Browns' Justin Gilbert reflects on both his, Johnny Manziel's newfound maturity

Cleveland Browns cornerback Justin Gilbert's antics wore tiresome at the end of his rookie season, and he needed to make a behavioral change if he were to rejoin the team for the 2015 season.

Gilbert, one of the Browns' two first-round selections in 2014 alongside the heralded Johnny Manziel, was benched for the team's final game against the Baltimore Ravens due to being late for a meeting. It was the final straw in a series of acts that rubbed his teammates the wrong way.

The 23-year-old reflected on his and Manziel's newfound maturity.

"I think last year pretty much humbled me. A lot," Gilbert said to ESPN's Pat McManamon.

"We haven't really talked about (it)," Gilbert said to Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. "But I'm pretty sure our situations are not 100 percent the same but similar."

Gilbert recorded 29 tackles and an interception in 14 games, but the Oklahoma State product failed to crack the starting lineup, playing in just 373 snaps despite being selected eighth overall.

"Just talking to the coaches, some of the players, some of my teammates, Ray Farmer after the season was over with, talking about how I have to grow up, have some maturing to do, I kind of took that to heart,'' Gilbert said to Cabot. "I didn't disagree with them on anything that they said. We talked for quite a while."

Both Gilbert and Manziel made numerous strides over the summer to prove they're capable of leading the team out of the AFC North basement. Manziel moved in with his coach, while Gilbert sought the advice of veteran Joe Haden.

Entering their sophomore seasons, Gilbert and Manziel will both need to prove that their off-field maturity was merely freshman folly.