Now that the news of Hue Jackson’s agreement to coach the Cleveland Browns is a full hour old, it’s time to ask the important questions. Like: What does it mean for Johnny Football?
In short, nothing good. Fox Sports reported Jackson made it clear during his interview process he would want the Browns to “move on” from quarterback Johnny Manziel, the former first-round pick whose two years with the franchise have brought non-stop drama.
It remains unclear whether the Browns simply would release Manziel or try to dangle the lightning-rod 23-year-old in a trade. Jerry Jones, line 1?
On the flip side of the equation is how the Browns proceed to fill their quarterback position.
The Sacramento Bee pointed out Jackson’s long-standing fascination with estranged 49ers dual-threat QB Colin Kaepernick. In 2011, as coach of the cross-bay Raiders, Jackson said the team considered moving up in the draft to select Kaepernick.
The now-28-year-old ascended from backup to superstar over the course of the 2012 and 2013 seasons, but a decline phase culminated in his midseason benching and shoulder surgery in 2015. He is owed $14 million if he remains on the 49ers roster past April 1, according to the newspaper, making his exit likely as well.
The Browns also hold the No. 2 pick in this spring’s NFL draft, where they could select top quarterback prospects Jared Goff (Cal) or Paxton Lynch (Memphis).