NFL teams would be wise to steer clear of 'Johnny Football'

christiefan915 said:
I don't watch college football but recognize this guy's name and know some of JPP's sports fans have talked about him. The article was in the paper the other day.

Will Johnny Manziel be the next Russell Wilson or the next Tim Tebow?

Isn’t that the $50 million question as the NFL off season heats up this weekend at the league’s scouting combine in Indianapolis?

Let me offer a quick answer: Tebow.

I look at Manziel and see another overpublicized bust.

Manziel already is Tebow’s equal in one sense. I’m completely and totally sick of him. Sick of his many immaturity issues, which appear to be following him to the NFL from Texas A&M. Sick of his endless self-promotion. Sick of him trying to talk his way into being the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Texans in the May 8 draft. It’s to the point I’d almost rather watch 24 hours non-stop of Tebow in Super Bowl commercials. I said almost.

It’s one of life’s great mysteries how Tebow became such a popular public figure. He will be remembered as one of the all-time worst first-round picks. He did nothing in his pro career. Well, almost nothing. There was that surreal January 2012 day in Denver when he dismantled the Steelers. There still is no logical explanation. But this is about the brazen Manziel.

“I want them to say absolutely, without a doubt, with 100 percent certainty, that I’m who they want,” Manziel said of the Texans. “I want everybody from the janitor at Reliant Stadium to the front office executive assistant all the way up to [owner] Bob McNair to say, ‘This kid is 100 percent, can’t miss’ .”

In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Manziel went on to threaten the Texans if they let him slide to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 3 pick. “It would be the worst decision they ever made. I’d be in the same division playing against them twice a year. Sorry, but you just turned that chip on my shoulder from a Frito into a Dorito.” Whatever the heck that means.

Manziel even talked of going to the Cleveland Browns at No. 4, saying, if picked by that miserable franchise, “I’m going to pour my heart out for the Dawg Pound and try to win a Super Bowl for Cleveland. I don’t care if they’ve had 20 starting quarterbacks since 1999. I’m going to be the 21st and the guy that brought them the Super Bowl.”

(Continued)
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A lot of nonsense here. I agree that I don't think Manziel is top tier NFL material. He's got great speed but he hasn't shown an NFL caliber arm. Time will tell. He certainly has the athletic potential. The problem with the Authors OP is that he'd have said the same thing if Russel Wilson, now a Super Bowl champion QB, had been the a first round draft pick, let alone first over all.

The point being is that the leap from college football to the NFL is so huge that no one can tell for sure, certainly not this putz. The issue for a lot of top tier college talent isn't their athletic ability. It's their desire to compete at the highest level and their work ethic. That can't be measured at a combine drill. Even for the top evaluaters of talent in the NFL it's always a bit of a crap shoot. The NFL isn't like Major League baseball where a player must prove themselves in the minor leagues before they can jump into the big show. It's a much steeper leap from College to Pro Football and therefore and bigger gamble.
 
Threedee said:
I think Johnny will fall somewhere in the middle. Interestingly, Wilson and Tebow are both classy guys, so that's another comparison Manziel doesn't correlate to. Manziel's passing game is well ahead of Tebow, and that will keep him employed in the NFL. I will say that he's too risky to be a first overall pick, and Houston should grab Bridgewater.
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Manziels passing game ahead of Tebows? I don't know where you see that! I see an excellent athlete with top end leg speed and a mediocre (by NFL standards) passing arm. The Texans currently have a traditional drop back pocket passing QB system in place. To draft Manziel they'd have to revamp their entire offense. I'd consider Manziel as a 2nd round or 3 rd round pick. If he had Tyrell Pryors size and arm strength then I'd consider him for a first first round pick.
 
cawacko said:
Manziel could obviously be a bust but I don't really see him a Tebow on the field. Tebow was an amazing college QB but it was quite clear his skills weren't necessarily that of a NFL QB. I don't really see people saying Manziel doesn't have the talent. Yes he gets a lot of hype and yes he has a big ego (the latter can be a good and bad thing) but he has the ability to be really good.
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He does if he goes to the right team. He's lack of size is going to be an issue for most NFL teams.
 
