Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Discusses Passing on Johnny Manziel in 2014 NFL Draft: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones loves him some Johnny Manziel. Hes made no secret of his admiration. So when the Cowboys let their chance to grab the Heisman-winning quarterback at No. 16 overall in Mays draft go by, many at Radio City Music Hall were shocked. On Sunday, Jones revealed to reporters just how close he was to rocking the football world. The answer: very, very close: I want you to know that almost as I was handing in the card, it was that close to putting that Manziel card in. It was that close. I looked over to my son, Stephen, our chief executive officer, and I said ‘I took the right pick.’ ...He was the top player by three players on our board at the time that we were sitting there looking at him. The Cowboys selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin instead. Manziel would later fall to No. 22, where the Cleveland Browns executed a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to move up and land the former Texas A&M star. He enters Browns training camp in a position battle with veteran Brian Hoyer for the starting quarterback job. Even though Hoyer remains the favorite in Cleveland, there was no question whod be under center in Dallas. Tony Romo is in just the second year of a six-year, $108 million contract. The structure of his contract makes it virtually impossible for the Cowboys to move on until at least the 2016 season—and thats assuming there is no restructuring of the deal. Jones acknowledged that Romos presence was the overarching reason Manziel isnt in Dallas. The 71-year-old oil tycoon said his expectation was that Romo will remain under center for the next several years. That, of course, still did not stop the always-talkative Jones from heaping further praise upon Manziel. “But Manziel is special, Jones said. I know him personally. I know that he is going to be a success in the National Football League, and it was a hard decision. And it is one that I will probably have for the rest of my career think about.” NFL Networks Ross Tucker didnt buy Jones explanation: Early indications are the Cowboys may have made the correct decision regardless of how Martin turns out. Manziel, 21, spent his offseason being tracked across the nation as he enjoyed his moment in national celebrity. He was seen partying in Las Vegas with celebrities and his off-the-field behavior became as much of a storyline as his on-field play. I dont want to wear this subject out, Browns owner Haslam told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Johnny said it himself. He made some mistakes. We expect better from him. Im sure hell perform now. Were anxious to see what he can do on the field, which is what really counts. Manziels first couple days as a professional have not gone as planned, either. Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today pointed out that Hoyer has clearly won their head-to-head battle over the first couple days of camp, writing it wouldnt be close. Hoyer, 28, excelled in a short sample last season before tearing his ACL. If Manziel is unable to beat out Hoyer, itd be difficult to see how hed make much of an impact against Romo. For all of the criticism (some fair, some not) Romo receives, he remains wildly productive taken as a whole. He threw for 3,828 yards and 31 touchdowns against 10 interceptions last season. It was his eighth straight season compiling a quarterback rating over 80. It was also, unfortunately, his fourth straight season failing to lead the Cowboys to the playoffs. While Romo is far from the top of the blame list, it will be interesting to see how Jones decision plays out over the long term. If hes as successful as Jones thinks, Cowboys fans may have a Randy Moss situation for a new generation. For now, though, it looks like the team made the prudent decision. Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter. Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #NFL #JerryJones #Opinion #JohnnyManziel
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 13:32:40 +0000
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