Johnny Manziel supports Todd Gurley

— -- BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel can't make a difference for the Cleveland Browns on the field right now, but he can speak up for player rights of college athletes.

Manziel, the Browns backup quarterback who was once embroiled in NCAA controversy over whether he sold autographs for money, said he understands what suspended Georgia running back Todd Gurley is going through.

"I feel for him," Manziel said.

Gurley, a serious Heisman candidate entering the week, is benched while Georgia looks into his NCAA eligibility. Gurley reportedly faces claims sent to Georgia that an autograph broker paid Gurley for his signatures, which is against NCAA rules.

That bothers Manziel.

"He's built an image for himself. He's built somewhat of a brand," Manziel, a first-round pick in May's draft, said after Friday's practice in Cleveland. "I feel he should be able to capitalize off it. I don't think [NCAA rules are] going to change any time soon. ... It's an ongoing -- for student-athletes -- problem in college athletics."

Manziel raises similar concerns to former and current college football players -- as television networks pay conferences billions of dollars to broadcast games, players have no outlets to capitalize off their name and likeness, rights that several pending lawsuits filed against the NCAA aim to change.

"I think [college football] is at a big crossroads right now with how much money, college football in particular, is bringing in for universities, for networks, for the SEC, for everything," Manziel said. "Then there are [players] walking out with an $800 scholarship check a month."

Manziel even supported Gurley on Twitter.

Manziel missed a half-game after the NCAA concluded its investigation with an acknowledgment Manziel did not accept money for his autographs.

As a former SEC star, Manziel remembers seeing fans "with all kinds of memorabilia" nearly everywhere he went. Judging the motives of those autograph-seekers is an arduous task, Manziel said.

"Whether you're a fan, whether you're a die-hard Aggie in Class of '50-whatever and you really want this signed, everybody can look like they run a memorabilia shop," Manziel said. "It's crazy. People walk around game days with brand-new jerseys with tags on. In the NFL you still see it. ... It's really hard to decide when someone comes up to you and asks you to sign, whether they genuinely want your autograph and are a diehard fan or are they going to take this back and sell it for their own profit?"