Johnny Manziel - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Smith, Manziel, Rams

April 14th, 2018 at 12:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

Former Raiders and 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith is “being transferred to an inpatient substance abuse treatment center as he awaits his next court date” (via ESPN.com). Smith was arrested last week after violating the conditions of his monitoring. The “order for Smith to remain in custody in rehab” is indefinite, according to a spokesman for the San Francisco district attorney’s office. Last month, Smith pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges following a March incident. The Raiders still released the trouble defender soon after the initial arrest.
The CFL could provide quarterback Johnny Manziel with a path back to the NFL, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that the transition wouldn’t be immediate. A source told the reporter that the CFL won’t “soften” the rule that requires a two-year commitment from their players, meaning if Manziel joined the league, he wouldn’t be able to sign with an NFL team until at least 2020. Florio writes that the quarterback could shift his focus to the Alliance of American Football, a spring league that is set to launch in 2019.
In an interview with TheRams.com, recently-acquired cornerback Aqib Talib explained why he wanted to be traded to the Rams. “Well, I’m in the later half of my career and I just wanted to be comfortable,” Talib said. “Wherever I went, I wanted to be comfortable and there was no time in the NFL where I was more comfortable playing football than with Wade Phillips. He’s like a guru at putting guys in position to succeed. So if I was going to go somewhere I wanted to be comfortable and I’m definitely comfortable here in L.A.”
The Rams are already working on a new deal with Aaron Donald, and general manager Les Snead acknowledged that the defensive tackle will ultimately make more than new teammate Ndamukong Suh. “The nice thing about Ndamukong,” Snead said during an appearance on The MMQB Podcast with Peter King (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com), “at age 31 and somebody who’s been the highest-paid defensive player in football, winning was very important in this phase of his career…He’s well aware that when you can partner, be beside someone who is on the verge of being the highest-paid defensive player in football, then that’s a really good thing. I guess you’d say two is better than one.”

Extra Points: Manziel, Saints, Broncos, Webster

April 7th, 2018 at 9:11pm CST by Micah Powell

Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel kicked off his comeback efforts today in Texas, playing two quarters in the Spring League. NFL teams took notice, with at least eight teams sending representatives, according to Yahoo’s Charles Robinson (Twitter link).

Robinson also noted that at least 17 NFL teams have caught a glimpse of Manziel this week as he ramped up activities. Though it is a long way from the NFL, the appearance marked Manziel’s first on a professional field since December 2015.

Manziel’s overall goal, of course, is to land an NFL contract and he is reportedly willing to accept a practice squad deal with no guaranteed money to prove that he belongs in the league. If he can not catch on with a team, the Heisman Trophy winner has not ruled out a move to the CFL.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

After the trade of Aqib Talib, the Broncos could use a little depth at the cornerback spot. According to Denver 7 ABC’s Troy Renck, former Denver defensive back Kayvon Webster be interested in returning to the team (Twitter link). Renck notes the Broncos are more likely to see what their options are in the draft before bringing back Webster, who played four seasons in Denver before spending time with the Rams in 2017.
The Lions have an opening at tight end after the departure of Eric Ebron to the Colts. The team thinks 2017 rookie Michael Roberts could fill that role, Tim Twentyman of detroitlions.com writes. Roberts only caught four passes during his first season in the league, but the fourth-round pick does offer intriguing upside. As a senior at Toledo, he hauled in a whopping 16 touchdowns.
In February, Michigan defensive tackle and potential first-round pick Maurice Hurst was not allowed to participate in the NFL Combine after doctors discovered a heart condition. He was not later needed for a medical recheck, a common practice in the NFL, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. A recheck is only needed when further imaging or examination is deemed necessary.

Latest On Johnny Manziel

April 6th, 2018 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

A look at Johnny Manziel as he gets set to make his Spring League debut:

Manziel is scheduled to play roughly half of his team’s offensive snaps on Saturday coach Terry Shea tells ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. That’s going to be standard procedure for the league, which has eight quarterbacks spread out among its four teams. Manziel will play the first and third quarters for the South team on Saturday, while Cody Keith, who played at East Carolina and in the CFL, will handle the second and fourth quarters. Besides Manziel, former Titan Zach Mettenberger is the most notable quarterback in The Spring League.
Recent comments by Manziel regarding his time with the Browns drew some criticism. “If Cleveland did any of their homework they would have known I wasn’t a guy who came in every day and watched film,” Manziel on The Dan Patrick Show (Twitter link). “I wasn’t a guy who really knew the X’s and O’s of football.”
Those comments won’t hurt Manziel’s bid to return to the NFL, in the opinion of Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Garafolo doesn’t believe that the former first-round pick was was trying to make excuses or shift blame, so it likely won’t be a strike against him with coaches. Manziel is reportedly willing to accept a practice squad deal with no money guaranteed if necessary, so it sounds like he has humbled himself and is willing to put in the work this time around.

Johnny Manziel Remains Open To CFL

March 27th, 2018 at 11:13am CST by Zachary Links

Johnny Manziel‘s is doing everything he can to prove he belongs another shot in the NFL. But, failing that, he says he’ll play in the CFL this year (Twitter link via Drew Davison of the Star Telegram).

Manziel participated in Texas A&M’s pro day on Tuesday and threw passes at the University of San Diego last Thursday. The word from USD was that Manziel looked sharp, despite less-than-perfect weather. The former first round pick will have to do more than audition well on the field, of course, given his off-the-field question marks.

There were 13 teams on hand at USD, but every NFL team is represented at the Aggies’ pro day thanks to the size of their program and their number of high-end prospects, including wide receiver Christian Kirk.

Manziel is willing to sign a practice squad deal with zero guaranteed money if that’s what it takes to get back into the NFL, but failing that, it sounds like he’ll be north of the border after his Spring League stint.

