Browns owner Haslam: 'We've got to get a QB and got to get it fixed'

Just months removed from a time when Johnny Manziel seemed to have the full support of the Cleveland Browns' front office, the team now appears open to all possibilities at quarterback going forward.

Speaking on the team's quarterback issues Thursday night at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, owner Jimmy Haslam strongly indicated that the Browns' future at the pivot position remains unclear.

“We’ve got to get a quarterback and got to get it fixed,” Haslam said, according to the Chronicle-Telegram's Scott Petrak. “What I would say to our fans is, we’re going to continue to work really hard to find that quarterback who can make us a championship team.”

Haslam didn't rule out Manziel as the starter for next season, but it's clear the organization is preparing itself for the possibility that its 2014 first-round selection won't pan out.

"Johnny has to show on and off the field he can be a professional. He knows that," Haslam said. "Everybody in the organization has told him that. It’ll be up to Flip (John DeFilippo) and Pett (Mike Pettine) to decide whether he can be the kind of quarterback we need him to be. 

"He knows what we expect of him on and off the field and it’s up to him to prove he can do that."

Manziel's talent and draft status will likely afford him a shot at becoming the Browns' long-term starter, but he'll have to prove his mettle on field sooner than later.

The Texas A&M product was anything but spectacular in his limited action as a rookie, and questionable off-field behavior won't exactly encourage the organization to remain patient as he develops at the pro level.