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5 teams that could help Johnny Manziel clean up his act

By Randy Gurzi

Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 33-27. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 33-27. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images /

5. Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals have been a team on the rise ever since hiring Bruce Arians as their head coach. The one issue that has held them back has been the health of their starting quarterback, Carson Palmer. Take Arizona’s 2014 season, for example, when it was a tale of two teams – one that looked excellent with Palmer at the helm, but struggled without him.

In 2015 they put together a spectacular season, until a finger injury hampered the veteran signal caller and he looked out of sync at year’s end. While a healthy Palmer doesn’t mean the Cardinals would have made it to the Super Bowl, it’s plain to see that Arians needs a fresh quarterback to run his offense as health slows Palmer down.

It won’t get any better in that department, as Carson turned 36 years old this past December. Should Johnny Manziel come available, the Cards could be a dark horse team for the troubled quarterback. He would be able to sit behind Palmer (another former Heisman winner), get his act cleaned up and slide into the starting role when Palmer does hang up his cleats for good.

In Arizona, they have not just a good coach who could help JFF get his head on straight, but also a talented group of veteran leaders who are class acts. Of course when talking about good guys in Arizona, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald comes to mind, but he isn’t alone.

Cornerback Patrick Peterson is one of the best cornerbacks in football, and he was able to get through to his former LSU teammate, talented-but-troubled free safety Tyrann Mathieu, who was kicked out of school for drug issues. Peterson helped mentor Mathieu, who is now one of the leaders of the vaunted Cardinals defense.

Of course, that isn’t even mentioning the counsel Manziel could get from the quarterback he would be learning from in Palmer. There isn’t near as strong of veteran leadership in Cleveland, and Manziel has never had a fellow quarterback with the pedigree and leadership of Palmer, making this a potential fit for the dynamic playmaker.

Next: Kansas City Chiefs

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