Early Prediction: Johnny Manziel

Craig Lyndall said this:I think they’ll still need a quarterback other than Johnny Manziel and it would be so Brownsish for him to play just well enough to make them second guess it.

This seems to be the predominant view of Johnny Manziel.  Craig could be right, but I lean the other way.

Time to mention Roger Staubach again: Before Johnny did anything at all this season, Roger said he could do everything Russell Wilson does.  Several other real experts (notably former quarterbacks) have made similar statements, mentioning Drew Brees as well.

Staubach himself is notable.  He was a vertically-challenged scrambler himself.

Russell Wilson started for four years in college, including his last two in a pro-style system with a thick playbook.

Manziel (sorry to restate this for about the 20th time--but I seem to be the only non-ex-quarterback who knows it so far) ran a wild and crazy playground offense with no playbook to speak of.

Aside from his height (btw he's taller than Wilson) and partying, the one legitimate concern about Manziel was his mental hardware.

Many quarterbacks like him fail because no matter how hard they study or practice, they can't read through progressions under fire.

Johnny never had to in college; not as quickly as a pro does, especially in a West Coast-based system.  His Texas A&M  offense was built around his scrambles and ability to throw accurately on the run.

You can read back in my blogs here, all the way to that draft.  I was never a Johnnybot.  I was close to throwing the towel in on him myself, until he went to rehab.

But now, he has proven that his mental hardware is NFL-ready.  With a few stumbles and missed opportunities such as any inexperienced quarterback can be relied on to make, he's been doing it all season.

It's a new skill for him.  It's not natural for him, and is contrary to his scrambling instincts.

That's why he has to keep doing it in live games for the rest of this season.

But you see, I've seen that, along with those natural instincts that let him turn disaster into touchdowns, he can make the right calls at the line, and the right reads from the pocket.

Why hasn't Craig seen this?  Why can't Tony Grossi?  Why is the standard for this second year, first-time starter so much higher than for any other quarterback?

How good can he become?  I don't know.  But obviously, he's already shown that he can be a top ten quarterback, and very soon.

Faith throws?  Pat Kirwan really doesn't like Johnny, no matter what.  He said he'd cut a quarterback who said that.

That stunned me, since Pat knows perfectly well that any timing offense requires a quarterback to throw to designated spots at designated times, whether he can see the receiver or not.

The very fact that Johnny is making them is a sign of progress, since many young quarterbacks will stubbornly refuse to make those throws until they can see the receiver, which screws up the whole offense and makes them eat the ball.

Maybe Craig listens to Pat.

I will say right here and now: If he doesn't get hurt, Johnny Manziel will develop into another Russell Wilson, if not a Drew Brees.  

And I'm in good company.

Late addition: Read this article from the Bleacher Report.  Excellent.