Is Johnny Manziel About To Light The NFL On Fire Or.... Become Tim Tebow?

Is Johnny Manziel about to light the NFL on fire or become Tim Tebow? By Mike Foss  USA Today Sports 2 hours ago (USA TODAY Sports) There are plenty of reasons Johnny Manziel needed to leave college football behind him. Coming off an absolutely astounding Chick-Fil-A Bowl performance, Manziel’s stock will never be higher. He’s won the Heisman, dominated SEC defenses not once but twice. He’s ready and able. This decision was a no-brainer from the word “bro.” However, what happens once Johnny Football goes under center in the NFL? He’s an undersized, one-read quarterback. If ever there was a time that an undersized, one-read quarterback, coming from an unconventional type of offense could be successful in the NFL, it’s now (see: Drew Brees and Russell Wilson). That said, Brees struggled early in his career and Wilson has benefited immensely from the mad genius of Pete Carroll. In 2013, Prediction Machine projected Manziel’s NFL numbers and found that he had the potential to be a serviceable pro quarterback in 2014; completing 57.9% of his attempts for 3,338.6 yards and 22.6 touchdowns against 19.3 interceptions. More than anything, Manziel needs to find a team capable of leveraging his strengths and protecting his weaknesses. A traditional offense like that of the Ravens or more realistically, the Browns, isn’t going to thrive with Manziel calling the plays. However, on a team like the Buccaneers or even the Bengals (who might be looking for a change), the Heisman winner could have a remarkable career. Or, he could be Tim Tebow. (via Reddit) Prediction Machine ran the exact same algorithm with the former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst and the numbers are virtually identical. There was a litany of problems with Tebow’s NFL career which can be pinned on the player. But the Broncos were the only team willing to play to his strengths and Denver gave up when his limitations became too great. The question for Manziel will be whether an NFL team is willing to completely cater their offense to a quarterback as unorthodox he is. My guess is he’s going to have to prove he’s capable of sitting in the pocket more often than not. Manziel may even have to swallow his pride and be someone’s backup for a season or two. Regardless of how he does or where he goes one thing is unmistakably clear. The Johnny Manziel show is coming to the NFL and it’s going to be a blast to watch.NFL Draft Rumors: Tampa Bay Buccaneers may consider Johnny ManzielBy Josh Hill - Jan 8th, 2014 When Johnny Manziel officially entered the NFL Draft on Wednesday morning, it became a scene where you could just insert a teams name and then mention Manziel as a possibility. He’s the type of rock star name that warrants that attention, but only teams in the top 10 need to be serious about their consideration of Manziel. One of those teams is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and they happen to fit to of the prerequisites for seriously considering Manziel — they have a top 10 pick and might need a QB. ESPN NFC South blogger Pete Yasinskas mentions that the possibility of the Buccaneers considering Manziel at No. 7 overall isn’t as crazy as you’d think. The main hangup in the idea has nothing to do with how well Manziel would mesh with the Bucs, it as more to do with whether or not Manziel is on the board when the Bucs go on the clock. Trading up seems like a wild stretch given the need for a quarterback isn’t high, but if he’s on the board, Tampa Bay might be intrigued to bite. What it all boils down to is how Lovie Smith and the Buccaneers feel about Mike Glennon. Drafting Manziel would mean the team would have drafted two quarterbacks in the first three rounds in two years. The value of a quality backup is on the rise in the NFL, but Manziel and Glennon would be in competition, not in a mentoring situation. Tampa Bay will look into Manziel, but how serious they are about him is yet to be determined. http://fansided.com/2014/01/08/nfl-draft-rumors-tampa-bay-buccaneers-draft-johnny-manziel/?utm_source=FanSided&utm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=Around%20the%20Network