Getty Images

It’s far from a given that the Browns have cast their lot with Johnny Manziel for the long term.

But for what it’s worth, Manziel has cast his with coach Mike Pettine and the current cast of characters there.

Manziel said, in the wake of a loss to the Seahawks that dropped them to 3-11, that he hopes the Browns go for continuity this offseason instead of yet another overhaul, as he works under his second offensive coordinator in as many years.

“The [Seahawks] have been doing this for awhile at a really high level,” Manziel said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I think this is the best that he’s [Russell Wilson’s] played probably throughout his career, so I don’t know if I can really picture that [kind of stability] moving forward. We’ll see what happens. I don’t think anybody really knows. I want these guys to be here next year.

“I want to have these receivers and the people that we have on this roster on the staff so we can go through the spring and not have to learn what this call is and this play and be able to go through a spring and have some of the continuity like. So it definitely would be a luxury for sure.”

While I’m sure that makes Pettine feel much better, no one knows who will survive the offseason in Cleveland. Last week, when Manziel was speculating about a future with suspended wideout Josh Gordon, Pettine replied: “That would turn out to be a positive thing if Josh is with us next year and Johnny’s on the roster, that those two have built a rapport together.”

That was more a hypothetical than an endorsement or an omen, as no one can know what the future holds there other than Jimmy Haslam, assuming he’s met with his homeless oracle and decided himself.

Of course, the differences between the Seahawks and the Browns go beyond time spent punching the clock together. And another year of Pettine and/or Manziel might not necessarily be moving them in the right direction.

But after changing course so often, it would at least be a direction.