalo Bills, and the comments haven’t stopped yet. When Chip Kelly said he wanted to shake McCoy’s hand, McCoy continued to go off on his old coach. One person who was not happy with McCoy’s comments about his former coach, or players like McCoy in general, was former NFL head coach and player, Herm Edwards. Edwards did not take kindly to the things that McCoy had been saying and was adamant that McCoy and other players make it about themselves, instead of the game of football."

McCoy fires back at Chip Kelly, turns down hand shake (NFL.com)

"Don’t expect that pregame hand shake between Chip Kelly and LeSean McCoy, after all. Earlier Wednesday, Kelly told reporters that he called McCoy several times to try to talk out the differences they might have had after Kelly traded McCoy to Buffalo, but the calls went unanswered. Kelly said he would welcome the chance to say hello when the Bills face off Sunday in Philadelphia. Then McCoy had his turn to speak with the media. Needless to say, he doesn’t feel the same."