Johnny Manziel is off limits for media during Cleveland Browns minicamp

The Cleveland Browns have a mandatory three-day minicamp this week, but if you’re hoping to get an interview with the team’s rookie quarterback, you’re out of luck as the team will not make Johnny Manziel available to the media, according to Tom Withers.

More from Cleveland Browns

Manziel was the team’s second pick in the first round and competing with Brian Hoyer for the starting job and his presence in Cleveland has already resulted in a glut of season ticket packages being sold and his jersey flying off the shelves in Ohio and throughout the country.

He has already generated more word of mouth than any other rookie in the NFL, including No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney and was even a part of wooing members of the GOB when key members of the Republican National Convention were in Cleveland earlier this month.

Despite all of the fanfare and positive impact that has resulted in Manziel landing in Cleveland the Browns felt it necessary to keep the player they hope will develop into their franchise quarterback underwraps as if he were a freshmen in college who is banned from speaking to the media.

This is the same practice that Kevin Sumlin had during Manziel’s redshirt freshman season when the school did not allow freshmen to speak to the media. Sumlin and Texas A&M eventually caved in to their rule and let him speak to the media and I wish the Browns would do the same, because this is a gutless decision to ban him from speaking to the media.

What purpose does this serve?

Are any other teams across the NFL preventing their first round draft picks from speaking to the media?

Is there any other player in Cleveland that would demand the media’s attention?

The team did say Manziel will be available to speak to the media during the team’s training camp which gets underway next month.

Home/Cleveland Browns