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Official Johnny Manziel Thread (3 Viewers)

Cleveland Browns draft Johnny Manziel after tradeBy Marc Sessler

Around the League Writer

NEW YORK -- In the end, Cleveland's actual draft day adventures packed far more punch than anything Kevin Costner cooked up.

The Browns capped off a feverish first-round laced with two trades and a pair of picks, the second of those bringing to town the electric Johnny Manziel.

Cleveland gave up the No. 26 overall pick and their third-round selection at No. 83 for Philadelphia's pick at No. 22 -- and the rights to grab the Texas A&M quarterback who NFL Films guru Greg Cosell praised as an "obvious playmaker."

After drafting Brady Quinn and Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick in previous ill-fated drafts, the Browns are hoping the third time's a charm.

It's not promising news for the determined Brian Hoyer, but the decision to grab Johnny Football addresses a void that's plagued Cleveland ever since Bill Belichick scattered Bernie Kosar to the wind more than two decades ago.

After tumbling down the board, Manziel acknowledge Thursday night: "It was tough, but I went in there saying I thought whatever team drafted me, whatever team fell in love with me would be the right situation for me. The way that happened in college, the way everything's worked out for me. I'm a firm believer in that. So a little bit of anxiousness, a little bit of nervousness, but at the same time, there's a higher power that has a bigger plan for me."

Manziel's a good quote, and his words for the city of Cleveland will echo through the city as September approaches:

"I'm going to pour my heart out for this team, for this organization," said Manziel, "and continue to go in and just work extremely hard, and try to become the football player that I want to be and I know I can be."

General manager Ray Farmer was whispered about as having fallen for Teddy Bridgewater, but the Browns have opted for the most exciting passer in this draft. Whether that excitement translates to the NFL level will be to fascinating to watch, but the Browns can't be labeled as meek.

On the first night of the draft, they've swung for the fences.

The "Around The League Podcast" Draft Preview Spectacular is all you need before draft day.
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rotoworld:

Coach Mike Pettine insists the Browns won't force No. 22 pick Johnny Manziel into the lineup as a rookie.
Speaking in April, Pettine said he'd be leery of starting a rookie quarterback. "I've never felt that if you draft them high that you have to start them right away,'' Pettine said last month. "I think it's extremely difficult (for a rookie) to be a starter." Although it wouldn't be the most-surprising thing in the world were Brian Hoyer to be under center for Week 1, the drumbeat for Manziel in Cleveland is going to be deafening. He's the heavy favorite to earn the job in camp.

Related: Brian Hoyer

Source: Lindsay Jones on Twitter
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Warner: Johnny Manziel has 'a lot to learn' about playing QB

By Mike Huguenin

College Football 24/7 writer

Super Bowl winner Kurt Warner, as clean-cut an NFL quarterback as you could find, doesn't have any issues with new Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel off the field. It's the on-the-field Manziel that Warner questions.

"He has a lot to learn about the quarterback position," Warner said Friday on NFL Network's "NFL Draft Kickoff".

Warner specifically mentioned Manziel's ability to perform in the pocket as a concern.

"I see a lot of issues," he said.

While he thinks highly of Manziel's athleticism, Warner also is worried about the signal-caller's propensity to flee the pocket. That generally worked out well for him at Texas A&M, but defenses are a lot different in the NFL.

"You can't expect to improvise and make plays," Warner said.

Warner, the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV, does give Manziel high marks for his presence and competitiveness. He also seemed genuinely puzzled by those criticizing Manziel for his busy off-field schedule.

While making a point to say he wasn't comparing Manziel's talents to those of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, Warner did say that Brady and Manning seemed to have crowded calendars, too. "Do those guys not have things going on off the field?" Warner asked.

"I don't think it's one or the other," Warner said, rebuking those who say to be a high-level quarterback, you only can have football.

Warner said he could see Manziel following a path similar to the one taken by other high-profile quarterbacks: "Prove it on the field, then sit back and enjoy the things that come with success."

