Report: Browns not interested in appearing on Hard Knocks

The Cleveland Browns will not be volunteering to appear on the NFL Films program "Hard Knocks" in part because of the increased attention troubled quarterback Johnny Manziel would face.

"When we decided not to volunteer for 'Hard Knocks,' we discussed everything that was involved with it," head coach Mike Pettine said at the league's annual meetings. "(Manziel) is certainly something we needed to consider."

Pettine has been a part of "Hard Knocks" in the past, when he served as an assistant with the Jets in 2010.

"You just weigh everything in," said Pettine. "Because being a part of 'Hard Knocks,' having been there, knowing they're going to look to cover the team's biggest current storylines, it's obvious that he would be a point of attention."

The team met with NFL Films this week and made it known they were not interested, however the NFL could still force the Browns to appear on the show as they fit the criteria of a team that would be unable to refuse should no other team volunteer.

The Houston Texans are another front-runner to appear on the show as they may have interest in volunteering. The other seven teams that would be unable to refuse appearance are the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, New York Giants and Washington Redskins.