Official Johnny Manziel Thread (3 Viewers)

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Johnny Manziel was sharp and confident and moved No. 7 Texas A&M’s offence with ease and piled up three touchdowns in his suspension-abbreviated debut against Rice.

His performance was sparkling. The problem was Johnny Football’s attitude.

The Heisman Trophy winner sat out the first half because of what the school called an “inadvertent” violation of NCAA rules involving signing autographs.

In the second half he managed to not only show some of the skills that helped him become one of the country’s most electric players, but also the antics that have caused him off-the-field trouble.

Not long after he entered the game in the third quarter he jawed with a Rice defender and appeared to mimic signing an autograph while getting up from a tackle.

He was at it again after throwing third touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, and was benched following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for pointing at the scoreboard.

Coach Kevin Sumlin said that he didn’t see the autograph incident, but he was clearly upset by the fourth-quarter penalty.

“We’ve got to grow and mature as a team, and individual acts like that hurt your football team,” he said.

Manziel wasn’t made available to the media after Saturday’s game and hasn’t spoken publicly since the autograph scandal broke. He addressed his teammates on Friday night as a condition of his reinstatement.

Sumlin said he hopes that Manziel learned a lesson about the consequences his actions can have on the team, and that he’ll address the situations from Saturday’s game this week.

Manziel set numerous school and Southeastern Conference records while leading the Aggies to an 11-2 mark and a victory over No. 1 Alabama to become the first freshman to win the Heisman last year.

He ruffled some feathers around College Station this off-season for tweeting that he “can’t wait to leave College Station,” despite having three years of eligibility remaining. Then allegedly overslept at a football camp run by the Manning family and was supposedly kicked out of a University of Texas fraternity party before the NCAA investigation began.

The distraction he has caused to the program has raised the question of whether it takes away from his electric play.

Sumlin was asked if he’ll have to learn to accept that there are going to be tough moments with Manziel. He replied: “accept is not a word coaches go by.”

“You try to do everything you can to grow better people, better players and give your team the best chance to win,” he said. “And individual penalties of any kind, particularly personal fouls, are things that could keep you from winning ball games.”

If his teammates are tiring of their quarterback’s personality, they aren’t saying so. Every player who was asked about his behaviour on Saturday took up for the 20-year-old Manziel.

“I felt like he represented himself with a nice swag,” senior defensive back Toney Hurd said. “He came out and he played well. He took a few chances, but who doesn’t take chances on the football field? He came out and had fun. We got the ‘W’ and that’s what really matters.”

The Aggies have one more week to clean up their play with a game against Sam Houston State, the FCS runner-up the last two seasons, before a rematch with top-ranked Alabama on Sept. 14.

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NFL insider Mike Freeman tweeted the NFL scouts he speaks with "continue to tee off on" Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel.
Freeman added "holy moly" to the depth of the negative evaluations, with one calling the quarterback a "spoiled b----." Apparently these opinions aren't solely focused on off the field behavior, but also his play on it. Media outlets ate up Manziel's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Rice following a teammate's touchdown, and he will only be under the spotlight more as the season goes along. We will likely post reports on opposite ends of the spectrum this draft season, but it might be best for you to make your own opinion of the star quarterback.

Source: Mike Freeman on Twitter

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Faust said:

Rotoworld:

NFL insider Mike Freeman tweeted the NFL scouts he speaks with "continue to tee off on" Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel.
Freeman added "holy moly" to the depth of the negative evaluations, with one calling the quarterback a "spoiled b----." Apparently these opinions aren't solely focused on off the field behavior, but also his play on it. Media outlets ate up Manziel's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Rice following a teammate's touchdown, and he will only be under the spotlight more as the season goes along. We will likely post reports on opposite ends of the spectrum this draft season, but it might be best for you to make your own opinion of the star quarterback.

Source: Mike Freeman on Twitter

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Stealthycat said:

what is A&M doing letting Manziel run their program?

any other kid and he'd be sitting for games for all his off-season antics and now, in game antics

A&M is proving that one person IS bigger than the whole team and the program

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Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel completed 28 of 41 attempts for 403 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in the Aggies' 65-28 win over Sam Houston State.
Manziel added seven carries for 36 yards and a touchdown. The popular passer's performance wasn't surprising, but freshman Kenny Hill's playing time was, since it was widely speculated the young player might redshirt this season. Manziel and the Aggies have a huge game this week against Alabama.

