Coach Hue Jackson made the strongest public statement to date about the Browns' plan to cut troubled quarterback Johnny Manziel on March 9.
The Browns made their intention to dump Manziel known Feb. 2 in a statement issued by head of football operations Sashi Brown.
Jackson simply emphasized the point Wednesday during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Manziel has a well-documented history of off-field problems, and he's being investigated by Dallas police for allegedly assaulting ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley on Jan. 30. Police could wrap up their probe as soon as this week.
"We made a statement two weeks ago about Johnny Manziel, and I'm going to stand by that and I think his future on our team will be addressed here pretty soon," Jackson said. "But let me say this: I think it's really important, that obviously there were some people involved in this situation that happened, and I feel very bad about those things as they do happen.
"But I want to make sure we all understand that that behavior will not be tolerated. That's all I want to say about it. I want to leave it at that. Our organization is going to take a stand, and we're going to move on from those kind of situations as we move forward."
Jackson implied the Browns' attempts to contact Manziel since the Jan. 30 incident have been unsuccessful. Three weeks ago, owner Jimmy Haslam said the team attempted to reach Manziel several times, but he hadn't responded.
"We’ve tried to reach out to Johnny," Jackson said. "Again, we’ve talked about Johnny enough, haven’t we? I’m being honest. We made a statement, and I want to stand by that because it’s the best way to be, and that’s where we’re going to leave that."
Earlier this month, Brown made it clear the organization would sever ties from Manziel.
"We’ve been clear about expectations for our players on and off the field," Brown said in the prepared statement. "Johnny’s continual involvement in incidents that run counter to those expectations undermines the hard work of his teammates and the reputation of our organization. His status with our team will be addressed when permitted by league rules. We will have no further comment at this time."
Jackson made several strong statements about the importance of his players having high character, and Manziel certainly isn't the team's only problem child.
"Every situation’s different," Jackson said. "I think they all will be weighted and thought through. But I do, I stand on that. I want guys that have high character and guys that have high football character, and I think those two are a little different. Obviously, there’s been some things well-documented about some players here, and again I take them on a case-by-case basis and see if they fit exactly what it is that I’m talking about when I’m saying that. But I’m not going to bend them. I don’t think you can. I don’t think this day and age in pro football that you can. I think it’s too important, and I think it’s too important to the football team and too important to the organization."
Former All-Pro wide receiver Josh Gordon has applied for reinstatement into the NFL -- Jackson said the Browns don't know when they'll learn the outcome -- after being banished for the entire 2015 season because of recurring violations of the league's substance-abuse policy.
"I think I will go through the process of spending time with him, and see if it's the right fit for us," Jackson said when asked whether he would welcome back Gordon. "Obviously, he's a very talented individual, but at the same time, it's got to fit right for us as we move forward in this situation."
Outside linebacker Armonty Bryant pleaded not guilty to felony drug charges Wednesday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. He was indicted two weeks ago on two counts of felony drug possession stemming from a Christmas-morning traffic stop. He was found to be in possession of Oxycodone and Adderall.
"I've spoken to him," Jackson said. "You better believe I have. We're good. We'll be fine. I think he has talent, but again, it's not just about talent."