ESPN NFL Insider Mike Sando spends each Sunday with ESPN NFL analyst Jon Gruden and the Monday Night Football crew. This week, they're in Cleveland for the Baltimore Ravens-Cleveland Browns matchup in Week 12 (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET). Here are some takeaways from Gruden on Johnny Manziel's future.
The Cleveland Browns have employed five general managers, five head coaches and 14 starting quarterbacks over the past seven-plus NFL seasons. The constant turnover separates Cleveland from its more stable and successful AFC North rivals. As the Browns again look to the future with December fast approaching, one of their biggest looming decisions will come at quarterback.
Where should Johnny Manziel fit into the picture? The Browns can't be sure. Their decision to demote Manziel from starter to inactive for this Monday Night Football matchup against the Baltimore Ravens raises questions about Manziel's future. Purely from a football standpoint, I've seen enough from Manziel this season to say the organization should keep him in its program and make every effort to develop him into the 2016 starter. Both Manziel and the team need to handle this right.
The film shows Manziel making a huge jump from his rookie season. He has done a good job handling the huddle, throwing accurately on the move, seeing the field, making use of his checkdowns, working from the pocket, calling audibles and making good decisions overall and when scrambling. He has done these things well, despite playing for a team without much of a support structure around him.