Should NFL team give Johnny Manziel another chance?
On Saturday, word broke out of Dallas that Johnny Football wants another shot at the National Football League dream. Yes, the same Johnny Football who was taken with the 22nd-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, only to be completely out of the league by the start of the 2016 campaign.
Manziel was officially released by the Browns, making him a free agent and fair game for any of the 32 clubs to sign. Only 24 years old, the former superstar and Heisman Trophy winner with the Texas A&M Aggies is younger than some of the draft picks this past April. The youngster is trying to now get back into the NFL, stating he has talked with a couple teams. Yet, the red flags and the past can’t be erased easily. Per NFL.com:
“I think the thing I realized over the past year and the thing I realized from being away from it is really how much you miss it. That’s all I’ve known for so long. It’s what I love to do,” he stated. “It’s hard. It’s hard sitting here going through OTA time and going through summer time and then getting ready to go through fall camp and not being part of it. But at the same time, I’m really optimistic and hopeful that I’ll get another chance. That’s really what I’m holding out for every day.”
Manziel has been involved in a slew of incidents, ranging from stupidity and immaturity to potentially criminal. In college, he was arrested on three misdemeanor counts. On a less-important note, he also routinely ran around rubbing his thumb and index fingers together, letting the world know he wanted to be paid. In a preseason game against the Washington Redskins, Manziel was playing poorly and gave fans the middle digit.
In 2015, Manziel was a complete disaster off the field. He was dropped from first to second-string on the depth chart, largely because his attention was on partying instead of the playbook. In Feb. 2016, Manziel was investigated for alleged domestic abuse against former girlfriend Colleen Crowley, with reports suggesting the former NFL quarterback threatened to kill both Crowley and himself.
In the time since, Manziel claims he has gotten himself sober. For his sake, everyone should hope that is the truth. Whether that means a team should take a chance on him is another issue. While he remains young and certainly has talent, there were real questions coming out of college about his ability to read defenses and play from the pocket. Additionally, his personal history is littered with aforementioned problems. To take a chance on Manziel would be putting a ton of faith in someone who has never rewarded anything of the sort.
If Manziel is clean, perhaps there is a glimmer of hope for his football future. Even so, it seems the likelihood of him ever seeing an NFL game again is slim.