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Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin noted redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel has been advised by his attorneys and family not to speak to the media.
Many reporters have been curious why Manziel has not met in front of the media over the last few weeks. The quarterback requested no to do interviews this year after being held from them last year due to Texas A&M's stance on keeping freshman away from media sessions. He will likely report to the public at some point, but questions about a variety of topics will have to wait.

Source: George Schroeder on Twitter

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Rick James said:

Dude can play

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Sabertooth said:

I just worry about him becoming a millionaire. He strike me as somebody who is going to make some really bad choices once he's got serious bank. I have three first rounders in my 2QB league next season so I'll probably the chance to grab him. But I don't know if he's viable long term in the NFL.

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Rick James said:

Dude can play

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Sabertooth said:

I just worry about him becoming a millionaire. He strike me as somebody who is going to make some really bad choices once he's got serious bank. I have three first rounders in my 2QB league next season so I'll probably the chance to grab him. But I don't know if he's viable long term in the NFL.

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FDC said:

Sabertooth said:

I just worry about him becoming a millionaire. He strike me as somebody who is going to make some really bad choices once he's got serious bank. I have three first rounders in my 2QB league next season so I'll probably the chance to grab him. But I don't know if he's viable long term in the NFL.

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Iirc he comes from a very wealthy family

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Sabertooth said:

I just worry about him becoming a millionaire. He strike me as somebody who is going to make some really bad choices once he's got serious bank. I have three first rounders in my 2QB league next season so I'll probably the chance to grab him. But I don't know if he's viable long term in the NFL.

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Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel is "a slightly different player" in 2013 -- and that's a good thing -- according to NFL.com's Chase Goodbread.
"The Heisman Trophy winner is staying in the pocket longer, and NFL scouts have commented all season that his passing accuracy is improved," Goodbread wrote. Manziel is on pace to rush for around 750-800 yards, which would fall well short of the 1,410 yards he accumulated on the ground last season, but that only points to the sophomore's increased patience in the pocket. "His accuracy has improved from last year, and his ball is coming out with a lot more velocity," said running back Ben Malena.

Source: NFL.com

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Sabertooth said:

I just worry about him becoming a millionaire. He strike me as somebody who is going to make some really bad choices once he's got serious bank. I have three first rounders in my 2QB league next season so I'll probably the chance to grab him. But I don't know if he's viable long term in the NFL.

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matuski said:

Sabertooth said:

I just worry about him becoming a millionaire. He strike me as somebody who is going to make some really bad choices once he's got serious bank. I have three first rounders in my 2QB league next season so I'll probably the chance to grab him. But I don't know if he's viable long term in the NFL.

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He is a millionaire several times over whether he gets into NFL or not.

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MCguidance said:

matuski said:

Sabertooth said:

I just worry about him becoming a millionaire. He strike me as somebody who is going to make some really bad choices once he's got serious bank. I have three first rounders in my 2QB league next season so I'll probably the chance to grab him. But I don't know if he's viable long term in the NFL.

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He is a millionaire several times over whether he gets into NFL or not.

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He might've just lost a lot of cash.Eta: glad to see him back, looked ugly for a second.

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GoBirds said:

He was impressive against what is basically an NFL Defense.

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Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel made his debut in Mel Kiper's big board, checking in at No. 20.
"Quibble all you want with his average arm strength, height or even some of the offseason decision-making, but you can't deny Manziel's gifts on the field," Kiper writes. "He extends plays with his legs, does a fantastic job of scanning the whole field, has tremendous touch and would deliver strikes with more velocity if he kept his feet underneath him consistently." We would like to see some reads made faster, specifically while staying in the pocket, but Manziel is certainly impressive despite his unconventional style.

Source: ESPN

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Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said he sees similarities between Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel and former Tigers quarterback Cam Newton.

"I would say probably those two are probably two of the best that ever played the game in college football," said Malzahn. Malzahn, who was Newton's offensive coordinator, has been studying Manziel all week in anticipation of Saturday's Auburn-Texas A&M game. "We only got to see Cam Newton for one year, but this guy, he's in the same element," Malzahn said. "They're different but they're still some of the best to ever play."

Source: ESPN.com

Oct 18 - 10:20 PM

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Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel completed 28 of 38 attempts for 454 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 45-41 loss to Auburn.

Manziel added 48 rushing yards and a score on the ground, but also injured his right arm on a run. It was tough to tell if the injury occurred to his elbow or shoulder, but Manziel was sidelined for a bit before returning. The last drive showed some deficiencies in the pocket, in terms of dropping his eyes and sacking himself, but Manziel has enough arm to win from the pocket and will make his mark on improvisational skill.

