Not being a moron, I can't give up on Johnny Hollywood after one game. Also, because he is so raw, I'm pretty sure he won't get a whole lot better anytime soon.
Mike, Kyle, and Ray will hope to measure improvement on a micro, play-by-play scale in these last two games. Much of what they'll have to base their decision on heading into the next draft will depend on educated guesswork and projection.
Kyle Shanahan, like his head coach, isn't a politician, and I don't believe he's lying in what he says about Johnny. The coaches don't secretly hate him. There isn't a power-struggle with the owner. Jimmy Haslam isn't Jerry Jones. Nobody will get voted off the island. No conspiracies, plots, or drama.
Too many fans and several writers watch entirely too much "reality" tv.
I have no idea what will happen with Manziel, but it does feel like he'll either emerge as an elite quarterback or a complete bust. The former won't happen this season.
But these last two games for Johnny serve another purpose: They're an audition.
As Mary Kay Cabot reports, all options are open, and reports that they really like Marcus Mariotta are credible.
Remember, the Browns only drafted Manziel after he had dropped to the lower third of the first round. They really weren't in love with the guy, but simply saw a sale price on him at that point.
A lot of people can't separate a low first rounder from a first overall pick. They seem to think that if you draft a guy anywhere in the first round, they're completely sold on him, no matter what.
It was a calculated risk at the most important position in football.
It's credible that Ray Farmer wanted Marcus Mariotta last season, and MKC rightly assumes that he still does. Marcus has all of Johnny's assets with none of his liabilities. He's much taller, and has proven that he can operate out of the pocket and from under center.
He opted out of last season's draft, and now, with an additional year under his belt, is ready to compete for a starting job in game one.
But there's also a good chance that he will go first overall, and he's a lock for the top 3-5 picks.
Mary Kay is also right about the price tag for the Browns: Both their first rounders this draft, plus next year's first round pick too---if a deal can even be worked out.
Listen: Even if Johnny shows real promise heading into this offseason, Ray Farmer will still be looking into this. Mariotta shows that much promise.
Jerry Jones likes his current quarterback fine, but Romo is old and injured, and can't keep going forever. He did like Johnny, and I do believe that his son had to pry the card out of his hand during this last draft.
If Johnny totally sucks in these last two games, we can probably forget about this. Contrary to popular belief, Jerry Jones is not incapable of revising his opinions, and winning games is as important to him as selling tickets.
But if he does look promising to the Browns going into this offseason, he will also look good to Jerry and the Cowboys.
Think about it: He'll now have three starts under his belt. He's from Texas. Romo might well have another year left in him, so the kid won't have to start immediately, and can be groomed by Jason Garrett.
The Cowboys will draft in the bottom five, most likely, and they might cough up that pick for Johnny.
Any such deal wouldn't happen, probably, until the draft itself. The Browns wouldn't make that deal without having locked up Mariotta already. But that pick could be part of the deal.
Unlike two seasons ago in the RGIII bidding war, the Browns have a lot of young talent. Coughing up all those picks for RG would have been stupid given the talent that Browns' team had to surround him with.
NOW, that deal makes sense.
There are other quarterbacks in this draft, even if the Browns stick with Johnny. At this point, Brett Hundley has a second round grade on him, for example.
In that scenario, Johnny would be the presumptive starter, but the Browns would have some insurance. Sticking with Hundley, he could have gone in the lower first or high second round last season had he opted in.
Apparently (I haven't looked into it), Hundley's senior season was less than spectacular, as he's being rated from third to fifth among the quarterbacks.
I wish I knew more, but can tell you this: Things can change fast in college, as whole classes graduate and a quarterback loses his best recievers and linemen. If not Hundley, there still could be good prospect available even should the Browns stand pat with Johnny.
BOTH of their first round picks will be higher than the slot at which they drafted Johnny. They might not get Mariota, but they could still land some quarterback with real promise.
You could say that all this is premature, but it's not. Regardless of how Manziel plays in these last two games, Ray will still like Mariotta better, and will still be looking to spend a high pick on a quarterback.
As for this game, I'm afraid I've got to agree with Pluto. I think they'll lose.
I repeat that Manziel himself was only about 20% responsible for last week's loss, because damn near everybody lost their lunch money.
And give the Bengals some credit. They were the better team. They earned it.
If the rest of the team gets their head out and Johnny plays a little better, they can definitely win, but it just doesn't feel that way, does it?
Oh well. Go Johnny go.
...ok wait a minute: Mike Trivisano just told me Johnny sucks. He and Brian Brennan say we had a bad draft.
Well, Gilbert is coming around. Desir was a bargain. Kirksey? Taylor Gabriel was undrafted. So was Crowell. So was K'Waun Williams. Terrence West was a third rounder, and now you're bashing Ray Farmer?
Oh, give me a freaking break. The sad thing is, Mike Blowhard could luck out and be right about Manziel. Blind Squirrel. Stopped clock. That would suck.
But these guys are saying "bad draft", obviously, based on Johnny, period. Assuming facts not in evidence.
Brennan is extremely smart, but would have got rid of Gordon. I don't get it. He did what he did...didn't he? He's already proven himself.
Ah, well. I really hope Manziel does better. Triv can't be validated. Go Johnny.
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