But fellow analyst Charley Casserly, a former NFL general manager, said NFL teams did have what he called "major concerns" about Manziel away from the field.

"He needs to learn how to study and become an NFL quarterback," Casserly said.

Casserly said that in talks with a former coach who was at A&M in 2011 -- when Manziel was redshirting as a true freshman -- the coach spoke highly of Manziel's work habits. "He was a studier, he was a worker," Casserly said he was told.

Casserly said it was important for Manziel to assume a typical rookie's mindset: Come in and work hard, then "gradually work into other things."

Analyst Shaun O'Hara took those criticizing Manziel for his off-field behavior to task: "He's a kid. He should be having fun."

O'Hara also said, "You can't fault Johnny Manziel for being cool."

O'Hara did say he expects a more toned-down Manziel going forward.

"I think he becomes even more guarded" as he continues to understand the "business side of it," O'Hara said.

For his part, Manziel said in an introductory press conference Friday in Cleveland that his off-field activities "never cut into my (preparation) time."

Asked specifically about his relationships with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Drake, Manziel described them as "friends that happen to be in a bigger spotlight" and that "I think it's extremely cool" to be with friends with them.

He also said fans shouldn't focus on the "Johnny Football" persona: "I know who I am. I'm Johnny Manziel from Kerrville, Texas."

Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
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Jerry Jones: Johnny Manziel was No. 1 on my board

By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League Editor

It strangely was the moment of the night during Thursday's first round of the NFL Draft. The Dallas Cowboys were on the clock. Johnny Manziel was still on the board. The Internet was about to explode.

The Cowboys decided to pass on Manziel, but it wasn't an easy decision. Owner Jerry Jones admitted to reporters Friday that Manziel was the highest rated player on the Cowboys' board at the time. NFL Network's Albert Breer reports that the Cowboys discussed drafting Manziel while they were on the clock.

Ultimately, Jones said, the Cowboys just had too much invested in Tony Romo. (That's largely because of Jones' self-inflicted salary cap woes, which forced his hand in Romo's last contract negotiations.)

"It's not the usual development guy behind an accomplished quarterback. He's a celebrity. He's Elvis Presley," Jones said, per ESPNDallas.com.

So Jones ignored value because Manziel is a celebrity? Welcome to bizarro Dallas.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" provided instant reaction to all the wild happenings in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
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Jerry Jones: 'Wasn't even a thought' to Cowboys drafting Manziel

 
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I liked the idea of Manziel doing his rabbit thing with Gordon to throw it up to a la Evans.

But if there's no Gordon, the idea of running around looking for Hawkins, Benjamin and project Johnson seems a lot less enticing.

In fact it sounds difficult for Manziel or almost any QB.

 
Excerpts from Peter King's MMQB:

Johnny Football magnet.

Preamble to yet more words about Johnny Manziel, the 22nd pick in the NFL draft Thursday night: Between 7 p.m. and midnight Thursday, Twitter recorded approximately 2.5 million Tweets related to Manziel. In the same five hours, 519,000 Tweets were posted, combined, concerning LeBron James, the Miami-Brooklyn and Portland-San Antonio playoff games, and the NHL playoff games (Boston-Montreal, Anaheim-Los Angeles). Five times as many people Tweeted about Manziel alone as Tweeted about the four most important games of the night and the most charismatic athlete in America playing in one of the games—James. “That is a pretty wild stat,” Manziel said.

Now that I have your attention, let’s start this section at 9:33 p.m. Thursday, with the three permanently fixed cameras on Manziel waiting to show his reaction as commissioner Roger Goodell steps to the podium. To Manziel’s left in the green room backstage at Radio City Music Hall is his 33-year-old agent and confidant, Erik Burkhardt.

“With the 13th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft,” Goodell says, “the St. Louis Rams select Aaron Donald, defensive tackle, Pittsburgh.”

Manziel does not like to let people see him sweat. He knew his every move on this night would be scrutinized closely. But the Rams passing on him hurt. Because now he thought he’d be in for a free-fall. He turned to Burkhardt, and sort of out of the side of his mouth, said this:

“E.B., we’re screwed.”

