In what was not exactly shocking news, the Cleveland Browns made it publicly known that they would officially part ways with Johnny Manziel once the new league year begins this March. To any NFL fan, this is not really a surprise, and depending upon how you feel about Manziel, it could be satisfying, disappointing, or anything in between. Manziel's off-field issues simply continued to mount higher and higher and now the Browns have officially declared him not worth the trouble that he causes. For the Browns, it is another draft failure, and for Manziel, the result could end up being far worse than that.
While Manziel was in college at Texas A&M, I remember him for his great play on the field. The game he played against Duke in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl was amazing, and his escape and touchdown pass against Alabama in a game that A&M eventually won is to this day one of the most unbelievable college football plays that I have ever seen. Throw in a Heisman Trophy, and this kid was a star before he even graduated college. However, great play on the field also brings about great opportunities off the field, and success as a college football player does not guarantee success as a professional player. Johnny Manziel is not the first case of that, and he is surely not the final case of it, but as of today, he is the most recent case of it.
Prior to the 2014 draft, Manziel was one of the biggest storylines. He had a Heisman Trophy, a lot of wins, a lot of talent, and a whole lot of publicity attached to him, so football fans were eager to see where he ended up. When the Browns drafted him, the city of Cleveland rejoiced. It wasn't exactly LeBron James coming back to the Cavaliers, but it gave hope to a desolate fanbase that supported a team that had been so bad for so long. Any off-field issues could be overlooked in Cleveland for the moment, because the Browns and their fans hoped that they had their new franchise quarterback.
Looking back, any sort of off-field issues that Manziel may have had during college were really nothing major. Most incidents were just chalked up to immaturity and youth. The Browns believed that Manziel had the talent to offset those seemingly minor issues. At the time, I believed that he was worth the risk for them. If the Giants had needed a quarterback in 2014, I must say that I would not have endorsed drafting Manziel, but thankfully that was not the case. For a team like Cleveland, who had missed on so many top draft picks over the years, I understood why they took him. What I also knew was that, while he did have a lot of success in college, his game did not exactly project perfectly to play at the next level.
I don't want to make it seem like boasting about football knowledge, because I know that many people felt the same way about Manziel. He was small in terms of NFL quarterback status, but guys like Drew Brees and Russell Wilson could fall into the same category, and both of them are Super Bowl Champions. So clearly, small stature does not immediately guarantee failure at the NFL level. What did separate Manziel from those two guys though was their character and leadership qualities. Brees and Wilson have been, and most likely will continue to be, great leaders and examples. Not only can you count on those two men on Sundays, but you can count on them from Monday through Saturday as well.
With Johnny Manziel, that was the looming question, and the announcement the Browns made today gave us their answer. However, the even bigger question now for Manziel is whether or not what he does on Sundays is even worth the trouble from Monday through Saturday. Manziel is not a criminal. He is not Lawrence Phillips or Ryan Leaf. However, as the days and weeks and now years pass by, he is closer to them than he is to being a good NFL quarterback. He seems closer to being one of those guys who just doesn't get it. Some people have always disliked him for his boisterous behavior on and off the field. In my eyes, that can be easily be overlooked. Other people disliked him because he seemed to be a spoiled rich kid who never had to face any type of hardship as far as getting through school and making it into the NFL. Can I see why some people felt that way? Yes, I can. However, Manziel does not need to apologize for growing up as a child with a fully functional family and more wealth to spread around than most. Hate him for the choices he made after being granted such an opportunity, but do not hate him for being able to be brought up in a stable environment.
However, regardless of family history or background, there comes a time in the life of each and every person that they have to choose how they are going to conduct themselves, and as of today, Manziel has proven that he is going down the wrong road in making that choice. During the Browns' bye week this past season, Manziel told the team that he would stay out of trouble. What ended up happening during that weekend off? Manziel was seen at a bar partying with his friends. He has continually been seen out at parties and now has been in the news for possible domestic issues. For most people, going to the bar is not a problem. Domestic issues and police reports are an issue though, but they are not career threatening in terms of an NFL player. If a player has enough talent, he can make such issues a non-factor because of how he plays on the field. At this point, Johnny Manziel has proven that he simply does not have the talent to offset his issues.
Manziel is still very young, and he still has time on his side as far as making real changes in his life. However, with the announcement today by the Browns, he has officially blown his first chance in the NFL. First impressions are not always ones that last forever, but in the world of the NFL, they sure do have a big impact. Not only has Manziel failed off the field, but his play on the field has not warranted any sort of patience some team might grant him. The Cleveland Browns are (again) looking to hit the restart button, and while there will always be teams out there in need of a quarterback, in my opinion Johnny Manziel has already become untouchable. His play on the field has been mediocre at best, and the drama he brings off the field far outweighs the benefits that could come along with signing him.
He is still very young and does have a good amount of potential, but at this point, I feel like the list of teams willing to take a chance on him is growing shorter and shorter by the minute. If I had to bet on it, I would say that Manziel will get another chance to play somewhere. What I would not bet on though, is that he would be willing to conduct himself in a manner worthy of a team taking such a chance. Even more so, I question whether or not his ability on the field is worthy of a second chance, and when a team considers signing someone with questionable on-field skills as well as poor off-field behavior, it makes me wonder if Johnny Manziel is even going to get a second chance at all.
Daily NFL Update: With only a few days left before Super Bowl 50, the season is about to reach its climax. The players and media have all arrived, and I will give you my Super Bowl prediction soon.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: It took a while, but Arizona was finally able to unload Aaron Hill's contract, as he was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers along with Chase Anderson. The Diamondbacks got Jean Segura as the major return, and he had a great rookie year, but followed it up with less than stellar play after that. Either way, getting rid of Hill's big contract surely helps, and with Segura, Chris Owings, and Nick Ahmed, I think the DBacks have a reasonably good middle infield. Tyler Wagner might be the wild card here, as he is still young and has a good deal of upside. It isn't a major move, but hopefully it turns out to be a nice little, under the radar deal.
Daily Rangers Update: The second half of the season begins tonight after All Star weekend, and the Rangers will be in New Jersey tonight to face the Devils. Well rested and mostly healthy, the playoff push is officially underway at Madison Square Garden.
Daily NBA Update: The Warriors are still the biggest draw in the NBA, and they now stand at 44-4, which is ahead of the pace of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, who sat at 43-5 after 48 games in the season in which they set the league record with 72 regular season wins. Golden State travels to Washington tomorrow night to face a formidable Wizards team, but I am really interested in what goes on this coming Saturday night when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first time this season. Winning the Western Conference is going to be extremely tough this year, and the Warriors and Thunder are surely near the head of the class. Russell Westbrook is one of the few players in the NBA that I believe has both the ability and the mentality to match up with Stephen Curry, and we will get to see them face to face for the first time this year four days from now.
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