As the bizarre Manti Te'o dead girlfriend hoax raises many questions, one may ask how the incident will impact the Notre Dame linebacker's draft stock.
Though it was already mentioned how it could impact Te'o financially, some NFL experts believe that it's too early to tell how this unique situation will affect his future.
Former Washington Redskins and Houston Texans general manager Charley Casserly and NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock both agree that NFL teams will do as much as they can to investigate the matter leading up to the draft, which is still three months away. Teams will get a chance to interview Te'o at the NFL combine late next month, and during pre-draft visits.
"Until you get him in the room and question him, it's just one more thing to ask about right now," Casserly said in a phone interview. "Teams will put everything in writing, gathering everything they can that's on the Internet, investigate it on their own, and really, it's the same thing as a lawyer gathering information, the way you walk through it. And you want to know the answers to as many questions as possible before you ask him."
Te'o hasn't come out publicly to speak about the story, but he has issued a statement, in which he suggests that he was the victim of a "cruel hoax."
Though many may question the validity of the claim, Casserly is expecting the truth to be revealed before draft day.
"If it's as simply as he says, that he was duped into it, and it can't be disproved, then you move on from it," he said. "It doesn't pass the rule of common sense right now, but the truth will be out before the draft. You can't get too caught up in the moment right now. For now, it's just another thing to question him on. Teams will get him in the room, interview him on it, and then move on from there."
Related Articles:
What is Catfishing? Manti Te'o's Dead Girlfriend Hoax Exposes Online Scam
Manti Te'o Had Real Girlfriend And Dead Hoax One Says TMZ, Alexandra del Pilar Dated Notre Dame LB (PHOTOS)
