According to this, Manziel used a loophole to slip out of his contract:
Conditions were set and Manziel failed to meet them. Manziel was released by the Montreal Alouettes on Wednesday as ordered by the CFL, which established conditions when it agreed to allow the quarterback to sign a contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last spring. Though those conditions were never publicly released, they included meeting with medical and mental heath professionals while following his prescribed treatment plan for bipolar disorder.
According to sources, when the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner was negotiating his contract with the Ticats last spring, Manziel wanted the ability to take a shot at the NFL after one CFL season. The league did not have an option year window in place at the time – it was re-added last August – and would not allow the stipulation into his contract.
But Manziel knew that by not going to mandatory doctors visits, required lithium tests or meeting a therapist once a week – conditions of the agreement he revealed to USA Today last June – would potentially force the CFL to void it. Essentially, Manziel had an out clause if he wanted it.
The league offered Manziel the chance to rectify the breach, but the 26-year-old was unwilling to proceed. Alouettes general manager Kavis Reed would have kept Manziel on the roster if the league had not intervened.
Johnny Manziel skipped meetings required by the CFL: sources – 3DownNation
How did Kavis Reed not know that Manziel wanted out of the CFL this season? Seems to me Reed did not do his due diligence. Also, the Ti-Cats are in bad faith if the above info is correct as they knew that Manziel did not intend on continuing with the CFL after last season.
And yet ... Reed doled out two first round picks without making them conditional.
If the above account is true, there must be something Reed can do to seek retribution. Or perhaps, he's just the Chiarelli of the CFL and he's been long overdue.
