For a while there, it sure looked like the New England Patriots might have some real interest in bringing in Johnny Manziel to see what the former first-rounder can do. Well, it appears that window has closed, at least for the present time.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote on Sunday that, “A trickle-down effect of the Patriots drafting LSU’s Danny Etling in the seventh round is that I believe it effectively ends the team’s exploration into Johnny Manziel.”
That makes sense. Etling is no prize, but he’s a guy the Patriots can develop without any fanfare behind the scenes for as long as Tom Brady continues to play.
The Patriots, like many teams, showed up to watch Manziel throw during a recent pro day session. And the general sentiment that came out of the two pro days Manziel attended was that he looked darn good.
That said, even if a team did take a chance with Manziel it’s worth noting he’s still due to serve a four-game suspension if he does land on an NFL roster. It’s also worth noting that, while Manziel showed some good things during The Spring League recently, he also still looks like the same quarterback who needs a ton of help getting comfortable in the pocket.
So, we’re looking at a guy who comes into any situation with a suspension hanging over him, and who still is very much a project.