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With a national television audience paying close attention to his every move, Manziel put on an epic performance that cemented his status as one of the top quarterbacks in college football, and a future franchise player at the next level. Watching it up close and personal, here are my thoughts on Manziel's game and it projects in the NFL:
Arm talent
Questions about Manziel's arm strength and range dominated the discussion in the NFL scouting community during the offseason. Evaluators wondered if Manziel could make big-boy throws from the pocket, particularly the deep out from the opposite hash and the go-route down the boundary.
Watching Manziel pick apart the Blue Devils, there's no doubt in my mind that he can make every throw in the book. He attacked every area of the field with a variety of fastballs and rainbows to open receivers. Additionally, Manziel showed the ability to squeeze the ball into tight windows between the hashes. While those traits are expected of a franchise quarterback, I believe Manziel's unique ability to deliver accurate throws from various throwing platforms separates him from the pack. He will use a sidearm or three-quarters release to avoid rushers in close proximity, yet the ball still hits receivers in the strike zone. This characteristic makes him a threat to create big plays against the blitz from anywhere on the field.
Given the relentless blitz tactics favored by the majority of NFL defensive coaches, Manziel's unique arm talent could make him indefensible as a pro.
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.” --- Bill Shankly
I gotta say, I happened to see that play where Manziel tried to scramble/hurdle the defender, maintained his balance, and then threw a TD before I left for a New Years party. That play was unbelievable. That right there showed me the guy isn't as much as gimmick as I thought.
A Randy Moss fan for life. A Kevin Williams fan for life.
saint33 wrote:
I'm starting to believe he has a good chance of going #1 overall.
Yeah, I said the same yesterday, he's just got IT. Watch all the QB's this year and you'll just see Manziel is on another level, even over "i play no one relevant" Bridgewater. And it's not so much the routine simple stuff, every QB can go out in shorts like Ponder and make those throws but when you really need something ridiculous to happen Manziel just keeps delivering it.
MAYBE it doesn't translate over to the pro game but IF it DOES, that's the QB that wins you championships. If you need a QB I don't see how you pass him up.
Sounds like he is dedicating himself to his craft.
Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, who stated the obvious today when he announced that he is entering the 2014 NFL draft, plans to spend the next few months training with a quarterback guru who has tutored the last two passers taken with the first overall pick in the draft.
Bruce Feldman of CBS reports that Manziel plans to move to San Diego for the next few months to train with private quarterbacks coach George Whitfield, who will help Manziel prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine and private workouts with NFL teams.
Whitfield has a good track record: He worked with Andrew Luck before the 2012 draft and with Cam Newton before the 2011 draft. Luck was already so polished as a pocket passer in college that Whitfield’s influence probably didn’t do much to change perceptions of him among NFL teams, but Whitfield was credited with helping Newton show he could make all the throws that NFL teams want to see their quarterbacks make. Manziel, like Newton, is a mobile quarterback who hasn’t played in a pro-style offense (although the definition of “pro-style offense” is rapidly changing), and Whitfield may be able to help Manziel demonstrate that he can be a pocket passer if that’s what the team that drafts him wants him to be.
Manziel told Feldman, “I’m ready to become a professional and dedicate myself to making my dream a reality of becoming the best quarterback I can be.” Part of that dedication will be a few months of work with Whitfield.
sheesh the coverage of JFB on espn is already driving me nuts - they are acting like he is already the second coming of all the greatest QB's to ever play rolled up into one.
Arkansas defensive end Chris Smith was willing to make a different call on Manziel's NFL career: "He's going to be really good at the next level." Smith called Manziel "a playmaker, man. There's no two ways about it. A lot of people talk bad about him, but he's got it. He's got eyes in the back of his head."
Auburn defensive end Dee Ford and Vanderbilt safety Kenny Ladler also were effusive in their praise. Ford said Manziel was the "toughest player I ever faced," while Ladler said Manziel "makes plays that normal quarterbacks usually don't make."
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.” --- Bill Shankly
But in two games against LSU, both losses, Manziel was just 45 of 97 (46.4 percent completion rate) for 500 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions. Loston said the Tigers' plan "was to try to keep him in the pocket, make him beat us from the pocket. We did a pretty good job of keeping him bottled up."
* worth noting: Manziel played hurt against LSU this year.
Texas Vike wrote:Good read, thanks for posting it.
Agreed!
* worth noting: Manziel played hurt against LSU this year.
I didn't see either of his games against LSU but the first thing I thought when I read those stats about his performances against them was, "what else was happening?". They kept him bottled up in the pocket but how was their coverage. In other words, was he unable to operate effectively because he was bottled up in the pocket or were his stats against LSU unimpressive because they were doing a great job in coverage, rushing the passer, etc? If a defense plays well enough, they can make any QB look bad. I'm not saying that's what happened, just wondering what actually did happen...
If I remember correctly, LSU has had one of the most talented defenses in college football over the last few years.
Mothman wrote:
Agreed!
I didn't see either of his games against LSU but the first thing I thought when I read those stats about his performances against them was, "what else was happening?". They kept him bottled up in the pocket but how was their coverage. In other words, was he unable to operate effectively because he was bottled up in the pocket or were his stats against LSU unimpressive because they were doing a great job in coverage, rushing the passer, etc? If a defense plays well enough, they can make any QB look bad. I'm not saying that's what happened, just wondering what actually did happen...
If I remember correctly, LSU has had one of the most talented defenses in college football over the last few years.
I can't remember last year's game, but this year they played in very windy and cool conditions (not like he'd have that in the first two years in MPLS, right? ) and he had an injury (shoulder, I think) that had put his starting in doubt. It was an ugly game. LSU looked great on D and JFB looked flustered. I think it was the worst game I have ever seen him play.
NFL.com's Gil Brandt has Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel No. 1 on his draft board.
Brandt is the former VP of player personnel for the Cowboys and known as the Godfather of the draft. His take on Johnny Football: "You are going to get 110 percent out of this guy every day of his life, every play of his life. If you don't have a quarterback, and you want one, I believe this guy has a great chance to be good for a long time. This guy had an inferior team. And he beat Alabama, he beat Oklahoma. He's down 29 to Duke in the last game of his college career, and he's on the sidelines saying, 'There is no way we are going to lose.' This guy's a better version of Fran Tarkenton." ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had Manziel going No. 1 overall to the Texans in his first mock draft. Source: SI.com http://mmqb.si.com/2014/01/27/richard-s ... terback/6/
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.” --- Bill Shankly
Having to throw as many passes as he did, it's also impressive that Manziel throws few, if any, passes that defenders can get their hands on. Of the top five quarterbacks I have evaluated so far (Derek Carr, Blake Bortles, Bridgewater, Zach Mettenberger and Manziel), he has the lowest error/interception rate of any of them. Not only does Manziel have the passing skills to succeed in the NFL, but his ability to lead his team and carry them on his back to comebacks consistently has been incredible.
) and he had an injury (shoulder, I think) that had put his starting in doubt. It was an ugly game. LSU looked great on D and JFB looked flustered. I think it was the worst game I have ever seen him play.