Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel returned to campus Saturday and showed flashes of the improvisational wizard who took college football by storm the past two years.
But this time “Manzielmania” enveloped the University of Akron instead of Texas A&M. Nevertheless, Johnny Football went back to school, and not even ornery weather could ruin his fun.
Threats of thunderstorms prompted the Browns to run their Family Day. But at least the announced crowd of 20,673 at InfoCision Stadium received an opportunity to watchManziel do what he does best as the Browns took a test drive in preparation for their Aug. 9 preseason opener at the Detroit Lions.
In the first unscripted, live action of training camp, Manziel’s run-around-and-create-something-on-the-fly style was on display more than any other time since the Browns drafted him 22nd overall May 8. It’s his greatest strength, though it’s not always evident in a regular practice setting.
“It felt good to run,” said Manziel, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2012. “And I think the plays we executed on those worked really well.”
Manziel continued to work exclusively with the second-team offense, and veteran Brian Hoyer took all of the snaps with the first unit. Coach Mike Pettine said the staff would meet Sunday to discuss when it’ll give Manziel his first reps with the starters. On Thursday, Pettine and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan suggested it would happen soon.
So is the battle for the starting quarterback job closer than it was when camp opened July 26?
“I wouldn’t say that [it’s closer]. When camp began, Brian was the ones because we had to put somebody out there with the ones,” Pettine said. “But they were truly competing against each other, and at some point we will mix the units. I think that it’s all part of our evaluation process.”
The bottom line is Manziel appears to have narrowed the gap between himself and Hoyer with his performance in the scrimmage. Still, Manziel described his rookie growing pains and attempt to learn the intricacies of the playbook as “a struggle” last week, so he must focus solely on overcoming those obstacles to surpass Hoyer.
“There’s no gap that I’m looking at right now,” Manziel said after the scrimmage. “It’s know the playbook, know everything. There’s still so many little things here and there that can throw a play and change a play and a defensive look, and that’s stuff that I wasn’t used to. Now I’m seeing it, adjusting, learning.”
Manziel said he hasn’t talked to the coaches about when he’ll receive first-team reps, though they’re likely on the horizon.
“I’m fine with how things are going and I’m learning,” he said. “That’s really the only thing I need to be worried about right now.”
Excluding red-zone drills, Manziel completed 3-of-7 passes for 14 yards with runs of 9 and 5 yards in 11-on-11 sessions. He almost never dropped back in the pocket, read the defense and struck — his coaches know he must improve in those areas to succeed in the NFL — but he found unconventional ways to make plays, including on read option and out of the pistol formation.
“He made a couple nice runs, made some nice throws,” Pettine said. “Where most quarterbacks would step out of bounds, he got two completions there.”