The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League took a close look at former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel during a workout, but did not to sign the former Heisman Trophy winner to a contract. According to Farhan Lalji and Dave Naylor of TSN.ca, Manziel showed his wares for Hamilton coaches and front-office personnel, led by head coach June Jones and vice-president of football operations Kent Austin, on Aug. 23 and 24 in Buffalo. However, the team decided not to sign Manziel as they were convinced “he’s not ready to resume his professional career.” Earlier, it was reported that Manziel has been meeting with several teams in an effort to revive his NFL career.
While they were not impressed with Manziel’s showing, the Tiger-Cats opted to keep him on their negotiation list, giving them 10 days to sign him or trade his rights to another CFL team. Manziel was drafted in the first round by the Browns, hoping that he could become their quarterback of the future. However, that vision never materialized as he was released by the Browns in March 2016 due to his poor field performance and off-field troubles. In his two years with the Browns, Manziel suited up for 15 games, compiling a 2-6 record as starter. Manziel completed 57 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Browns part ways with cornerback
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network Insider reported that the Browns have cut their star cornerback Joe Haden after they failed to find a trade partner for him.
Head coach Hue Jackson announced the move, thanking Haden for giving everything he had for the Browns, while executive vice president Sashi Brown said cutting Haden was a difficult decision. Haden is expected to immediately find another team as he is scheduled to meet with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Charlotte, North Carolina Wednesday night.
Also, the Dallas Cowboys plan to take a look at Haden.
After he made it to the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2014, the Browns rewarded Haden with a six-year deal worth $74.678 million. Since then, Haden struggled, tallying just three interceptions and 13 pass breakups while he was limited to 18 games during that span due to different injuries.
Cleveland ships offensive lineman to Chiefs
Hours after cutting Haden, the Browns traded offensive lineman Cameron Erving to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2018 fifth-round pick. Erving was a huge disappointment for the Browns since he was selected in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. At 6-foot-5 and 313 pounds, Erving was seen as a replacement for Pro Bowl pivot Alex Mack. He saw action as center before he was moved to right tackle.