Troy Aikman, Drew Brees are high on Johnny Manziel’s NFL future
By Mike Dyce
There has been a lot of debate about whether Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel will be able to succeed at the NFL level like he has in college. One of the criticisms is that his improvisation won’t be as successful in the league. Two NFL quarterbacks, one Hall of Famer and one headed to the Hall of Fame, think Manziel will have an excellent career in the NFL.
“I got a chance to see his game against Alabama from start to finish, and I was really impressed with a lot of the throws he made,” former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman told Sporting News. “There’s no doubt in my mind that with his playmaking ability, he was doing it last year as a freshman against good competition, I would anticipate that he will go relatively high, whether he will be a first-round pick I don’t know, but I think he’ll be successful when he gets his opportunity.”
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees agreed.
“He is a heckuva player,” Brees told FOX Sports. “He’s fun to watch. He makes all kinds of plays. He’s got all the playmaking ability to be a great player. [There are] guys like [Manziel] in this league. Russell Wilson and his ability to run the football and extend plays outside the pocket and throw the ball down the field. . . . There’s way too much weight put into physical stature as opposed to can you find the open guy. Can you deliver it accurately? Can you make plays? Can you lead your team to victory? Can you lead them? Period.”