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Jean-Jacques TaylorTodd Archer 8y

Sources: Cowboys likely won't add Johnny Manziel in 2016

NFL, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns

IRVING, Texas -- At a personnel meeting after the 2015 season ended, the Dallas Cowboys all but closed the door on the possibility of adding Johnny Manziel in 2016, multiple sources told ESPN.

According to sources, Manziel's name was one of several that came up in the internal meeting, and it was met with the same reaction it got during the NFL draft in 2014, when the Cowboys passed on the troubled quarterback in the first round.

Those meetings occurred before Manziel allegedly struck his ex-girlfriend several times during an incident last weekend at a downtown Dallas hotel. Despite the allegations, Manziel wasn't charged by the Fort Worth or Dallas police departments, which said Thursday that they consider their investigations closed.

A source told ESPN earlier this week that the Cleveland Browns will cut ties with Manziel in March.

The Cowboys have frequently been linked to Manziel because of owner Jerry Jones' affinity for the former Heisman Trophy winner, which was evident both before and after the 2014 draft.

As Manziel slipped in the first round of the draft, Jones mentioned the possibility of selecting him with the 16th overall pick, but received no backing from the rest of the draft room. Instead, the Cowboys selected Zack Martin in the first round, and the guard has gone to the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons.

That did not stop Jones from lamenting the decision publicly on a number of occasions, although he has steered clear of any potential tampering issues, since Manziel remains under contract with the Browns.

The Cowboys need some quarterback help behind Tony Romo. They own the fourth pick in the draft and could look to find Romo's backup and potential successor there.

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