BelowTheMasonDixon
Veteran
well not exactly but....
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...r-bowl-potential-larry-bird-instincts.ece(For Full Article)
“If Russell Wilson can take a team to the Super Bowl,” said one NFL talent evaluator, “Manziel can do all that and more.”
The NFL made a mistake with Drew Brees in 2001.
The league made another mistake with Russell Wilson in 2012.
The NFL will not repeat those mistakes with Johnny Manziel.
Manziel is finishing up his second season at Texas A&M but it’s his third year on campus, having redshirted as a true freshman in 2011. That makes him eligible for the 2014 NFL draft if he elects to leave school early.
And the NFL is operating under the assumption that Manziel will apply for early admission to that draft. I spent the last few weeks visiting with NFL talent evaluators about how they are studying Manziel through a different prism.
Texas A&M lists Manziel at 6-1, 210 pounds. Colleges tend to pump up the sizes of their players, making them bigger than they really are. So Manziel is probably a shade over both 6-0 and 200.
That doesn’t fit the NFL prototype. But it’s an old prototype.
For decades the NFL culled the college ranks for quarterbacks with the height and bulk to stand strong in the pocket _ passers in the 6-4, 230-pound range. Terry Bradshaw, John Elway and Troy Aikman all fit the prototype. All became the first overall pick of drafts, all won Super Bowls and all now have busts in Canton.
Brees didn’t fit the prototype. Not at 6-0, 213 pounds. That’s why the Big Ten’s all-time leading passer slid out of the first round into the top of the second of his draft. Size was more important to NFL talent evaluators than college productivity.
The NFL should have placed a greater premium on his productivity. Brees has since gone to seven Pro Bowls and been a Super Bowl MVP. He passed for an NFL-record 5,476 in a single (2009) season _ one of his record three 5,000-yard seasons. No one else has done it more than once.
Wilson also didn’t fit the prototype. Not at 5-10 ½, 204 pounds. That’s why he slid all the way to the third round of his draft, the sixth quarterback and 75th overall player selected. Disregard the fact his charisma and leadership skills were off the charts.
Wilson became a walk-in starter at Seattle in his rookie season and led the Seahawks to an 11-5 record and a wild-card playoff berth. This season Wilson has the Seahawks perched atop the NFL with a league-best 10-1 record.
Which brings us back to Manziel.
“If Russell Wilson can take a team to the Super Bowl,” said one NFL talent evaluator, “Manziel can do all that and more.”
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...r-bowl-potential-larry-bird-instincts.ece(For Full Article)
“If Russell Wilson can take a team to the Super Bowl,” said one NFL talent evaluator, “Manziel can do all that and more.”
The NFL made a mistake with Drew Brees in 2001.
The league made another mistake with Russell Wilson in 2012.
The NFL will not repeat those mistakes with Johnny Manziel.
Manziel is finishing up his second season at Texas A&M but it’s his third year on campus, having redshirted as a true freshman in 2011. That makes him eligible for the 2014 NFL draft if he elects to leave school early.
And the NFL is operating under the assumption that Manziel will apply for early admission to that draft. I spent the last few weeks visiting with NFL talent evaluators about how they are studying Manziel through a different prism.
Texas A&M lists Manziel at 6-1, 210 pounds. Colleges tend to pump up the sizes of their players, making them bigger than they really are. So Manziel is probably a shade over both 6-0 and 200.
That doesn’t fit the NFL prototype. But it’s an old prototype.
For decades the NFL culled the college ranks for quarterbacks with the height and bulk to stand strong in the pocket _ passers in the 6-4, 230-pound range. Terry Bradshaw, John Elway and Troy Aikman all fit the prototype. All became the first overall pick of drafts, all won Super Bowls and all now have busts in Canton.
Brees didn’t fit the prototype. Not at 6-0, 213 pounds. That’s why the Big Ten’s all-time leading passer slid out of the first round into the top of the second of his draft. Size was more important to NFL talent evaluators than college productivity.
The NFL should have placed a greater premium on his productivity. Brees has since gone to seven Pro Bowls and been a Super Bowl MVP. He passed for an NFL-record 5,476 in a single (2009) season _ one of his record three 5,000-yard seasons. No one else has done it more than once.
Wilson also didn’t fit the prototype. Not at 5-10 ½, 204 pounds. That’s why he slid all the way to the third round of his draft, the sixth quarterback and 75th overall player selected. Disregard the fact his charisma and leadership skills were off the charts.
Wilson became a walk-in starter at Seattle in his rookie season and led the Seahawks to an 11-5 record and a wild-card playoff berth. This season Wilson has the Seahawks perched atop the NFL with a league-best 10-1 record.
Which brings us back to Manziel.
“If Russell Wilson can take a team to the Super Bowl,” said one NFL talent evaluator, “Manziel can do all that and more.”
