With Josh Gordon Likely Out for the Season Cleveland Browns Need to Start Johnny Manziel

A lot of the buzz in Cleveland has centered around everyone's favorite party animal/quarterback--Johnny Manziel. It actually started last season though when all of a sudden the Browns had decent quarterback play courtesy of Brian Hoyer--for two games at least. For the most part it was the incredible work done by Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron that made the Browns competitive.

But without Gordon this coming season the offense is going to be minus one--and their only--dynamic playmaker. To compete it will need at least one.

@MikeCardano

It's not going to be Nate Burleson; that is, if he can stop breaking his arm long enough to catch a few passes. Even at his best he was just a decent No. 2 wide receiver anyway.

Miles Austin has the potential to be a solid playmaker, but ask Dallas fans how sad they were he left and they might ask you who he is. Not because they are acting like scorned lovers, but because he has been so injury prone an ineffective he has been as good as gone to them for a couple years.

Last year they had no running game whatsoever. This season they hope to in former Houston Texans running back Ben Tate. At times with the Texans he played well, but was it because of him or because Arian Foster wore defenses down?

That leaves Jordan Cameron and whoever the team lines up at quarterback.

Cameron had a good season last year, but it's his only good season out of three in the NFL. He could become something, but it is too early in his career to lean on him too much.

That leaves the quarterback.

Brian Hoyer played well last season for two games before getting injured. He looked pretty good in the process, but he lacks something that Manziel has--an uncanny ability to improvise.

Manziel's improve skills became infamous during his two seasons at Texas A&M. Whether they will translate in to success in the NFL remains to be seen. Some say they will not. Others look at Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, and Russell Wilson and say they will.

The Brown's have some good players on the roster, but if they are going to win without Josh Gordon they need to be better. Manziel has proven on the collegiate level he can make everyone that plays with him better.

Can Hoyer say that? I don't think so.

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