So...I kind of agree with Torn on this, but hear me out.
The Browns changed their entire offensive philosophy when Manziel got on the field last year. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out because of the formations and plays they started to run. I think Shanahan had a very high opinion of Manziel, thought he could recreate that RGIII magic and thought Manziel was ready to go. Now we know exactly how stupid of an opinion that was, because Johnny need restraint, just like every other rookie QB who has entered the NFL.
Enter Flip, a guy who has come out and said it doesn't matter which QB is out there, they expect them to run the offense that he builds. What does Farmer and Pettine do? They get together, have the scouts and coaches watch the tape together, form a cohesive plan of what they want to do, and execute that plan on draft day. And for offense, we drafted a run mauler, a running back, an H-Back, a project Big WR, and a blocking TE. If that doesn't tell you exactly what the Browns are going to do, I don't know what will.
So my thinking is this: Every rumor I've seen, and every thing I've heard, Johnny has been staying at the facility, working out, getting every little piece of work he can in. If the door isn't locked, supposedly he is in there. We haven't seen him at a ton of Cavs games since OTA's started, nor has he been seen partying or at baseball games or in Vegas. What we've seen and heard is Johnny is studying hard. Now I see this and think that maybe he has figured it out.
When watching the Browns last year, did anyone truly think Hoyer had an amazing arm? Was he overly accurate? Was he composed against the pressure that he began to face? I didn't think so. What Hoyer was, however, was he was overly prepared. He knew the play that he was given, who was supposed to be where, why, and when. When he took the last step of his drop, boom, the ball was in the air and on the receiver. He had one trait that was literally among the tops in the NFL, because he saw guys like Brady and how they knew the playbook.
Take another example. We saw Connor Shaw for one game against the Baltimore Ravens and on the road. Overall, he kept them in the game until the end against a playoff contender. He allowed for the Browns to do their job, to run the ball, and he was prepared to hit guys when they were open.
I watch those two guys, I see how they did in a ground based offense. IF Johnny is truly committed to learning the playbook, if he learned from those two guys who were clearly ready and able to take the field and look competent to run an offense when their time came, and he is putting in the time and effort...why can't Johnny be, at least, an average NFL QB next year? He has better arm talent than both of those guys. Say what you want about him pushing the ball into traffic, the guy is certainly better than Connor Shaw.
The way that Johnny has acted since leaving rehab is very encouraging. Supposedly he went on his own accord and the Browns didn't influence him. I don't care why he did it, clearly he figured something was wrong because he stayed for 10 weeks. Willing or not, he recognized the problem while he was there. And ever since the start of OTA's, it's been nothing but hearing about him staying 3 to 5 hours MORE to put in work just on tape. Maybe Hoyer rubbed off on him and his study habits. Maybe he was truly embarrassed by his 7 quarters next year and knows he needs to be better. Or maybe he's phoning it in and he really thinks he can skate by on his own talent.
What I do think is if Johnny comes into training camp with the offense down, I don't see a reason why he cannot be an average NFL starter next year. Whether he can ever be anything more than that, I don't know. But for right now, his steps have been both encouraging and impressive. Hopefully, for all our sake, it pays off.
