Now that Duke Johnson Jr. is the Cleveland Browns' backup quarterback, what happens with the rookie's development?
Brian Hoyer, whom coach Mike Pettine named the Browns' starting quarterback entering the regular season, is taking the lion's share of snaps in practice. He is the only player at the position that the Browns are fully committed to preparing for the Sept. 7 regular-season opener at Pittsburgh and beyond.
Manziel assumes the duties of a No. 2 quarterback, which include exposure to the offense so that he would be ready to step in for Hoyer at a moment's notice but doesn't allow for a practice work load approaching that of a starter. One of his primary weekly tasks will be helping the Browns' defense prepare for each game.
So how will Manziel be able to continue to evolve as a NFL quarterback? By maximizing every chance he has to step on the field, whether it's in practice or in games, such as his appearance (likely to come in the second half) in Saturday night's preseason game against St. Louis.
"I'm still getting plenty of reps that I'm getting at practice and I think that I need to make every opportunity that I have throughout the season count," Manziel said. "Whether its practice, whether it's getting a chance to get in the game, whatever it is, take mental reps.
"See, for me I still need to learn how to prepare for an NFL week. I haven't even got a chance to do that yet. These are preseason games; they're not pouring time in our opponent like we will in a regular season game so there's still a lot for me to go through, a lot for me to experience, and a lot for me to learn."
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE NFL …
AFTER A RECENT FIGHTin practice between Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood and rookie defensive lineman Bryan Johnson, coach Doug Marrone voiced his strong disapproval of such altercations. "It's not part of the game," Marrone told reporters. "Therefore, I don't want to speak about it. It hurts the integrity of our game the more we talk about it. That's how I feel about fighting."
AT LEAST ONE NFL WIDE RECEIVERdoesn't like the league's officiating emphasis on illegal contact and holding by defensive players … something that ultimately benefits wide receivers. "Watching the game last week against Atlanta, it kind of makes the game longer." Johnson told 610 Sports Radio in Houston. "It actually makes you hate it a little bit because every time you look around there's a flag on the ground." >>Be sure to tune in Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET, for "Cleveland Browns Daily, Driven by Liberty Ford" on ESPN 850 WKNR or catch the live stream right here on ClevelandBrowns.com. We take your questions at 216-578-0850 and via Twitter @Browns_Daily.
