Browns’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan: Johnny Manziel and RGIII are ‘very similar’
By Jack Crosby
Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is no stranger to dealing with a high-profile, Heisman-winning, first-round draft pick at quarterback. Back in 2012, he was instrumental in putting together a scheme for Robert Griffin III while with the Washington Redskins that won the team an NFC East title and made Griffin look like a star.
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This season, Shanahan will have to go through that process once again–well, that is if Johnny Manziel does indeed earn the starting quarterback job over the summer.
But it’ll be a little different this time around because Manziel and Griffin are vastly different from one another, right?
Well Shanahan doesn’t seem to think so as he stated that the two are actually more alike than we may think.
“Johnny and Robert are very similar,” Shanahan told USA TODAY Sports. “They’re both talented guys who can make plays with their legs. But there comes a time in the NFL when they’re going to keep you in the pocket, and you’re going to have to have that ability to make the throws with your arm and mind. And Johnny, just like Robert, has that arm talent and intelligence to do that.”
Of course, the part about making plays with their legs part is correct, but in reality, Griffin is a bit more talented when it comes to throwing the ball down field, much more polished when he was coming out of Baylor than Manziel is now.
But, if Manziel can prove similar to Griffin in first-year success under Shanahan, that’s all that matters in the end.