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Late Johnny Manziel Hype Is Baffling

Johnny Manziel started 26 games in two seasons with Texas A&M. That equates to 862 pass attempts and 104 quarters of football. This also means that we have extensive game tape on the young quarterback heading into the 2014 NFL draft. Not to mention Manziel’s appearances at the NFL scouting combine and Aggie Pro Day. 

So why are those who are paid to observe, scout and opine on NFL prospects suddenly changing their opinions on Manziel? What has changed between their previous set of rankings and today? Was Manziel’s seemingly awesome pro day so impressive that it overtakes all the tape that is out there on the quarterback?

NFL Network’s Mike Mayock may think so…

UntitledPrior to the Pro Day’s, Bridgewater was Mayock’s No.1-ranked quarterback. The Louisville product is also the consensus top quarterback prospect around the scouting community, but the difference between him and Manziel has narrowed a tad recently.

I will give Mayock the Kaepernick comparison, as the former Nevada standout was about as raw of a passer that a high-round pick could be. Indicating that Manziel is currently a “better thrower” than Wilson was when he came out of college is just plain ridiculous. He doesn’t have anywhere near the pro-level mechanics that enabled Wilson to be a day one starter for the Seattle Seahawks back in 2012. That much is as clear as day.

Here are some other assertions from draftniks around the football world. Assertions that I find odd, at best.

 

 

This one coming just months after Jaws indicated that Manziel wasn’t worth as pick in the first two days of the draft.

 

Let me be clear about one thing. When I watched Manziel during live games at Texas A&M, I wasn’t terribly impressed. There seemed that he had a ton of issues with shifting his weight when passing, dropping his throwing arm and progressing past his first read. Due to his short stature, Manziel’s throwing motion was a major issue, as that wouldn’t work well against large defensive linemen in the NFL.

Once I actually started watching cut ups and tape of Manziel following both his freshman and sophomore seasons, the more impressed I became. This is the natural process that an armchair scout such as myself goes through.

With that said, you simply cannot go from one opinion to the next within the matter of a few weeks this late in the process without questions being raised. Is Manziel a first-round talent? Sure. Will he likely land in the top 10? Without a doubt. Will he be a good quarterback in the NFL? Most likely. Those aren’t at question here.

What is at question is the turn in opinion from some that a lot of fans rely on for their draft/scouting information. Are they to be trusted? After all, we had over 100 quarters of tape on Manziel prior to the A&M Pro Day and the scouting combine. If that’s what an armchair scout is utilizing as his/her primary avenue for scouting, he/she is doing it wrong.

That’s my unfiltered take.

 

Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA Today

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