Vincent Frank
This is what we would call the ridiculous world of the Cleveland Browns.
Johnny Manziel texted the Browns from the green room and asked them to draft him. So, they did. http://t.co/WPecmZ73vI via @MaryKayCabot
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) May 16, 2014
According to a report by ESPN, new Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel sent a text message to the organization as the first round of the 2014 NFL draft was reaching its second half.
I wish you guys would come get me. Hurry up and draft me because I want to wreck this league together.
This text, brought to the attention of the media by Browns assistant Dowell Loggain, was followed by the assistant coach doing what he thought was expected of him.
When I got that text, I forwarded it to the owner (Jimmy Haslam) and to the head coach (Mike Pettine). I’m like, ‘This guy wants to be here. He wants to be part of it.’ As soon as that happened, Mr. Haslam said, ‘Pull the trigger. We’re trading up to go get this guy.
It is possible that Manziel was texting every team in need of a quarterback at that point. After all, we were then into the second half of the first day and Manziel, who many had pegged as a top-five pick, was still on the board.
Did the Browns react to one quarterback seemingly wanting to be a part of the organization? If so, is that a sign of a winning organization? It is possible that Cleveland’s brass felt that Manziel was going to go off the board soon and decided to make a play for him. With that said, this is the first time since Eli Manning that it seems a player dictated the move of a team during the first round of the NFL draft.
Photo: Joseph Maiorana, USA Today
