Manziel: Vegas jaunt not a story

— -- BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel really doesn't care what the world thinks or perceives of his weekend jaunt to Las Vegas during Memorial Day weekend.

He said a weekend away, whether it's at home or anywhere, and whether it appears on Twitter or Instagram, does not affect his approach -- or his commitment to the Cleveland Browns.

"I don't live my life according to you guys or according to what other people think of me," Manziel told a group of media after the Browns' offseason practice Wednesday. "I'm going to live my life to the fullest and continue to be committed to this game and continue to be committed to what I'm doing here. Trying to earn my place in this locker room, with these coaches and this organization.

"If I want to go out and have some fun and it doesn't hinder what my main goals in life are, then I really don't care what anyone has to say."

Manziel's weekend was widely discussed and dissected, especially after a photo of Manziel and Rob Gronkowski with a group of other young people appeared on Manziel's Instagram page. Manziel also tweeted a photo of himself at a UFC fight, and a young woman tweeted a poolside photo of herself and Manziel.

Manziel called the Gronkowski photo "pretty funny" and said it was already out in the social media realm before he posted it.

The Browns circled the wagons around their rookie quarterback. Coach Mike Pettine said he advised Manziel to be ready to answer questions, but called the trip "a non-issue" with the team.

"We're not going to micromanage our players," Pettine said.

Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas said everyone deserves a break, and a chance to have fun.

"You can be committed seven days a week and still have fun at night," Thomas said.

"I can guarantee you if me and Johnny came in together I probably would have been in Vegas with him," safety Donte Whitner said. On his return flight, Manziel posted on his Instagram account a photo of his iPad with the team's playbook. The point was he had taken the playbook with him and could work and play at the same time.

"The thing I keep wondering about the most is I haven't really done anything at this level," he said. "I haven't done anything to establish myself or create this type of buzz or anything like that. I'm just another rookie."

At the same time, Manziel did pose with one of the league's better known partiers -- and better tight ends -- in Gronkowski, a guy he said he had recently come to know. Manziel called it "living a normal life."

"It's just how things are," he said. "For some reason wherever I go people want to take pictures. They think I'm doing something wild when I'm just living a normal life."

As for what he's done in Cleveland, Manziel said he goes on the shuttle from the facility to the hotel.

"Maybe to Chipotle or something," he said.