3/29/2022»»Tuesday
Johnny Manziel Gambling
3/29/2022
Johnny Manziel says he’s turned his life around and wants to get back into football.
By Guest Author in Sports & Betting on January 20, 2017 Johnny Manziel is a thing again, as the former Cleveland Browns draft bust has gone out of his way to let everyone know he wants back in on the NFL. The best gambling news source! Subscribe to get weekly updates. Continents North America.
But who will give him a chance? It doesn’t appear that anyone in the NFL is willing to. Despite the severe shortage of quality quarterbacks in the league these days, teams would rather coaxlackadaisical QBs like Jay Cutler out of retirement and keep giving Manziel the same 10-foot-pole treatment as Colin Kaepernick.
Manziel does have another option, even though it would require an amount of pride-swallowing that many aren’t sure that Johnny Football is even capable of. The Canadian Football League has longbeen a refuge for former NCAA stars who couldn’t quite hack it in the NFL, and the Manziel-to-the-CFL rumors picked up with high-intensity last week. First came news that the Hamilton Tiger-Catsgave Manziel a 2-day workout in nearby Buffalo, and then Manziel tightened the screws on Hamilton by telling the Ticats he wanted a contract offer.
The Ticats have passed on offering a deal to the former Texas A&M superstar – for now. But how long will it be until we see Manziel flashing the money sign once again, and whose jersey willhe be wearing when he does it?
Let’s take a look at the 3 most likely CFL destinations for Manziel.
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Johnny Manziel is a thing again, as the former Cleveland Browns draft bust has gone out of his way to let everyone know he wants back in on the NFL. The star Texas A&M product flamed out of the league after two party-ridden seasons and also has been dealing with legal issues stemming from an alleged physical altercation with his ex-girlfriend.
The past year hasn’t been kind to the man formerly known as “Johnny Football”, and he’s in full agreement. For his part, Manziel claims he was less than becoming in 2016 and was “wasting” his talents in a sea of partying. As Manziel put it, he was “lost in the sauce” and with drinking and drugs behind him, he’s finally putting his personal (and professional) life at the forefront:
Johnny Manziel tells me he has achieved sobriety without professional assistance, needs to maintain and wants to play #NFL. (1/3)
— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) January 20, 2017
This could all mean nothing and Johnny Manziel could be saying whatever he feels is necessary to get himself back into the good graces of the NFL.
But for what it’s worth, it doesn’t sound like he’s playing around this time. The 24-year old Manziel just might be serious about ditching his partying ways and focusing on turning his life (and NFL career) around.
In messages to ESPN reporter Ed Werder, Manziel was fairly candid, suggesting he didn’t like who he had become and that he grew tired of his lifestyle.
If that’s truly the case, we might finally get to see Manziel’s full potential in the NFL. While he was erratic in his two seasons, he still was an interesting talent coming out of college and flashed big play ability in his second season as a pro.
Manziel may have still burned his NFL bridges, but if it’s not too late, the right team could unveil a gem and possibly one of the greatest NFL stories ever. Manziel is probably a long ways from that, but with a dire need of quality quarterback play in pro football, the NFL would be wise to at least see what he can do.
If he gets another chance, it just might be with one of these five teams:
New York Jets
The Jets are in a bad spot. And yes, it’s bad enough to seriously wonder if Johnny Manziel can help them. Ryan Fitzpatrick was a free agency bust, Geno Smith is on his way out and Bryce Petty didn’t show anything special. Rookie quarterback Christian Hackenberg that the Jets refused to let him take the field.
New York has no idea what to do at quarterback, so they should at least give themselves as many outs as possible. Manziel could be part of that process.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are another team that will be starting over under center, as Tyrod Taylor may not have done enough to have the Bills pick up his 2017 salary. With Taylor likely hitting free agency, the Bills could suddenly find themselves with just E.J. Manuel or Cardale Jones at quarterback.
None of that sounds good, so beyond rolling into 2017 with just those two guys, Buffalo may want to give another talented dual threat passer a chance. Manziel has his critics, but it sure is difficult to see him being a whole lot worse than Manuel or Jones.
