Johnny Manziel the top player on Dallas Cowboys board?
Johnny Manziel walks on the field. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
There have been some rumors linking the Dallas Cowboys to Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel, and the move to grab the in-state sensation would certainly plaster the Cowboys and Manziel on every single headline in sports. Whether or not the interest is real remains to be seen, but ESPN’s Todd McShay added some more fuel to the fire today by reporting, via Rotoworld, that the Cowboys have Manziel as the top player on their big board.
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Manziel could easily be scooped up in the top ten by a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and there’s plenty of smoke there, especially with reports that the Bucs ownership wants him. But plenty of others expect Manziel to slip outside of the first round, so the Cowboys have a good chance of finding themselves in an opportunity to take him off the board.
Nobody would be surprised if Jerry Jones made such a move, but I think most people who aren’t searching for big headlines would be thoroughly disappointed if this happens. The Cowboys already have a sure-fire franchise quarterback in Tony Romo, and it doesn’t make any sense to spend their first-round pick on a QB who is a gamble. Manziel could use the time behind Romo to develop and would be the heir apparent, but is it worth spending a premium pick this year on Manziel to basically add a contingency plan? I think it’s a terrible idea, especially since the Cowboys desperately need help on defense and can most definitely win with Romo under center for a few more years. The possibility of drafting Manziel exists, but even if the Cowboys have him No. 1 on their board, it still isn’t a guarantee that they would take him as the best-available at No. 16.