I asked him about this over the phone Saturday night, when he was back home in Texas for 24 hours of relaxation. “I did tell Erik that,” he said. “I felt that way, because there was so much uncertainty after that. I felt really good about St. Louis. My workout with them was great. They spent a lot of time getting to know me and researching me, and I did well when they put me on the board with coach [offensive coordinator Brian] Schottenheimer. So yes, I have to admit, I was a little surprised there when they passed on me.”

“But,” I said, “what about Dallas at 16? You didn’t think that might happen?”

“No, not really,” he said. “After talking to [owner] Jerry Jones a little bit, I understand why they wouldn’t. I felt it would be crazy for the state, for them, and for me. I thought the whole thing would be hectic. Plus, Tony [Romo] is so great. It just wouldn’t have been a great fit. I knew that, and Jerry knew it too, I think.”

As the picks went by, starting soon after the Rams chose at 13, Cleveland GM Ray Farmer worked the phones, trying to find a partner to move up from their second pick in the round (26th overall) to grab Manziel. He couldn’t find a fit.

Finally, with less than three minutes to go in Philadelphia’s 22nd slot, Farmer heard this from an Eagles representative over the phone: “If you’re not gonna jump in here, we’re gonna trade the pick right now.” It’s cloudy what his offer had been to this point, but now he had to sweeten it, and he offered the 83rd pick overall, a third-rounder, in addition to their pick four slots lower than Philly. Done deal. The Eagles liked that offer better than an offer from Minnesota, because the Vikings would have been moving up from 40.

And so here’s Johnny. But the Browns must have really loved the Manziel tape—because his workout with Cleveland brass 19 days before the draft was a mess. On Good Friday night, Browns coach Mike Pettine, GM Farmer, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains went to dinner with Manziel and Burkhardt at a country club outside of College Station, near the Texas A&M campus. “We worked out 10 quarterbacks and ate with all of them,” Pettine said Saturday night. “That’s the only meal we didn’t pay for.” The workout was set for 8 a.m. Saturday morning, so the Clevelanders and Manziel could make it home comfortably for Easter. One problem: no receivers. So a high school buddy, Shanahan and Burkhardt—in jeans and sneakers—were the pass-catchers. After the workout, which included some clanks off Burkhardt’s hands, the agent said to Manziel: “I’ve seen you better.”

“I’d be better,” Manziel said with a laugh, “if you could catch.”

“One thing I liked about our meeting,” said Pettine. “We talked about being prepared to handle the pressure and the demands of being an NFL quarterback, and he told us, ‘I’m equipped to handle it. I think I’ve handled it already.’ I think he’s right.”

Manziel was in Cleveland Friday and got handed his playbook—on a tablet—and examined the playbook on his trip home from Cleveland. Having a playbook will be different for him, because A&M didn’t give out playbooks, just weekly game plans. “It’s a bigger league and a bigger deal,” he said. “But I’m preparing the same way I always would. It’s football.”
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• How soon will Manziel supplant Brian Hoyer? The good thing for Manziel is that Hoyer doesn’t have a huge head start on him in working with Kyle Shanahan and the new offense—just one month. I’d be surprised if Manziel doesn’t win the job before the Sept. 7 opener at Pittsburgh, but whether he does or not, it won’t be long before he’s under center for good. “We’re not handing him the job,” Pettine told me. “It’s going to be an open and fair competition, and the best man will win.”

• Memo to Dawg Pounders happy with the Manziel pick: Stop cursing Joe Banner and Mike Lombardi. Just stop it. Do you know how much those two men helped you draft Manziel? With Banner and Lombardi running the 2013 draft, the Browns traded their fourth-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for the Steelers’ third-round pick in 2014; that was the 83rd overall pick in this year’s draft. In September, Banner/Lombardi traded running back Trent Richardson to Indianapolis for the Colts’ first-round pick in 2014; that was the 26th overall pick in this year’s draft. On Thursday, Farmer traded those two picks—26 and 83 overall—to Philadelphia for the 22nd overall pick, the pick he used to draft Manziel.

