When Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine made the move from Brian Hoyer to Johnny Manziel at starting quarterback, it's plausible that he wrote the ending to Hoyer's story in Cleveland.
So wrote Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland in a mailbag published on Saturday:
My hunch is the Browns have already made the decision mentally and emotionally to let Hoyer walk in free agency. Maybe they make a nominal offer to keep him, but I feel that they won’t compete with teams that may offer Hoyer the chance to legitimately compete for a starting job as a so-called “bridge” quarterback. These possibilities could include Houston, Buffalo, Tennessee, the Jets and St. Louis. Unexpected coaching shakeups also could affect Hoyer’s destination in free agency.
In truth, it doesn't appear like going back to Hoyer for any pronounced length of time is even an option anymore. With the future invested in Manziel, Pettine and the crew are likely to weather the bumps in the road while the rookie gets more and more reps.
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