While the draft stock of players like Blake Bortles and Derek Carr continue to rise, Johnny Manziel is making sure everyone views him as the No. 1 option in the upcoming NFL Draft. The former Texas A&M star is speaking out over his potential as a franchise quarterback in hopes that teams are listening. According to Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, he hears Manziel loud and clear.
Manziel is hoping to remain in Texas and play for Houston who is in the market for a young quarterback. According to Manziel, if the Texans do not draft him No. 1 overall, it would be a big mistake on their part and he would likely return with a huge chip on his shoulder.
"I want everybody from the janitor at Reliant Stadium to the front office executive assistant all the way up to [owner] Bob McNair to say, 'This kid is 100 percent, can't miss. This is who we want being the face of our program. We want the Texas kid staying in Texas and leading the Texans,'" Manziel said, via ESPN.com "It would be the worst decision they've ever made. I'd be in the same division playing against them twice a year. Sorry, but you just turned that chip on my shoulder from a Frito into a Dorito."
While Manziel may want to remain in Texas, the Cleveland Browns want to bring him to Ohio. The team appeared to be the favorites to land a trade for Kirk Cousins, but the Washington Post is reporting that might no longer be any option as the team appears content on keeping the backup in case Robert Griffin III gets injured again. With Cousins off the market, Haslam is ready to make any deal necessary to get Manziel in the draft.
"He's a good football player. That's what Kyle (Shanahan) recognizes, that guys that are exciting to watch and can play football, that's positive," Haslam said, via Cleveland.com. "The really good ones are easy to spot. The guys that jump off the tape, those are the fun ones and those are the days that you sit in the film room and wish you could watch two more games."
Manziel predicts that if the Houston Texans do not draft him then the Jacksonville Jaguars will take him instead. If the Cleveland Browns have any say in the matter, Manziel will be moving up North. The quarterback will not be throwing at the NFL Combine, but will instead host his own personal Pro Day prior to the draft. Every team in the NFL is expected to attend.
