The other day, when I saw all of those Cleveland fans freaking out over their team's drafting of Johnny Manziel, I couldn't help but think of this...
I could certainly be wrong but this kid just has "BUST" written all over him...and in capital letters.
I know he was an excellent college football player and there's no disputing that. However, the list of NFL busts is chalk full of guys who were also excellent college football players, many of whom were better - if less decorated - than Jonathan Stylzzzzzzzz.
I don't even really care about the off-the-field stuff. So the kid's a douchebag, so what? The NFL is full of idiots. Hell, I'm a Steelers fan and our QB is as big of a dickbag as there is. It's just that I'd feel the same way about Johnny Bananassssss if he had Jesus Tebow's character. The fact that he has all of those tangible concerns (short, bad throwing mechanics, poor pocket presence/awareness, inconsistent accuracy, incompatible college offense, etc.) and add to it that he's reportedly a significant character risk too and I just don't understand what the hell the Browns are thinking? They stink and have for a long time. They need real players, not circus performers that happened to play in overly QB friendly systems.
Here's my prediction:
Manziel will come in and the initial reports in camp will be positively glowing. The pre-draft media hype mandates as much. I know Cleveland media very well and trust me when I tell you they'll be preparing his Canton bust by the end of training camp. They're desperate for a star attraction and Johnny Moneyfingers gives them a celebrity even if he doesn't necessarily solve their QB needs.
At the end of camp, Brian Hoyer will win the job and he'll do okay but the Browns will struggle - because they stink.
The pressure on the coaching staff from fans and local media to play Johnny Savior will be absolutely immense and first time head coach Mike Pettine will eventually capitulate.
Manziel will come in and spark the team for a game or two and everyone will lose their minds all over him and the Johnny Football proponents will be in full "I told you so" mode (just like they were after his BS pro day).
The problem of course will be that his mechanics will still suck and defenses will figure him out - they always do.
That's when things will get ugly as he will regress and regress some more and within a few years people will wonder, "What happened to 'Johnny Football?' Why did he flop so bad?" As if it's some big mystery. They'll blame Pettine for "ruining" the kid when in fact they should blame the owner, Jimmy Halam for overruling his actual football people and drafting the kid in the first place thus putting the kid, the first year head coach and the franchise itself in such a horrendous position.
Haslam told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio that he knew the Browns had to draft Manziel after a chance encounter with a local homeless man. Aside from the fact that the story is almost certainly made up, does that seem like a sane plan to anyone?
As I said earlier, I've been wrong before but as a Steelers fan, news of the Browns drafting Manziel literally made me laugh out loud at the sheer Cleveland Brownsishness of such a foolish decision. They truly are the gift that keeps on giving.
My only shock in all of it was that Dallas was somehow able to resist its natural temptation to draft the kid. I don't know if Jerry Jones was on a bathroom break or what at the time of the Cowboys' selection, but I was absolutely astonished that they were able to pass on such a sure fire circus attraction.