Johnny Manziel To Throw At Texas A&M Pro Day

March 26th, 2018 at 2:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel will throw at Texas A&M’s pro day on Tuesday, according to Bruce Feldman of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link).

Manziel worked out at the University of San Diego’s pro day last week, but only 13 teams were in attendance. Texas A&M obviously has a much larger profile than USD, especially in terms of football, and all 32 NFL clubs will be on hand to watch Manziel and the rest of the Aggie prospects.

Manziel was thought to be interested in working out a deal to play in the Canadian Football League during the 2018 campaign, and was in fact offered a contract by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in January. However, Manziel and his team reportedly weren’t pleased with the terms of the pact, and he’s now scheduled to play in the upcoming Spring League. The former first-round pick is reportedly amenable to a minimum salary or a practice squad slot.

Although Manziel is still only 25 years old, he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former Heisman trophy winner completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

13 Teams Watched Johnny Manziel At USD Pro Day

March 22nd, 2018 at 6:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel threw passes at Thursday’s University of San Diego pro day, and 14 NFL clubs were on hand to watch him perform, reports Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The Bears, Browns, Chargers, Giants, Chiefs, Jets, Patriots, Raiders, Titans, Lions, Jaguars, Panthers and Buccaneers, were all present at today’s workout, per Williams. Of course, those clubs weren’t necessarily in town just to see Manziel, as USD had its own prospects on the field.

Manziel was thought to be interested in working out a deal to play in the Canadian Football League during the 2018 campaign, and was in fact offered a contract by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in January. However, Manziel and his team reportedly weren’t pleased with the terms of the pact, and he’s now scheduled to play in the upcoming Spring League. The former first-round pick is reportedly amenable to a minimum salary or a practice squad slot.

Manziel is still only 25 years old, but he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former Heisman trophy winner completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Johnny Manziel Works Out For NFL Teams

March 22nd, 2018 at 12:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Johnny Manziel showed his stuff in a Thursday morning audition at the University of San Diego, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). There were a dozen NFL teams in attendance and multiple people on hand tell Schefter that Manziel looked solid, despite some light rain.

Manziel is set to participate in the Spring League, which begins on April 7. His overall goal, of course, is to land an NFL contract and he is reportedly willing to accept a practice squad deal with no guaranteed money to prove that he belongs in the league.

The former Browns quarterback and Texas A&M star says that he has his substance abuse problems under control and claims that he has now rededicated himself to football. He has not played in the NFL since the 2015 season, so he has a lot to prove.

In eight career starts for Cleveland, Manziel completed just 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards with a 1:1 touchdown/interception ratio.

Latest On 2018 Spring League

March 20th, 2018 at 9:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 2018 Spring League is scheduled to get underway next week, with practices starting next Wednesday and games beginning on April 7. Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is the most high-profile former NFL player involved in the endeavor, but other NFL notables are also participating, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Running backs Ben Tate and Lorenzo Taliaferro, receiver Stephen Hill, defensive lineman Alameda Ta’amu, and defensive back Al Louis-Jean are among the ex-NFLers who will take part in the Spring League, per Florio. Meanwhile, former NFL defensive backs coach/Rex Ryan disciple Donnie Henderson will lead the league’s East team.

The Spring League is a developmental effort comprised of four teams which involves four games in April. The league began in 2017, and notable ex-NFLers such as Greg Hardy, Kellen Winslow, and Ahmad Bradshaw were among the participants.

Latest On Johnny Manziel

February 28th, 2018 at 2:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Johnny Manziel is getting ready to suit up in the Spring League, but his focus remains on an NFL comeback. With that in mind, Manziel’s camp has informed teams that he is willing to sign a minimum salary deal with no guaranteed money and would even be willing to accept a practice squad contract in order to prove that he belongs in the league (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com).

Garafolo seems optimistic about Manziel’s chances of landing a practice squad deal, but it stands to reason that many teams will be against giving Manziel another opportunity given his history of substance abuse and partying. For what it’s worth, Manziel says that he has worked on his issues and has re-dedicated himself to football.

“I was self medicating with alcohol because that’s what I thought was making me happy to help me get out of that depression to a point where I felt like I had some sense of happiness,” Manziel said recently. “But at the end of the day, when you wake up the next day after a night like that or after going on a trip like that, and you wake up the next day and that’s all gone.”

Manziel, 25, has not played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. Although he showed flashes of impressive play, his stat line of seven touchdowns against seven picks with a 57% completion rate leaves much to be desired.

Johnny Manziel To Play In Spring League

February 14th, 2018 at 9:29am CST by Dallas Robinson

Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has agreed to play in the 2018 Spring League, the league announced today. Games will get underway in Austin in mid-April.

Manziel was thought to be interested in working out a deal to play in the Canadian Football League during the 2018 campaign, and was in fact offered a contract by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in January. However, Manziel and his team reportedly weren’t pleased with the terms of the pact, and set a January 31 deadline to ink a new deal. That date has since passed, but the Tiger-Cats were still willing to pursue an agreement with the former first-round pick.

Earlier this week, Manziel appeared on Good Morning America and detailed his struggles with addiction and bipolar disorder. “I was self medicating with alcohol because that’s what I thought was making me happy to help me get out of that depression to a point where I felt like I had some sense of happiness,” Manziel said. “But at the end of the day, when you wake up the next day after a night like that or after going on a trip like that, and you wake up the next day and that’s all gone.”

Manziel is still only 25 years old, but he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former Heisman trophy winner completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

The Spring League is a developmental effort comprised of four teams which involves four games in April. The league began in 2017, and notable ex-NFLers such as Greg Hardy, Kellen Winslow, and Ahmad Bradshaw were among the participants.