2016 NFL Updates: Former Browns GM Ray Farmer Blames Team For Johnny Manziel’s Failure in the NFL

By Carlo Monzon
Johnny Manziel
Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel watches the Dallas Mavericks at Cleveland Cavaliers NBA game at Quicken Loans Arena.  REUTERS/David Richard-USA TODAY Sports/File photo

Ray Farmer, the former general manager of the Cleveland Browns, said that he blames the team for ex-quarterback Jonny Manziel's demise. According to him, the Browns were not ready to handle the athlete's personality.

Farmer served as the GM of the Cleveland NFL franchise from 2014 to 2015. This means he was already with the team when it decided to draft Manziel in 2014. In fact, he was one of the individuals who voted to get the athlete.

However, almost immediately after entering the team, Manziel's professional career began to crumble due to his personal issues. This continued until he was eventually booted from the NFL.

Of course, Manziel's failure in the NFL can only be blamed on himself and his actions. But according to Farmer, the Bears also had a hand in his career's demise. The former GM noted that when Manziel was drafted, not everyone agreed on getting him. Due to the lack of unity, the team was not able to properly handle Manziel's arrival in Cleveland.

"In Johnny's case, I truly feel like a lot of people piled on the young man," he said according to Sports Illustrated. "He's done his share of helping everybody get on top of that bandwagon, but the reality is the responsibility is born by both the club, and the player."

"It's celebrity," Farmer added. "This player had unique celebrity that I don't think the league has seen in a lot of different players. A lot of guys come to the NFL and make their celebrity there, this young man came in with a Rolling Stone magazine cover type of persona. That brings a whole new element of how you try to handle the person that comes with it."

Manziel is currently a free agent but given his current state, it seems there's a strong chance that he will no longer be able to return to the NFL. Aside from his domestic abuse case, he also got involved in various controversies. The latest one is his dispute with the owner of a rental car. The rift between them apparently began last month after Manziel got involved in a car crash and is reportedly refusing to pay the damages for the rental car.

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