Money pit: Johnny Manziel released by Browns
— -- Johnny Manziel is no longer a member of the Cleveland Browns.
In a move that was no surprise, the team announced Friday that Manziel had been released.
Manziel was the 22nd overall selection by the Browns in 2014, their second of two first-round draft picks that year. But his two seasons in Cleveland were marred by off-field struggles and limited on-field success.
His selection in the draft was greeted with excitement and acclaim in Cleveland. Fans have treated his departure the opposite way, with some bars offering a "Say Bye to Johnny" event.
Manziel can choose where he wants to play next but has hurdles to clear regarding his behavior. His off-field issues make his immediate future a question mark. Manziel spent 10 weeks in rehab following his rookie season and is the subject of a grand jury investigation in Dallas into whether he assaulted his former girlfriend. The NFL is investigating whether Manziel violated the personal conduct policy in that incident.
Since he spent the weekend of the Browns' season finale in Las Vegas, Manziel has made regular appearances on social media from locales that include Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Manziel's partying and social media appearances started the night the Browns drafted him, with a celebration in New York City that included Drake and magnums of champagne. The lifestyle continued through his rookie season, when he struggled on the field and missed a Week 17 walk-through because he was out late the night before.
Manziel went to rehab from January through April last year and returned promising to tamp down the hype and avoid social media situations.
He led the Browns to a win over the Tennessee Titans in the second game of the 2015 season but returned to the backup role when Josh McCown was cleared from a concussion.
When McCown was injured later in the year, Manziel struggled against Cincinnati but threw for 372 yards in a loss to Pittsburgh and was named the starter for the rest of the season.
A bye-week social media video of him at a club in Texas appeared the following Monday, and Manziel lied to the coaching staff, saying it was an old video when it wasn't. That so angered the Browns that Manziel was made the third-string quarterback. He returned to the starting lineup only when McCown broke his collarbone and Austin Davis struggled.
Manziel started three games, winning one. On the Wednesday before the season finale, he showed up late to a team meeting. The Browns got him out of the meeting and soon announced he was in the concussion protocol, but reports say he was in Las Vegas the night before and day of the season finale, which caught the Browns off guard.
After police were called about the domestic violence incident on Jan. 29, new director of football operations Sashi Brown released a statement Feb. 2 saying Manziel's behavior "undermines the hard work of his teammates and the reputation of our organization."
Manziel's father told the Dallas Morning News he feared his son would not see his 24th birthday in December if he did not get help. Manziel told TMZ he was fine.
At the scouting combine, coach Hue Jackson said the Browns would "draw a line" and "that behavior will not be tolerated as we move forward."
Manziel's release allows the Browns to have a fresh start and to move on from the constant attention and questions he drew.
In two seasons with the Browns, Manziel played in 15 games with eight starts. The Browns went 2-6 in those starts. Manziel has completed 147 of 258 passes (57 percent) with seven touchdowns, seven interceptions and a career passer rating of 74.4.
