Cleveland Browns: Latest Combine News and Rumors

The NFL Scouting Combine kicked off on Tuesday, with players arriving to be weighed and measured and coaches and general managers meeting with the assembled media to detail team needs, provide updates about injuries and give well-calculated tidbits of information regarding free agency and draft plans.

Though this is the time of the year for misinformation and misdirection in the NFL, there are kernels of truth to be gleaned. Rumors are swirling, however, and the Cleveland Browns are among the teams with topics worth discussing.

Here are the major rumors surrounding the Browns as the combine begins in Indianapolis.

TE Jordan Cameron Could Return in 2015

One of the Cleveland Browns' highest-profile free agents is tight end Jordan Cameron. Should he leave for another team, the Browns would have just two tight ends remaining on the roster. Whether the Browns address the position in the draft and when will hinge on Cameron's decision.

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported earlier in the month that Cameron was not interested in a return to the Browns. However, ESPN.com's Pat McManamon thinks that if the Browns opt to use the franchise tag on any of their free agents, Cameron would be the likely recipient. The franchise tag for tight ends is expected to be around $8 to $8.4 million in 2015.

Browns head coach Mike Pettine was asked about Cameron's status on Tuesday. He said that bringing him back "is being discussed," though only for "the right price," according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer.

Cameron caught 24 passes for 424 yards and four scores in a 2014 season that was marred by both concussion issues and a shoulder injury. However, the tight end market is thin, plus Cameron was a 2013 Pro Bowler, and the Browns have nearly $50 million in salary-cap space. Whether the Browns choose to sign or tag Cameron, they have the cash to do it.

QB Josh McCown on Browns' Radar?

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One of the hottest names at the combine right now is free-agent quarterback Josh McCown, who was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.

Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan confirmed his team has met with McCown, as have the New York Jets, via general manager Mike Maccagnan. Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram reports up to eight teams could be vying for McCown's services.

Count the Browns on that list. According to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer, the Browns are exploring McCown as a possibility in their quarterback room. No meeting has been set yet, however, and Cabot adds that McCown wouldn't be in the competition to start but rather serve as a mentor to the team's younger quarterbacks like Johnny Manziel and Connor Shaw.

Browns head coach Mike Pettine confirmed on Tuesday (also via Petrak) that no meeting is scheduled between the Browns and McCown, but that it is "an option that will be discussed."

No Round 1 Receiver, Again?

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The Browns were widely criticized for not drafting a single wide receiver in 2014, despite the position being deep with talent and especially considering the tenuous grasp between Browns receiver Josh Gordon and employment in the NFL.

Now, with Gordon suspended at least one year, it would seem like the Browns would have learned from their draft experience in 2014 and this time target a receiver early in what is shaping up to be another deep class. 

But that may not be so.

Head coach Mike Pettine spoke to the media on Wednesday and was asked about prioritizing the position with an early pick. He said that "history shows" that wide receiver isn't a position that must be targeted early in order to find a top talent, according to Dan Kadar of Mocking the Draft. 

So, while the Browns clearly have a need to bring on at least one more young wide receiver this year, don't bank on the team necessarily looking to fill that need in the first two rounds of this year's draft.

Browns Still Open to Re-Signing Brian Hoyer

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The Browns still have a quarterback problem to solve, and one step in that direction might be to bring back free agent Brian Hoyer, the team's starter for the majority of the 2014 season.

Hoyer expressed guarded interest in returning to his hometown team during an autograph signing earlier this month, noting that the result of the investigation looking into general manager Ray Farmer's texting and his opportunity to again compete for the starting job would have to fall in a direction he's comfortable with.

Head coach Mike Pettine, via Brain T. Smith of ClevelandBrowns.com, on Wednesday said that, "The door hasn't closed. We are open to [Hoyer] coming back. I had a good meeting with him." Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer also reports that league sources told her that Hoyer's camp and the Browns could meet this weekend.

In addition, she noted that Hoyer has yet to meet with Farmer, something he's expressed interest in doing before deciding whether Cleveland is an acceptable spot for him to continue his career.

The combine is traditionally the place where contract negotiations gain traction, with agents, coaches and general managers all in the same location. If progress is going to be made between Hoyer and the Browns, the combine is the place to get those gears in motion.

No Guarantees Johnny Manziel Will Start in 2015

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An extension of the Browns' search for a starting quarterback in 2015 and beyond is the discussion of what may happen with Johnny Manziel, one of the team's two first-round draft picks from 2014. 

Manziel played 79 offensive snaps in his rookie season with two starts, but he ended the year with a hamstring injury and a fine from his team for missing treatment for the injury.

He is currently in treatment for alcohol abuse, with head coach Mike Pettine saying on Wednesday that he has met with Manziel while in treatment, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. The coach added that he didn't know Manziel's problems "were that serious" a year ago, per the Houston Chronicle's Brian T. Smith. Manziel's return date is unknown.

Though Manziel is taking a proactive approach to his problems, that doesn't translate into him being the starter in 2015. Pettine acknowledged that there are still many unknowns when it comes to Manziel and that "it's probably accurate" that the Browns are on the hunt for a quarterback, via Ulrich. The position is still entirely unsettled.

This doesn't rule out Manziel as the Browns' starter in 2015, but it doesn't rule him in, either. Quarterbacks can take a while to develop, especially those with Manziel's unorthodox style. Still, it's discouraging to hear that a quarterback who was selected in the first round just a year ago is more of an enigma than a known quantity by his own coaching staff.