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Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel (shoulder) is likely to start against Vanderbilt on Saturday.
CBS Sports' Bruce Feldman reported on Tuesday that Manziel would play this weekend, and Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin said on Wednesday that Manziel's status is hopeful. Manziel, who injured his throwing shoulder during last weekend's loss against Auburn, is out of his sling and throwing the ball.

Source: Anthony Andro on Twitter

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Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel completed 25 of 35 attempts for 305, four touchdowns, and one interception in the school's 56-24 win over Vanderbilt.
Manziel also rushed for 11 yards. He didn't take much contact to his injured right shoulder, but Manziel's arm certainly looked healthy. The team accounted for at least five turnovers, but Manziel kept his composure. The Aggies face LSU on November 23, and Missouri the week after.

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Consider Johnny Manziel's shoulder healed. But that doesn't mean it's not a lingering concern for Texas A&M.

The Aggies' star sophomore completed 25 of 35 passes for 305 yards, four touchdown passes and just one interception. But the play-calling was indicative of a coaching staff that didn't want the Heisman Trophy winner to get his jersey dirty too soon. He rushed just four times for a season-low 11 yards, and completed mostly shorter, high-percentage throws for modest yardage in the early going. Vanderbilt, on most Manziel throws, didn't even have a chance for a sack because Manziel was releasing the ball almost immediately after taking the Aggies' customary shotgun snap.

Manziel was on fire from the opening kickoff, completing 10 of 10 passes on the opening drive to open a 7-0 lead on Vanderbilt Saturday, and led four touchdown drives with three touchdown passes in barely more than first-quarter play. He led a 13-play, 75-yard drive with precision passing to open the game, and at one point later had completed 16 of 18.

Manziel ran sparingly on the opening series, and protected himself with a slide at the end of his only rush of TAMU's first drive. It was the sort of slide Manziel hates; just two yards short of a first down. Manziel connected for his third touchdown pass with star receiver Mike Evans on a 43-yard go route, beating standout Vandy cornerback Andre Hal with deep speed off an easy release at the line of scrimmage. Of the few incompletions Manziel had, at least two were well-thrown drops by receivers, including a 4th-and-1 drop by receiver Malcome Kennedy that should have been easy.

One series later, Manziel made his first big mistake of the half, throwing to a well-covered Evans along the right sideline, resulting in a deflection by Hal into the arms of safety Kenny Ladler for an interception. The turnover resulted in a touchdown drive for the Commodores, to pull the score within 28-17. Manziel was 20-of-27 passing for 242 yards at the end of the first half.

Manziel put the game away early in the third quarter. However, with the same caution exercised with the play-calling, TAMU coach Kevin Sumlin removed Manziel once the outcome was beyond doubt.

Manziel injured his throwing shoulder against Auburn last week, leaving the game and coming back to finish a failed comeback attempt in a 45-41 home loss for the Aggies. He did not throw at practice Monday, with his arm outfitted with a sling, but progressed throughout the week well enough to make his 21st career start.

Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.

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Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin called redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel a mature player "when it comes to practice and communication."
Many have commented on Manziel's off-field personality, but the only moment that made us raise an eye-brow was his departure from the Manning Passing Academy. As long as players keep clean off the field and complete their duties, nothing else matters, especially if they perform well on the field. Manziel is a special player, but the biggest question is if his traits translate to the NFL.

Source: Billy Liucci on Twitter

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Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel and the Eagles "would be perfect together" according to Philadelphia Inquirer writer Jeff McLane.
McLane writes that Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, whom Philly boss Chip Kelly coached for one season, "would make obvious sense," but "isn't likely to be available" when the Eagles are on the clock. If the season ended today, Philadelphia would own the No. 10 pick. Kelly has stated that he won't hurt his teams chances to win down the stretch, even if it means acquiring a better draft selection, so Philadelphia (3-5) has little chance to leapfrog three QB-desperate franchises who have one win amongst them (Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Minnesota). "No way Mariota is there when they pick," a league source told the Inquirer. "But a certain Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who was once committed to Oregon could be."

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

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Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel threw for 446 yards and five touchdowns in a 51-41 win over Mississippi State on Saturday.
He also tossed three interceptions. The five passing scores tied a career high. The denizens of Kyle Field chanted "one more year," but this was likely Manziel's last game in the stadium. SI's Pete Thamel tweeted on Saturday that there is "zero chance" that Manziel returns to Texas A&M next season.

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Midway through a game in which scouts from the Dolphins, Cowboys, Bears, Jaguars, Saints and Bills were in attendance, Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel made a play against Mississippi State that reminded me of an all-time great quarterback.

