Jaws says he wouldn't take Manziel in first 3 rounds.

Cotton

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ESPN analyst says he wouldn’t take Manziel in first three rounds of draft
Posted on February 26, 2014 at 10:06 am by David Barron in 2014 Draft

With little on Wednesday’s sports agenda to stir discussion and debate prior to the late night Rockets-Clippers game, ESPN turned to a tried and true conversation starter: Johnny Manziel.

NFL analyst Ron Jaworski was the prime mover of the day, saying that based on film study of five Texas A&M games in 2013, he doesn’t think Manziel is worthy of being picked in the first round of the NFL Draft – or, for that matter, the second and maybe not the third.

“My grade right now is incomplete, but I do not see very many redeeming qualities in his game that project him to be a first-round pick, a second-round pick and, to me, I think he’s a third-round pick or maybe later,” Jaworski said.

And, as if the conversation needed to be tweaked to an even higher level, Jaworski pulled out the ultimate conversation-starter for fans of the Texans, who have the first pick in the NFL Draft. He suggested that the Texans and new coach Bill O’Brien might be better suited by sticking with veteran Matt Schaub at quarterback.

“I can’t advise Bill O’Brien who to take, but I’m certain Bill O’Brien knows what he wants his quarterback to look like,” Jaworski said. “And I actually think they have a quarterback on their roster in Matt Schaub that is the kind of quarterback that Bill O’Brien likes.

“I think he’s going to say, ‘Hmmm. I like this Schaub guy. He reminds me a little bit of Tom Brady in size and stature,’ maybe not the outstanding consistency of Tom Brady, but you have an experienced, veteran quarterback, you surround him with the right people, I think Matt Schaub can still play a very solid game in the NFL.”

Jaworski, who played for the Rams, Eagles and two other teams before joining ESPN, has on occasion been generous toward younger quarterbacks. He said prior to the 2013 season that the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick “could be one of the greatest quarterbacks ever,” and he praised Russell Wilson of the Seahawks for sound mechanics and ability to throw from the pocket prior to Seattle’s march last season to the Super Bowl.

However, he thinks Manziel at the moment comes up short in categories that define success in the NFL.

“The NFL game is about the pre-snap phase of the game, getting in the proper protection, then, when you drop back, reading coverage properly, getting the ball out of your hand early in time with your receiver so when they turn, that ball is there,” he said.” And it is ball security in the pocket, taking care of the football. It’s mechanics in the pocket: your throwing slot is consistent.

“And right now, I see Johnny Manziel as a project, a guy that will go down as one of the great collegiate players of all time. I would pay to see Johnny Manziel play in a college game. He’s a great college player, but his game, just in my opinion, does not project to the NFL. He’s a project, and he’s going to have to spend some time working on his game.”

With plenty of “SportsCenter” time to fill later in the day, ESPN called on its NFL Draft expert, Mel Kiper, for an alternate view.

Kiper acknowledged that he could not say with certainty that Manziel will succeed in the NFL but scoffed at the notion that he was a “project” prospect who would not play immediately.

“What you see is what you get. He’s playing right away,” Kiper said. “This isn’t 1985, when you developed quarterbacks. What (Jaworski) is saying is that ‘he’s not my kind of quarterback. I don’t want him.’”

Kiper said Manziel has the physical potential to emulate Fran Tarkington, the scrambling quarterback for the Vikings and Giants in the 1960s and ‘70s, and he laughed out loud at the notion that Manziel could slide to the second or third round of the draft.

“That’s laughable,” he said.
 

boozeman

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Kiper is right. Jaworski brought up value when mentioning the first three rounds. If you don't like him, you don't. But saying he will slide is insane.

This is a league fills with executives that draft players like Christian Ponder and Tim Tebow in the first round.
 

L.T. Fan

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Jaworski didn't say he would slide to lower rounds he said he would personally grade him there. I don't think he will slide either.
 

jsmith6919

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Hard to take a guy serious that thinks Kaepernick will be the best ever or compares Schaub to Brady(even if it was in the slightest way)
 

Rev

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but he has seen all the film
 

Rev

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:picard
 

boozeman

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I love how he mentions complete POS Matt Schaub. You know, the guy who got a decent coach in Kubiak fired.
 

BipolarFuk

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Barry Switzer isn't a big fan of Johnny Manziel.

How do we know this?

He went on CBS Sports Radio 920 AM in St. Louis on Wednesday morning and said some mean things about Johnny Football.

CBS Sports' Eye on Football has Switzer's quotes:

"I'm gonna tell you. I said Johnny Manziel is ... I don't like his antics. I think he's an arrogant little prick," Switzer said. "I've said that and I'll say it again. He's a privileged kid, he's embarrassed himself, he's embarrassed his teammates, his program. He's embarrassed his coach. And they'll all have to defend him because they have to coach. I know that. I spent 40 years in the damn game so I know how it works."
Well those are some words that are impossible to take out of context.

Personal shots aside, Switzer, who won three national titles with Oklahoma and a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys, thinks Johnny Football is a good quarterback.

"He's the best I've seen. I've never seen a quarterback in college football take control of a game like he does and put up the numbers he does. It's fantastic what he's done against good competition. Game after game after game the numbers he puts up are staggering," Switzer said. "And when you watch him, you think he's a running back. You can't get to him, he's quick, he has more quickness than he does speed. He's elusive. You can't touch him. ... Strong arm. You watch him on film and tape and I've watched him enough -- the guy is oblivious to the rush. He lets you think you're going to touch him and then he disappears and he gets away from you and buys time. When a guy does that, guys are going to separate. I don't care how good you are in pro football, you can't cover for more than five seconds. Then they're going to be free.

"And Johnny Manziel gets the ball to people. He's the most dominant, most dynamic college quarterback I've ever seen."

It's good to finally learn how Switzer feels about Johnny Football. Just kidding, we never wondered what Switzer thought about Manziel.
 

boozeman

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Switzer has the nerve to talk about some kid being arrogant and an embarrassment to a program?

:lol

Yeah, whatever.
 

Kbrown

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Switzer has the skins to back up his opinions when it comes to college football.
And on the football end, which is what matters, he likes Manziel. The rest was petty 'character' crap.

Oh no, teh autographs!
 

Plan9Misfit

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And on the football end, which is what matters, he likes Manziel. The rest was petty 'character' crap.

Oh no, teh autographs!
And the alcohol abuse, and the mental health issues.
 

Kbrown

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I am concerned about Manziel as a pro QB and wonder where his talent ends and Sumlin's system begins. But... Mental illness.... Wat :lol
 

Cotton

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Yeah, I haven't seen anything about mental issues. It has been reported that he has pretty severe anger issues (hell, his dad said he had demons inside him :lol), but nothing more than that.
 
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