One last point about Manziel: Imagine if he’d been drafted by the Rams at 13. Imagine the TV trucks, news helicopters, and Ellen DeGeneres and Deion Sanders and Chris Berman and Brian Williams at a May practice to see Manziel and Michael Sam. I think Sam’s in a good spot. Sam plus Manziel would have caused ESPN, NFL Network, Access Hollywood and Outsports to open news bureaus in the shadow of the Gateway Arch. Not too conducive to learning one’s trade.

So as much as Manziel must be questioning his weaponry now that Josh Gordon might be lost for the year, maybe the St. Louis thing wouldn’t have been any better. And don’t assume Manziel isn’t happy being with the Browns. I certainly don’t. He’s already fired up that Houston and Jacksonville, two teams that passed on him, are on Cleveland’s schedule this year. He seemed excited to start his me-against-the-world campaign in Cleveland this week.

Something he said, seriously, Thursday night when it was over and he was a Brown illustrates the fact that we’re dealing with a different cat here. “I kind of like the fact the Browns had the guts to pass on me twice, then come up to get me,” he said. It’ll be an interesting ride with Manziel for at least the next four years.
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Obviously it's not everything but when I see the picture of Manziel doing the "bling bling" thing with his hands as he goes on stage I'm thinking - yeah here's a mature kid who gets it.

With the WR situation being what it is they should probably resist the urge to start him out of the gate - unless he goes all Russell Wilson in training camp and forces the issue. Sure he has the wheels but right now I'm thinking teams will go 7 and a spy in the box more of than not.

-QG

 
matuski said:
Kenny Powers said:
bonesman said:
What's with the "money fingers" celebration he did as he walked out? Is that a thing he does or is he just a Dbag?
Click to expand...
Seriously? How do football fans not watch any college football?! Or never saw Manziel play last year?
Click to expand...
I ran into a few people in Florida last week with the same issue.

Apparently the hate extends to people that have never seen him play a down. An impressive feat.
Click to expand...
To be fair, I think people that bother to hate him do so mostly because he's an unbearable doosh. Has nothing to do with his play. A&M doesn't really carry the kind of clout to engender ill will.

 
Freelove said:
matuski said:
Kenny Powers said:
bonesman said:
What's with the "money fingers" celebration he did as he walked out? Is that a thing he does or is he just a Dbag?
Click to expand...
Seriously? How do football fans not watch any college football?! Or never saw Manziel play last year?
Click to expand...
I ran into a few people in Florida last week with the same issue.

Apparently the hate extends to people that have never seen him play a down. An impressive feat.
Click to expand...
To be fair, I think people that bother to hate him do so mostly because he's an unbearable doosh. Has nothing to do with his play. A&M doesn't really carry the kind of clout to engender ill will.
Click to expand...
This sums it up for me. I have seen plenty of his games but my sheer hatred of him comes from his spoiled rich kid dooshyness that he seems incapable of reeling in. A little humility and humbleness would go a long way with this kid. I think the pressure of the NFL is going to chew him up.

 
pantherclub said:
Freelove said:
matuski said:
Kenny Powers said:
bonesman said:
What's with the "money fingers" celebration he did as he walked out? Is that a thing he does or is he just a Dbag?
Click to expand...
Seriously? How do football fans not watch any college football?! Or never saw Manziel play last year?
Click to expand...
I ran into a few people in Florida last week with the same issue.

Apparently the hate extends to people that have never seen him play a down. An impressive feat.
Click to expand...
To be fair, I think people that bother to hate him do so mostly because he's an unbearable doosh. Has nothing to do with his play. A&M doesn't really carry the kind of clout to engender ill will.
Click to expand...
This sums it up for me. I have seen plenty of his games but my sheer hatred of him comes from his spoiled rich kid dooshyness that he seems incapable of reeling in. A little humility and humbleness would go a long way with this kid. I think the pressure of the NFL is going to chew him up.
Click to expand...
People held a lot of the same opinions about Cam coming out. That he was full of himself, worked the cameras constantly, very easy to dislike, the Superman douchebaggery. As a Panther fan, did you feel the same way about him?

