INDIANAPOLIS -- Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine revealed Wednesday that he recently sat down with quarterback Johnny Manziel.
"I did go to visit him last week," Pettine told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I'll keep the details of that private, just to respect his privacy and the situation that he's in."
Manziel entered a treatment center before the Super Bowl, capping a disastrous rookie campaign that saw him play just seven uneven quarters after Cleveland grabbed him last May with the No. 22 overall pick.
"I just wanted to go visit him and see how he's doing and let him know that we're proud of him for the decision that he made to go in," Pettine said. "Obviously he has our full support."
Pettine reiterated that it was Manziel's choice to enter rehab, saying that he didn't know his quarterback had a "problem, certainly one that was that serious."
Manziel's stay is open-ended, leaving the Browns without a "firm idea" of when he'll be back, but Pettine said the signal-caller "is in a much better place now than he was before he went in."
We can't say the same about Cleveland's deeply disturbing depth chart under center.
- On the Browns' interest in re-signing Jordan Cameron: "It's being discussed. Jordan's a very good football player, had a much better year two years ago," Pettine said. "Obviously had some setbacks injury-wise this year that affected his production ... but it still falls back to -- when you work in a cap environment -- it's got to be the right player first, but just as important, it's got to be the right price."
- Pettine spoke honestly about the texting scandal surrounding Browns general manager Ray Farmer, saying: "I wasn't thrilled about it, but Ray and I have had very clear and open conversations about it. ... He's apologized, not just to myself, but to other members of the organization. ... But at the same time I'm very comfortable with my relationship with Ray. That hasn't changed."
- Character counts, but Pettine says you can't just draft players who are in the "National Honor Society and school choir," saying: "There's a danger in that."
- "That's probably accurate," Pettine said when asked if the Browns must head into free agency and the draft looking for a starting quarterback. "There's just too much unknown," Pettine said of Manziel.
- Asked if Josh Gordon would play again for the Browns, Pettine told reporters: "I don't know."
- If the Browns wind up adding a veteran quarterback, Pettine said he would be "open" to working with Mark Sanchez again after they teamed together with the New York Jets.
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