Since signing with the CFL, Manziel has done his share of interviews. I believe that this is a changed person and he finally "gets it". When you hear him speak, he sounds mature, he sounds regretful, he sounds coachable, appreciative of this opportunity and focused.
This was a guy that was on a collision course to destruction, but he's still only 25. I love redepmtion stories because not everyone follows the same path. Not everyone is Saquan Barkley that are wise beyond their years. Some guys are late to understand what life is about. Some guys are later to mature and appreciate the opportunity to play football.
I was not a fan of his coming into the NFL, but I am hoping the Giants are watching him closely. He didn't fail in the NFL based on a lack of talent and now that his head is screwed one straight, I'm intrigued.
We have folks on BBI who are ready to anoint mid round QBs as hier apparents, when they’ve shown much less than a younger Manziel.
2) Manziel is a backup CFL quarterback because he just joined the team a week or so ago. Let’s not engage in a “gotcha” battle of semantics or pretend that Manziel’s place on the depth chart indicates anything regarding his play.
3) The worry that I have with the “new and improved” Johnny is that he’s too wily and intelligent to not have some lingering doubts that it’s a charade. He presented a similar rejuvenated persona to the Browns in his second year but simply shift his inebriation from the public domain to private until that unraveled.
Yes, this time does seem different - at the very least his wife seems to be a grounding influence in his life- but a year or two in obscurity (Hamilton) will help him Home his game, develop himself as a person, and prove to the outside world that he’s sober and football is a priority.
I’m a huge unabashed Manziel fan and am rooting for him, and it’s nice to hear folks buying into the comeback but Johnny still has much to prove. I’m absolutely convinced that the talent is there but he has to demonstrate real change through an elongated timeframe.
I get it, he's a polarizing figure and people like you don't like him. The reality is that he was a highly thought of QB prospect who had a lot of success in college that had major problems. If he cleans up his act and continues to prove that over the next few years in the CFL, someone will give him a chance at a minimum contract. He clearly had the skillset for the NFL when he was coming out of college, the guy was a first round pick.
Teams came out for his pro day to see what he had. Now he needs to prove that he has it between the ears and I bet nfl teams will keep a close eye on him. That is all.
I really don’t get what the point of this is. I’m not making this up, he was a good college player who wasn’t good in the NFL. Him being drafted in the first round is the only reason we even know this guys name but that was almost 5 years ago, it’s not like he hurt his knee, never played an NFL down and is making a comeback.
I don't think it'll be negative press up front, but it's going to be a circus nonetheless. Not quite as bad as Tebow, but it's going to be a zoo.
If he succeeds, and makes it back to the NFL and does well, you'll see plenty of positive press. Likewise, if he doesn't you'll see nothing but 'well, what did you expect' type stories.
If I'm a GM of a team in need of a QB, the only way Manziel warrants consideration is if he's tearing the CFL apart. That's the only way it's warranted; you don't know if his game will translate at the NFL level. You don't know if the extra pressure could cause a relapse. Too many unknowns to take the risk.
I don't know too much about addiction, but I know pressure does shitty things to people. If the guy has had mental health and substance abuse problems, if he were my son, I'd tell him to hang 'em up. Just my opinion, because I don't feel that situation and his health history make a good combination.
That’ll be an excuse to keep this thread going!
And the Browns took him a bit earlier than projected, because, well, Browns.
I hope he keeps his life going in the right direction. I don't care if football has anything to do with that.
I never understood that about the whole “root for the second chance guy” either. Manziel put his life and the the people around him in danger throughout his entire drunken coke bender with felt like it was years long. Why should I root for him?
Why aren’t you rootin harder and care more about Teddy Bridgewater? A guy who sustained a horrific injury, who proved he can play in the league and is, by all accounts, a standup human being?
I hope Manziel cleans his life up, but other than that he can take a hike.
I really don’t get what the point of this is. I’m not making this up, he was a good college player who wasn’t good in the NFL. Him being drafted in the first round is the only reason we even know this guys name but that was almost 5 years ago, it’s not like he hurt his knee, never played an NFL down and is making a comeback.
Let’s not brownwash Manziel’s on-field performance
He’s the type of player who can flash here and here but will ultimately make mistakes and or get hurt trying. He was hurt in his 2nd NFL game and then suffered a concussion in his second year. And those were just the main injuries.
He wasn’t a good nfl player.
He’s the type of player who can flash here and here but will ultimately make mistakes and or get hurt trying. He was hurt in his 2nd NFL game and then suffered a concussion in his second year. And those were just the main injuries.
He wasn’t a good nfl player.
He’s the type of player who can flash here and here but will ultimately make mistakes and or get hurt trying. He was hurt in his 2nd NFL game and then suffered a concussion in his second year. And those were just the main injuries.
He wasn’t a good nfl player.
Pointing to a game against PIT where he threw for 372 yards is silly. He still only threw 1 TD pass that day to go along with a pick and they got blown out. I don't remember the game and I'm sure I didn't watch it, but it's probably safe to assume that PIT was playing soft/prevent for most of the second half. The yardage really isn't that impressive. There are games where the score is out of reach and QB's just keep dumping the ball underneath and rack up YAC yardage. That was probably one of them.
You literally cannot point to a single other performance and say it was impressive. The best he did outside of that game against the Steelers was 172 yards and 2 TD's against a crappy Titans team - he completed 8 passes. 8.
Like I've said before - if Manziel the person is turning his life around, that is awesome and I really do applaud him for getting the help he needed and for being brave enough to admit that it was necessary. That stuff is all great - I have nothing against the guy personally.
I just don't see the player ever succeeding in the NFL. He's missed a lot of time now, and it's just hard to suddenly re-enter the league at age 26 or 27 or whatever and suddenly swing it.
Best case scenario for him is probably like.. Joey Harrington. And even that would surprise me.
He sucked in the NFL. Point blank, period. Reach and cherry pick all of the rose colored glasses stats you want. They all point to one undeniable fact, he sucked.
Manziel is not, and never will be a staring QB in the NFL. And guess what? He’ll still be well off despite that. This isn’t some feel great, street urchin, pull up your bootstraps story. He’s a rich brat who was handed everything in his life and thought the world revolved around him.
Good for him if he’s actually combating his demons and turning his own life around. IMO, it remains to be seen. But let’s not correlate one thing with the other. Just because he’s currently on the straight and narrow and got a BACKUP job on a CFL team, does not mean he’s some great, lost talent. The NFL has seen many great college QB Cinderella’s with less sordid stories become completely obsolete washouts. Johnny Manziel is no different than them.
and another thing -- who cares?