Coach Mike Pettine emphasized in June that the Cleveland Browns would not "micromanage" Johnny Manziel's activities outside of the team's facility.
After a photo of Manziel rolling a $20 bill at a bathroom sink hit the Internet, though, the Browns became "alarmed," Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer reports.
Pettine has talked to Manziel about the photo and expressed optimism that it won't be an issue in training camp.
The organization's concern reportedly goes beyond that photo.
Amid Manziel's cross-country offseason romps with the likes of Drake and Justin Bieber, some in the organization believe he regressed in practices and lost ground to Brian Hoyer in the quarterback competition, sources have told Cabot.
It certainly hasn't gone unnoticed that Manziel's off-the-field behavior is the opposite of what he promised the Browns during the predraft process, vowing to shed the "Johnny Football" persona that consistently makes headlines at TMZ.
Pettine confirmed this week that Hoyer is entering training camp with the first-team offense. ESPN's Bob Holtzman followed up with a Friday report that players are expecting Hoyer to startthe season opener and believe Pettine could even make the decision well before the third preseason game.
Is all of this a direct message aimed at shocking Manziel into a wake-up call now that quarterback competition kicks into high gear during training camp? It certainly seems to be the case.
Despite the apparent shift in momentum toward Hoyer and away from Manziel, multiple sources have assured The Plain Dealer that the quarterback competition remains "open."
Coming off ACL surgery, Hoyer has yet to even participate in 11-on-11 drills, much less prove that he can stand in and take hits. That's no small matter, especially in a new offense.
Meanwhile, Manziel reportedly looked sharp in Thursday's practice after working with quarterback guru George Whitfield leading up to training camp.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, this quarterback competition is far from over.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" offers up team-by-team training camp previews of the NFC East and NFC West.