Washington Redskins
Johnny Manziel Casino Photo
The Redskins could be a great spot, as Manziel could thrive under Jay Gruden’s scheme in the event Kirk Cousins prices himself out of D.C. The Redskins failed to commit to him last year and two things could happen now: they decide again they don’t want to hand him a long-term deal, or someone else does it first.
It’s quite likely the Redskins fully buy into Captain Kirk, but if they don’t, they could think long and hard about adding Johnny Football to the equation.
Houston Texans
Houston had the opportunity to take Johnny Manziel with the #1 pick three years ago, and wisely opted against that notion. However, three years later, Manziel may finally be understanding what it is to be a pro and have his priorities in order.
If he’s a different person and ready to work to be the best quarterback he can be, what do the Texans have to lose? Considering this is a franchise that already swung and missed on Brock Osweiler and has no other viable option, he could be worth the risk.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos could be a very interesting spot, as star linebacker Von Miller is a friend of Manziel’s’ and could end up putting in a good word for him. More importantly, of course, is the fact that neither Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch looked like the answer during the 2016 season.
On top of that, Manziel and the Broncos had some talks brewing over the summer.
Manziel isn’t a lock to be the answer either, but Miller’s connection and John Elway’s desire to turn this team back into a title contender could spark a non conventional approach. Perhaps Elway sees a little bit of himself in Manziel, too.
Chicago Bears
Chicago is another obvious Johnny Manziel landing spot, as Jay Cutler may have played his last down with the Bears and the team can’t feel overly confident riding Brian Hoyer or Matt Barkley as their starters. Cutler will likely either be cut or traded and going into 2017 with shaky quarterback play will only equate to yet another losing season for the Bears.
Adding Johnny Manziel to the Bears doesn’t necessarily fix that issue, but it could. Manziel offers more upside than Hoyer ever can and probably has a safer floor than Barkley. Bringing in the talented former Aggie to at least compete wouldn’t be the worst idea.
San Francisco 49ers
Another realistic option could be the Niners, who can’t possibly want to march toward the future with either Colin Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert as their starter under center. Manziel would be entering with a new regime and if the recent rumors are correct, that could include former offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan.
It’s possible Shanahan would want nothing to do with Manziel, but he also knows him and could look at him as a better option than what the 49ers currently have. Until the Niners say no, we have to hang our hat on that connection and the fact that they certainly have problems at the position.
Where Will Johnny Manziel Play in 2017?
It’s still possible Johnny Manziel doesn’t play anywhere next year. He still has a potentially pending league suspension due to his part in a domestic violence situation and it wouldn’t be totally shocking if all 32 teams decided to turn away and forget him for good.
In fact, what’s more likely than anything else is Johnny Football making his comeback via the CFL or the Arena Football League. He might be above that, but if he’s serious about returning to the NFL, that may be the path he’s forced to take to prove his dedication and ability again.
While that’s probably what Johnny Manziel faces going into the rest of 2017, we do like these spots as realistic options for him if he wants a crack at a starting gig. Of course, there is always the possibility to takes it easy in his return and simply picks a good organization to slowly ease back into the league. The Patriots, Packers, Chiefs, Saints and Cardinals all make sense if he takes that route.
That’s probably the path Manziel is headed down if he does get back into the league, and honestly, it’s probably ideal so he can remain focused and really have time to improve as a person and player. New England and Green Bay might be the best spots for that to happen and the Pats might make the most sense.
For one, Tom Brady is 39 years old and no one can know when the wheels will fall off. Secondly, top backup Jimmy Garoppolo proved his worth and now is too good to just let walk once he’s a free agent in 2018. With a Jimmy Garoppolo trade in the future, the Pats would be wise to pick up another talented passer to groom behind the aging Brady.
Lastly, Bill Belichick is known for taking on reclamation projects and kicking the tires to see if ex-stars can still add value to his team. Belichick could see Manziel as his future starter, a trade chip down the road or he could even look to switch his position like he did with Julian Edelman.
Johnny Manziel Casino
Whatever the case, few can maximize talent like Belichick and the Pats. If Manziel is going to dip his toe back into the league, they’re the one team we think can both handle it and would welcome it.