The Cleveland Browns stole the show during the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft after they traded up to take 2012 Heisman Trophy winner and former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel with their second of two picks in the first round.
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Time will tell if the move was a beneficial one for the Browns who have been in a permanent state of rebuilding in regard to on-the-field production, but the move is already paying immediate dividends as the Browns have sold more than 1,500 season ticket orders and have seen an influx of merchandise sales.
South Bound & Down
The “Manziel-effect” was cited as a reason why the Jacksonville Jaguars and Browns could take the high-profile Manziel with the third or fourth pick, respectively as teams would be able to sell his No. 2 jersey, fill the stadium and generate word of mouth for each downtrodden franchise.
Typically, merchandise sales are limited to a team’s region unless you’re a team with a national presence like the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers or Washington Redskins, among others. However, with Manziel on the roster, the Browns are making inroads into stores in Manziel’s native Texas.
Manziel stands to make more money during his NFL career as a pitchman much like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods have in their careers, of course it remains to be seen if he can have a shred of the success each of those icons have had in their sports.
However, this much is clear, Manziel has fans everywhere and you can expect to see his No. 2 jersey from Texas to Cleveland and everywhere in between.