New England Patriots meeting with Johnny Manziel
By Joe Romano
The Texas A&M pro day gave NFL teams another look at Johnny Manziel, and the New England Patriots were one of the teams that wanted a closer look.
Heisman trophy winner and former first round draft pick Johnny Manziel is attempting to make a comeback into the NFL. Last week he was the quarterback for San Diego State’s pro day. Scouts from across the league were in attendance. Reports were that Manziel was looking cleaner as a thrower than when he originally declared for the draft.
This week he went back to his old stomping grounds in College Station. Texas A&M had their pro day and Manziel was the one throwing the ball. This time more scouts were in attendance and Manziel was impressive. He impressed enough that a contingency from the New England Patriots met with him before and after the session. According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, the team showed interest.
The Patriots met with Johnny Manziel both before and after his workout today, according to @kguregian.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) March 27, 2018
As Howe points out in a following tweet, the Patriots met with Manziel when he came out of Texas A&M in 2014. The team was obviously intrigued by him then and continue to be so now.
The Patriots have not been afraid of taking risks with players. This is the same team that welcomed the craziness that was Tim Tebow. They also helped rehabilitate the reputation of Randy Moss en route to a 16-0 season.
New England is obviously looking forward to a life without Tom Brady. The MVP will turn 41 next season. His back-up Brian Hoyer is clearly not the long term answer as Brady’s heir. Manziel, still only 25 years old, could show enough to entice the Patriots to take a risk.
His comeback tour is well under way. Manziel has made appearances on podcasts, TV and radio in an effort to change public perception. He is owning up to his mistakes and actions and trying to get back on the field.