Browns owner: Johnny Manziel's got to live up to expectations
CLEVELAND --Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said he believes the team's relationship with Johnny Manziel is fixable.
"I don't think there's any question about that," Haslam said Thursday night at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards.
The question is whether the team wants to fix it. A source told ESPN's Dan Graziano that new coach Hue Jackson made it clear when he interviewed that he wanted the the Browns to move on from Manziel.
Haslam was noncommittal about Manziel's future, though, saying only, "We have a certain expectation for our players, and that includes Johnny, and he's got to live up to those expectations."
The Browns have not been overwhelming in their support of Manziel this offseason. Comments have been tepid, with the emphasis on holding players accountable and the expectation that they do the right things off the field.
Jackson has not met or talked with Manziel yet. Though Haslam downplayed this, Jackson has spoken with other players, including tackle Joe Thomas and safety Tashaun Gipson, who could become a free agent. Josh McCown said Thursday he has a meeting coming soon with Jackson, probably early next week.
Haslam would not comment further on the Browns' season finale, when the team could not find Manziel, or on Manziel's recent appearances on social media. He deferred questions about Manziel's future to new coach Hue Jackson and director of football operations Sashi Brown.
The Browns selected Manziel with the No. 22 pick in the 2014 draft. Haslam was pointed when asked if it would be tough to give up on a first-round pick after the player had just two years in the league.
"Look, one of the reasons the Browns are in the condition they are is they've not drafted well," he said. "Our predecessors didn't draft well, and we didn't draft well.
"Any time a number one draft pick or any high draft pick is not successful and is not a big contributor, that's disappointing to the organization."
Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown said Manziel's future is up in the air because he has not had proper leadership, which Manziel needs.
"I know a lot of kids that if you don't know how to deal with them you lose them," Brown said. "They don't come ready made. But on the other hand, the argument is that he's a man. He should know how to conduct himself. He has an opportunity. We've got all of that.
"But I like him, and I hope that they are able to relate, and I think if they are able to relate that he will respect the coach. I don't want to see him traded or anything like that. I just think that's never the answer to anything."
