CLEVELAND - Brian Hoyers precarious grip on the Browns starting job — and rookie Johnny Manziels presence — makes it tough to negotiate a new contract for the quarterback. His agent thinks it will happen anyway. Hoyer, who is coming back after undergoing off-season right knee surgery, will enter training camp with the lead in his competition with Manziel. But until the Browns are convinced Hoyer is healthy, and providing he holds off Manziel, its difficult for the team to gauge his value. Agent Joe Linta said the sides have had some preliminary discussions, but it may be some time before they get serious about negotiations. "We just had a couple of friendly conversations," Linta said in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday. "They agreed that its very difficult to assess his worth presently. I think that this will all work itself quickly as the season moves forward." Hoyer went 3-0 as a starter last season before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament while sliding at the end of a scramble. He recovered more quickly than doctors expected and he moved well during practices in the teams mini-camp this spring. Hoyer was kept out of 11-on-11 drills to avoid contact, but hes expected to be fully cleared when training camp opens on July 26. First-year Browns coach Mike Pettine recently said Hoyer had the lead in the quarterback competition over Manziel, who was selected in the first round of Mays NFL draft. Manziel could one day supplant Hoyer as Clevelands starter, but thats not guaranteed, so its difficult for the team to decide whether they should pay Hoyer like a starter or a backup. After all, Hoyer had been a career backup before the Cleveland-area native signed a signed a two-year, $1,965,000 contract with the Browns in May 2013. He received a $250,000 roster bonus in March and is scheduled to make a base salary of $1 million next season. The deal can reach $1.15 million with incentives. The 28-year-old Hoyer has waited patiently for his chance to start. Hes paid his dues. He also has impressed the Browns with his determination to return to the field. Linta said Hoyer is committed to the Browns, and hes hoping they feel the same way about him. "Brian wants to be in Cleveland," Linta said. "He loves how the fans rallied around him and the team during his winning streak last year. Hell never forget that. With that in mind and if the Browns want him, we will work something out eventually. (General manager) Ray Farmer and (executive VP) Sashi Brown are good guys to deal with and they, like the fans, want to win regardless of who the QB is." Farmer did not reply to an email seeking comment. Miguel Rojas Jersey . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. Wei-Yin Chen Jersey . 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Custom Miami Marlins Jerseys . -- So much for concern that running back Marshawn Lynch would be absent from the Seattle Seahawks minicamp.TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs dont know when Dave Bolland will be back, so now they must plan for life without him. Bolland is out indefinitely after having surgery to repair a severed tendon on the outside of his left ankle. Coach Randy Carlyle said the team doesnt have a time frame on his recovery after being cut by Canucks forward Zack Kassians skate blade Saturday night. "Its too early to say," Carlyle said Monday. "(Doctors) dont really give you that. They can say that its five months and then we hope its two. We dont really know until the healing process starts and they do an assessment and then well get more tightened in on the time frame." Bollands injury comes at a bad time for the Leafs, who are also without No. 1 centre Tyler Bozak, whos dealing with a hamstring injury. Carlyle said theres no time frame on Bozaks return, noting that he hadnt progressed to be able to ride a bike yet. With Bolland and Bozak out, the Leafs could experiment with James van Riemsdyk at centre. The 24-year-old played down the middle while at the University of New Hampshire but has been used primarily on left wing since he was drafted second ooverall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007 and since the Leafs acquired him in the summer of 2012.dddddddddddd Carlyle said it "doesnt take rocket science" to consider van Riemsdyk at centre given his university experience there. Van Riemsdyk skated with Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel during Mondays practice at Air Canada Centre. The Leafs dont play again until hosting the New Jersey Devils on Friday. That begins a stretch of five games in nine days. Before his injury, Bolland was enjoying an impressive offensive output with six goals and four assists in 15 games. He had seven goals and seven assists in 35 games last season for the Stanley Cup-champion Chicago Blackhawks. Bollands injury conjured up memories of a similar incident involving Erik Karlsson from last season, when the Ottawa Senators defenceman suffered a severed Achilles tendon after being cut by the skate blade of Pittsburgh Penguins winger Matt Cooke. Karlsson missed more than two months, beating the expected recovery time by several weeks. "Hope you doing okay man," Karlsson wrote to Bolland on Twitter. "I feel for you. Wish you all the best." ' ' '