Browns Need To Lose Brian Hoyer Now

The back-up Quarterback is always the most popular guy in town - a million different people before

Let me ask a question, why should the Browns keep Brian Hoyer?

ANSWER: Because Johnny Manziel should start the season on the bench.

This one drives me crazy. Why should Manziel play behind Hoyer? This is a brand new offense to both players, so Hoyer doesn't have an advantage here. He is learning just like Manziel is. So why are we going to hold Manziel back in this regard? Manziel should be getting almost all of the reps in camp, preseason and in practice. Having Hoyer as the starter wouldn't allow the rookie, in the most important camp of his career, to do this. In fact it would be holding him back from learning a new offense first hand.

Let me ask a question, why should the Browns keep Brian Hoyer?

ANSWER: Because Brian Hoyer will teach Manziel.

You're telling me that Brian Hoyer will "teach" JFF and "help him along"? You might want to sell me a bridge as well. Good luck trying to convince me that Brian Hoyer, a guy that was without a job 12 months ago, is going to be happy with helping someone else take his job. For the first time in his career a franchise thinks that he is a possible starting QB, and he will just step aside and coach the young guy up? We will get to how he reacted when he was told that the Browns were going to select Manziel.

Those who do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them. Anyone remember how this worked last time the Browns did this? Like when Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn accused one another of screwing each other over in practice? Remember when Seneca Wallace was pissed about losing playing time to a rookie in Colt McCoy?

Wallace was pissed, but he was actually spot on...

"Cleveland has had situations where they had quarterback controversy and all this other stuff and if you’re going to move forward with a guy and it be your franchise guy, you need to put all your focus in that guy and let him play and take all the media situations out of it and the fan situations out of it and let him play in order to build that franchise the way you want it."

Does that sound like the Browns should keep Brian Hoyer around and let him start some games? Coming from a guy that has been through it, sounds like a horrible idea.

Let me ask a question, why should the Browns keep Brian Hoyer?

ANSWER: What happens if Manziel gets hurt, because you know he will.

So what?If Manziel gets hurt, plug in Vince Young and run the ball 50 times a game instead of 40. Hell, I'm sure one of Eric Mangini's old offensive playbooks is still laying around.

Hoyer coming in and playing well is the worst thing that could happen. Not for the short term, but you better believe it is the worst case scenario for the long term.

The Browns have done this song and dance before. In 2007 the Browns needed a franchise Quarterback. Phil Savage traded for the 22nd pick and selected free falling Brady Quinn. This was well before the rookie pay scale and Quinn, on the advice of his agent, held out into camp trying to get top 10 money. That opened the door for Derek Anderson, who had started 3 games the previous season for the Browns and had shown glimpses.

(For those not paying attention, trade back into the first round, pick 22, Quarterback on roster heading into the final season of his contract that started 3 games the previous season, etc. This should be sounding familiar...)

Anderson comes in, lights up the NFL winning 10 games. If not for Tony Dungy being a punk ass bitch the Browns would have made the playoffs. Despite Anderson coming in and playing well, by missing the playoffs (and Anderson playing poorly down the stretch) everything was up in the air. Fans were already wondering aloud if Anderson was legit and if the team should have gone with Quinn. This was after a Pro Bowl season!

It didn't stop there either, it carried over into the 2008 season. Anderson came out the gates and stunk. The first above average game he had that season was in Week 5. Fans were restless, Head Coach Romeo Crennel was in a battle to keep his job. The Browns made a change in season, and according to Trent Dilfer, it was a fan drive move.

"Public opinion has made this decision for the Browns, I have spoken to coaches who have said, 'This is not Derek Anderson's fault.' In fact, at times he's played better than his statistics have showed. This is a function of the defense not getting off the football field; Braylon Edwards, a superstar receiver who's supposed to make all the plays to make you better, having 14 drops at least. It's about their playmakers, Kellen Winslow, not being there, not being dependable. It's about people not being at their best and Derek Anderson burdening the responsibility for this.

A local kid who is sitting on the bench and could possibly be better than the starting QB. It happened with Charlie Frye and it happened again with Brady Quinn. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times and I should probably make sure an adult is with you at all times.

After everything, even with the "second option" playing well, it was a bad situation for the Browns.

We haven't even touched on the idea that Haslam had something to do with Manziel being selected by the Browns (despite the heavy amount of smoke the Browns have denied all traces of fire). You want to tell the boss who has canned two front offices in two seasons to mind his own business when it comes to what QB should play?

Why even give Hoyer the chance to muddy the waters?

If you have two Quarterbacks, you have none. - a million different other people before

Let me ask a question, why should the Browns keep Brian Hoyer?

ANSWER: Brian Hoyer played great last year, why get rid of him now?

For that exact reason. Some fans believe that Brian Hoyer is a viable starter for the Browns. You know who doesn't? Ray Farmer and the Browns front office. If they did, I'm guessing our draft would have looked a bit different.

As pissed as some fans would be to see Manziel starting game one, you know who will be more pissed? I'm guessing Brian Hoyer. It's one thing to back up Tom Brady, it's another to stand behind an unproven rookie. Any other position, I wouldn't really mind. But this is Quarterback and Manziel will have to be a leader. How can he lead the locker room if he can't even lead the QB meeting room? Again this is all speculation, but after hearing Hoyer's "bring him on" quote on Manziel, I see a problem on the horizon. That doesn't seem like a guy willing to step aside.

Cleveland is a brutal place for Quarterbacks. A city that has seen a number 1 pick cry in his locker after being cheered when injured. Brady Quinn run out of town after 12 career starts. Colt McCoy and his Dad will never return to this town unless forced. Brandon Weeden never recovered from his first bad impression in front of the home crowd. It's not all our fault, these Quarterbacks weren't producing on the field. But why add another burden to Manziel's shoulders?

Back-up Quarterbacks are almost always back-ups for a reason, they just are not better than the starter. The problem becomes when the back-up thinks that they deserve to be on the field. It breeds bad feelings in the locker room. We have seen it with Dilfer-Frye, Anderson-Quinn and McCoy-Wallace. Why do we need to see this again?

Let's not pretend that this won't ever happen with Manziel either. After a 18-47, 213 yards, 1-3 ratio game, it doesn't matter to Frankie the Fan sitting in Section 214 that Manziel is the future. The boo's come raining down, the talk radio stations ask the question to full phone lines and every reporter with access asks the entire roster and coaching staff who they think should be the starter. I don't think this will bother Manziel, but I could see it bothering the rest of the locker room.

It's an unnecessary distraction.

Let me ask a question, why should the Browns keep Brian Hoyer?

ANSWER: There is no good reason.

Go into next season with Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen/developmental kid (or hell, even Rex Grossman is still looking for a gig) backing up Johnny Manziel. They are better "replacements" for the possible game Manziel will play anyways.

Let the kid become the face of this franchise without the added nonsense of Brian Hoyer looking over his shoulder.