There is so much hype surrounding Johnny Manziel right now. He’s the most discussed player in the National Football League and ESPN and various media outlets can’t get enough of him. With LeBron James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the presence of Manziel and LeBron in the same sports city is creating a lot of attention on sports talk radio. As the Cleveland Browns try to make their way up the ladder in the AFC North, people are asking: when Manziel will be called upon to be the savior for the Browns?
Last season, the Browns found an answer at quarterback as longtime journeyman backup Brian Hoyer stepped in for Brandon Weeden and led the team extremely well. Hoyer won games for Cleveland and showed some of the best form of his career. Unfortunately, it didn’t last, but not because Hoyer started to decline. Hoyer got injured in October and missed the rest of the season. If Hoyer shows good form in training camp and during the preseason, he should be the opening day starter for this team, forcing Manziel to wait. New Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine should have the common sense to realize that rookies generally should not start on opening day in their first seasons and that they generally shouldn’t start in general – if at all possible.
The chances are extremely good that Hoyer will start in Week 1 for Cleveland. If your own Manziel prop bet is that he’ll start on opening day, you’re likely to lose. However, the issue then gets a lot more complicated. If Hoyer gets injured or fails to lead the team to victory in a three- or four-game stretch, which is very possible in light of all the Browns’ limitations, you would likely see Manziel get at least one start. There’s also the reality that the Browns have a tough opening month of the season. They’ll start in Detroit in Week 1, then come back home to get visits from New Orleans and Baltimore before their bye in Week 4. If they’re 0-3 entering the bye week, don’t be surprised if Manziel gets the call for the Week 5 matchup against Tennessee.