ZappasGuitar said:
He sounds just like Tebow...

5' 11" / 207 pounds is WAAAAY too small to be a good QB these days.

And they said that Tebow was too small at 6' 3" & 230lbs
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Russell Wilson is smaller than that and he's an Super Bowl champion starting QB in his second year. I also believe he was Rookie of the year as a Frosh.
 
That's my feeling for the Texans, exactly. Even if Keenum can't hack it, you have a monster D, and next year you can draft Mariota, Winston, or someone like that.
 
ZappasGuitar said:
He wasn't given the opportunity to learn and grow.

His 1st year stats with the Broncos were better than Elway's.

"career highlights at Florida include winning the Heisman Trophy in 2007, leading the team to a BCS championship in 2008, and a 13–1 2009 season. The Gators coaches selected him as a team captain in 2008 and 2009, and he is the only three-time recipient of the Gators' most valuable player award, having been chosen by his teammates in 2007, 2008 and 2009"

Those don't sound like the stats of a guy having trouble and struggling to throw the ball.
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Like I said...it's hard to tell. Manziel biggest down size is his lack of size and arm strength. I simply wouldn't take him as a first round pick. Clowney on the other hand can run the 40 in similiar times as Manziel and has far more upside to give the Texans a dominant defensive line.
 
Superfreak said:
Talk about another over rated bust waiting to happen. Clowney is all about himself and the money. That is it. His pathetic work ethic won't cut it in the NFL. Unless he substantially changes that... he is a bust.

That said... 'Johnny football' would be the biggest mistake since Ryan Leaf.
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Yea but if he gets mentored by JJ Watt and with his combination of size, athleticism and freakish speed....the Texans would be insane not to take him.
 
Superfreak said:
He has a decent arm, but his scrambling ability is not that of Wilson or Tebow. He is not fast enough to do the same at the NFL level. Wilson has all the tools. Tebow was a great runner, horrid passer. Manziel is a good passer, but will likely be ineffective in running at the NFL level.
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Manziels 40 times at the combine was significantly superior Tebows and about the same as Wilson. Tebow ran a 4.71 while Wilson ran a 4.54 to Manziels 4.56.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Russell Wilson is smaller than that and he's an Super Bowl champion starting QB in his second year. I also believe he was Rookie of the year as a Frosh.
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No I believe they gave it to RGIII. Which is pretty hilarious, but he had the passing yardage, rushing TDs, and he was perceived as carrying the Politically Incorrects, while Wilson's team was more complete.
 
Threedee said:
So far Andy Dalton is looking like a bust, as well.
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Say What? You're nuts!! Keep in mind who he plays for. How many other QB's in NFL history have let their teams to the playoffs in their first three years. Keeping in mind that the Bengals have an anemic running game and a fairly one dimensional passing game Andy Dalton's performance, despite his inconsistancy and flopping in the playoffs has been remarkable.

Tell me, how many other NFL QB have made the playoffs their first three years? Andy Dalton's has his flaws but he has progressed and improved all three years he's been with the Bengals and he's still only 25 yo. A bust he is not.
 
Threedee said:
That's my feeling for the Texans, exactly. Even if Keenum can't hack it, you have a monster D, and next year you can draft Mariota, Winston, or someone like that.
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I've seen a lot of teams....including one Seaduck team...with mediocre (by NFL standards) QB's win the SuperBowl with outstanding defense.
 
Threedee said:
No I believe they gave it to RGIII. Which is pretty hilarious, but he had the passing yardage, rushing TDs, and he was perceived as carrying the Politically Incorrects, while Wilson's team was more complete.
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I stand corrected...but Wilson was probably #2 in the ROY vote.
 
The Bengals have a monster D. I even drafted them for fantasy, and was raking in special teams points all season until about the last three or four weeks when they were plagued with injuries. They have a tremendous receiver corps, and with Bernard they have a pretty good run game.

Face it, Mott, they have a team ready to go all the way except for Dalton's proliferation of interceptions and mistakes. He's basically a smaller market Tony Romo: talented, cannon arm, often lifting his team during the season, but all the while tossing interceptions and on course for a post-season trainwreck.
 
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