Rolling to his right, he eluded one pass rusher by pivoting and spinning the other way. Now rolling left, he was met by another pass rusher and spun again, making the defender fall in the process, before completing the pass to a receiver.

It was just one of the many on-the-run plays Manziel made against the Bulldogs in a 51-41 win, a game many expect to be his last at Kyle Field.

Watching the game, the guy Manziel reminded me of was Fran Tarkenton, the former Vikings quarterback who was one of the best at making things happen after a play broke down. Like Tarkenton, Manziel is an undersized quarterback but an excellent scrambler who has the ability to make throws going to his left in addition to wheeling around and throwing the ball going to his right. Manziel's throws often don't get to his receivers with a perfect spiral, but more often than not they do get there.

This isn't to say that Manziel is or will be as good as Tarkenton, but when you watch him, Tarkenton is the guy you think of because of his ability to hurt you on broken plays.

Manziel finished Saturday's game 30-of-39 for 446 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions and also used his feet to rush for 47 yards.

What worries you about his performance Saturday, of course, are the three interceptions. The first one came on a play where Manziel held the ball too long and made a bad decision down at the goal line. The second interception wasn't really his fault, coming on a tipped pass his receiver probably should have caught. On the last interception, the Mississippi State safety made a great play coming across the field and snagging the pass along the right sideline, but it was a throw that Manziel probably shouldn't have made.

Overall, despite his big numbers, I thought Manziel was a little flat vs. Mississippi State. It was an exciting performance, but one that neither helped nor hurt his chances to win his second straight Heisman Trophy.

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Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel has a chance to beat one of only four teams he's lost to in two years as a starter against LSU on Saturday. This time around, Tigers coach Les Miles sees a different quarterback.

"The Heisman Trophy winner from last year, Johnny Manziel, is bigger, faster, stronger," said Miles, according to fox8live.com's transcription of his Monday news conference. "He's thrown for 3,300 yards, 31 touchdowns. I see him as a much more complete quarterback, a very good player. If there's a better player in college football, I'd like to know who he is."

LSU toppled Texas A&M 24-19 last season, a loss which ultimately cost the Aggies a berth in the SEC Championship Game. Manziel, a frontrunner for his second consecutive Heisman Trophy in a race with FSU star freshman Jameis Winston, hasn't done as much rushing this year as last. But he has improved significantly as a passer, and Miles took notice during LSU's bye week.

"I think a year ago he was a runner. I think this year he's a much more capable quarterback. I think he steps back in there, understands what to expect, and seems to be stronger in the ability to throw it," Miles said.

Finally, Miles addressed about the only part of Manziel's game that hasn't been dissected: the way he carries the ball with just one hand and away from his body while scrambling. Securing the ball by holding it to the chest is as old a fundamental as there is in the sport, but Manziel's unorthodox style hasn't resulted in a fumbling problem.

"It's an amazing thing, isn't it? The idea that you handle the ball so effectively with one hand. I mean, it's the dangdest thing I've ever seen. He makes the turn, he'll circle the ball with his hand to make that left hand turn," Miles said.

"Again, it's a very special talent, strength and ability to move his feet and control the ball. You know what, it doesn't come out of his hand in the pocket, either. He's a guy that has ball security even though he carries it unusually."

Count that habit among those pro coaches will try to break Manziel of when he moves onto the NFL.

Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread

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Russell Wilson's place among the NFL's most dynamic young quarterbacks is impressive by any standard.

But the Seattle Seahawks' second-year starter is no Johnny Manziel. At least, that's what one NFL scout believes. In a dallasnews.com report about Manziel's potential as a pro, this quote stood above all else:

"If Russell Wilson can take a team to the Super Bowl, Manziel can do all that and more," said the source.

As a third-year sophomore, Manziel is eligible to enter the 2014 NFL Draft next spring and skip his final two seasons of college eligibility. At least one teammate seems to expect it to happen, along with the departure of star receiver Mike Evans. As for Manziel, it's the ease with which he carves up opposing defenses, in particular, the best defense in the college game, that has impressed at least one NFL personnel type. The story notes that Manziel has delivered over 900 total yards and seven touchdowns in two career meetings with Alabama.

"Cam Newton is the only other college quarterback I've seen dominate like that," said one.

So where might Manziel land? The Philadelphia Eagles have been identified as one possible fit. And if we assume the team that selects him has a coach willing to value athleticism over size in a quarterback, Eagles coach Chip Kelly -- who once had Manziel committed to attend Oregon -- would certainly qualify.

What other NFL clubs might make a good home for Johnny Football? Here are a few thoughts.

Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.

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