 
Sabertooth said:
massraider said:
Donnybrook said:
:ptts: > https://twitter.com/RedditCFB/status/466026420960251904/photo/1
Click to expand...
If I was a Browns fan, I'd buy that T-Shirt.
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Heck I'm not a Browns fan and that is awesome. I am thinking of adapting it to my local high school mascot and selling it.
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I like the shirt and may buy one but I like the nickname even better. I like "Manzielf" much more than JF. It describes him better like he is half man and half elf. Maybe Johnny should copyright that name as well.
 
ConnSKINS26 said:
pantherclub said:
Freelove said:
matuski said:
Kenny Powers said:
bonesman said:
What's with the "money fingers" celebration he did as he walked out? Is that a thing he does or is he just a Dbag?
Click to expand...
Seriously? How do football fans not watch any college football?! Or never saw Manziel play last year?
Click to expand...
I ran into a few people in Florida last week with the same issue.

Apparently the hate extends to people that have never seen him play a down. An impressive feat.
Click to expand...
To be fair, I think people that bother to hate him do so mostly because he's an unbearable doosh. Has nothing to do with his play. A&M doesn't really carry the kind of clout to engender ill will.
Click to expand...
This sums it up for me. I have seen plenty of his games but my sheer hatred of him comes from his spoiled rich kid dooshyness that he seems incapable of reeling in. A little humility and humbleness would go a long way with this kid. I think the pressure of the NFL is going to chew him up.
Click to expand...
People held a lot of the same opinions about Cam coming out. That he was full of himself, worked the cameras constantly, very easy to dislike, the Superman douchebaggery. As a Panther fan, did you feel the same way about him?
Click to expand...
Cam wasnt half this bad. I was initially against Newton after the Chuckie interview where he couldnt rattle off any plays. Combine that with his live arm that puts balls in the air too high I didnt think he was a good pick at #1. In the Newton thread its all there, I did my mea culpa in there. I was totally wrong about his ability to succeed in the NFL. To me Cam wasnt anywhere close to being the outright dbag that Johnny Football is. With Manziel I think his immaturity level (its all documented) along with his small size will make him a footnote sooner rather than later.

 
pantherclub said:
ConnSKINS26 said:
pantherclub said:
Freelove said:
matuski said:
Kenny Powers said:
bonesman said:
What's with the "money fingers" celebration he did as he walked out? Is that a thing he does or is he just a Dbag?
Click to expand...
Seriously? How do football fans not watch any college football?! Or never saw Manziel play last year?
Click to expand...
I ran into a few people in Florida last week with the same issue.

Apparently the hate extends to people that have never seen him play a down. An impressive feat.
Click to expand...
To be fair, I think people that bother to hate him do so mostly because he's an unbearable doosh. Has nothing to do with his play. A&M doesn't really carry the kind of clout to engender ill will.
Click to expand...
This sums it up for me. I have seen plenty of his games but my sheer hatred of him comes from his spoiled rich kid dooshyness that he seems incapable of reeling in. A little humility and humbleness would go a long way with this kid. I think the pressure of the NFL is going to chew him up.
Click to expand...
People held a lot of the same opinions about Cam coming out. That he was full of himself, worked the cameras constantly, very easy to dislike, the Superman douchebaggery. As a Panther fan, did you feel the same way about him?
Click to expand...
Cam wasnt half this bad. I was initially against Newton after the Chuckie interview where he couldnt rattle off any plays. Combine that with his live arm that puts balls in the air too high I didnt think he was a good pick at #1. In the Newton thread its all there, I did my mea culpa in there. I was totally wrong about his ability to succeed in the NFL. To me Cam wasnt anywhere close to being the outright dbag that Johnny Football is. With Manziel I think his immaturity level (its all documented) along with his small size will make him a footnote sooner rather than later.
Click to expand...
Did you know Cam or Johnny well enough to make some judgement on their personalities?

 
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