Johnny Manziel fined after party

ESPN logo
Monday, December 29, 2014

Johnny Manziel threw a party Friday night that was attended by multiple members of the Cleveland Browns, triggering a tumultuous weekend during which several players were punished by the team, according to multiple reports.

Receiver Josh Gordon, who was suspended Saturday for a violation of team rules, was one of the players in attendance, according to cleveland.com.

The Browns also fined Manziel on Saturday for being late for treatment on his injured hamstring, a source told ESPN. Less than 24 hours later, rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert was deactivated for Sunday's season finale against the Baltimore Ravens after missing a team meeting the previous night, a source told ESPN.

Both Manziel and Gordon were absent from the Browns' walk-through on Saturday morning, and the team had trouble locating them, a source close to the team told ESPN.

Manziel had to be present for either the walk-through or, since he was on injured reserve, treatment on the hamstring. When he did not show for either, the team had to search for him. Browns security visited Manziel's home Saturday morning to check on the rookie quarterback about his treatment, sources told ESPN.

Manziel's party was first reported Sunday by CBS Sports.

Manziel's punishment came days after he acknowledged he had to take his job as an NFL quarterback more seriously. Gilbert also publicly vowed that he would take his NFL career more seriously.

Although he attended Sunday's game, Manziel did not comment on the reports, saying only "I'll see you tomorrow."

However, several other Browns players made it clear that they need everyone "all in" heading into next season.

"I've been assured that we are going to bring guys in and get guys off this bus that don't really want to be here and do what they are supposed to do," veteran safety Donte Whitner said.

Manziel, whose unapologetic stance about his offseason partying raised questions about his commitment, said this week he wants to be "the guy" for the Browns, who traded up in the first round to select the former Heisman Trophy winner in May's draft.

Gilbert's absence from Saturday night's meeting also is troubling since the first-round pick is concluding an inconsistent rookie season.Being late Saturday night means that Gilbert was late after traveling with the team to Baltimore. The details are not known, but the Browns give their players free time on the road after they arrive; players are required to arrive back at the hotel for assigned meetings.

Gordon also was late getting onto the practice field Friday and emerged from the team's facility for the outdoor workout wearing teammate Travis Benjamin's jersey.

The suspension marked the end of a disappointing year for Gordon, who already served a 10-game ban earlier this season for repeated drug violations. By being active for only five games, Gordon fell one game short of the requirement for an accrued season, meaning he will be a restricted free agent -- instead of an unrestricted free agent -- following the 2015 season.

Gordon's camp will work to get the wide receiver paid for the last week of the season, which the Browns don't have to do after placing him on the reserve/suspended list, according to a league source, in an attempt to get him status for an accrued season and ensure he will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2015 season.

Gordon led the NFL with 1,646 yards receiving last season despite being suspended for the first two games. Since returning from his league ban this year, Gordon had caught 24 passes for 303 yards. But he also ran the wrong pass routes for former starter Brian Hoyer, who was benched in favor of Manziel. Coach Mike Pettine said Gordon needed to work harder on some plays, and the former Pro Bowler was less accessible to the media.

The Browns (7-9) lost their final five games this season. Rookie quarterback Connor Shawstarted in Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Ravens (10-6), who rallied in the fourth quarter to secure a playoff berth.

Prior to Sunday's game, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam sat with general manager Ray Farmer on the Ravens bench for almost 45 minutes in a lively discussion. It's very unusual for an owner and GM to sit on the opposing team's bench before a game. During the discussion, Haslam was frequently gesturing to Farmer.

Haslam then said after the game that players who are not dependable disrespect themselves, the team and the organization. He did not refer to Manziel, Gilbert or Gordon by name, but the implication was clear.

"I think a player who can't show up for meetings, can't make practice, can't make weight-lifting, disrespects himself," Haslam said."But I think more importantly, and I think this is what these young guys miss, they disrespect the team, the coaches, the staff, the fans. There's a lot of people in our organization whose livelihood depends on how well we do. We're not gonna tolerate people who are irresponsible no matter what round they're drafted in."

ESPN.com Browns reporters Pat McManamon and Jeremy Fowler, ESPN's Adam Schefter and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related Video

Copyright © 2024 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.