Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) reacts to a fourth-quarter interception against the Duke Blue Devils in the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Texas A&M Aggies product Johnny Manziel made some strong statements yesterday regarding what the Houston Texans should do with the first pick, and his comments can either be interpreted as crucial confidence or over-the-top arrogance, depending on each person’s individual beliefs on how athletes, specifically potential franchise quarterbacks, should carry themselves. Regardless, the most important story from a draft perspective that emerged yesterday pertaining to Manziel was news on his Combine status.
It was already reported earlier this month that Manziel would throw at a private workout on the 27th of March at his own pro day, instead of throwing at the Texas A&M pro day, which will take place in early March. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Manziel’s agent Erik Burkhardt stated his client will not throw at the Combine, and this has been speculated ever since it was initially reported that the QB would throw at his own pro day.
I hope nobody makes a big deal out of this, but Manziel will ultimately receive criticism for this, especially since he’s already an extremely polarizing player. After all, A.J. McCarron was criticized for not participating in the Senior Bowl, and he isn’t nearly as highly-rated of a prospect as Manziel is. What hurts the most about a QB not throwing at the Combine is the fact that a guy like Wyoming’s Brett Smith, who is intriguing and definitely deserved an invite, won’t get to throw at the Combine anyway, so Johnny Football will still go to Indy but won’t throw. It’s a bit of a waste, if you ask me, especially since evaluators won’t get to take a closer look at a guy like Smith in the Combine setting. As for Manziel, this move won’t help or hurt his draft stock, but it’s more important new than the comments he made about the Texans.