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Bernie Bytes: The Rams and Manziel mania
• Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_c2ee27d2-b979-5bb2-b3db-b304113d4725.html
It's been fun to watch all the hullabaloo over the Rams and Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
If you follow the Rams you've probably been keeping up with the circus.
You may recall that former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah (now of NFL.com) has been busy telling anybody who asked that the Rams are ga-ga over Manziel -- something that has NFL general managers and personnel bosses buzzing.
Well, at least a little, anyway. Buzzing from the standpoint that there's a lot of noise out there, and this is the time of the year when you have to filter and/or throw out about 97 percent of what NFL team sources are whispering.
More buzzworthy material came over the transom on Monday.
I'll provide some links as we review it all.
Let's go:
* Peter King of SI.com and NBC believes the Rams are genuinely fond of Manziel. King doesn't rule out STL taking the flamboyant QB if he lasts until the 13th overall pick.
"More mystery about 13," King wrote. "The Rams really like Johnny Manziel, and if he were there at 13 (which is unlikely), they would consider picking him. His workout for the Rams on Friday in Texas, with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer running the show, was impressive, as was the 80-minute post-workout session in the meeting room with Schottenheimer and coach Jeff Fisher, among others. One other piece of knowledge I got confirmed Sunday: Rams GM Les Snead recently went to Texas Tech and met at length with coach Kliff Kingsbury—Manziel’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at A&M in 2012—and came away thinking Manziel could adjust to life well as an NFL passer. Does that mean the Rams will take Manziel if he’s there at 13? I am still dubious. But I can tell you the Rams like him a lot."
* Jason LaConfora of CBS Sports raised the ante on King by suggesting that the Rams and the Minnesota Vikings may be discussing a deal that would send QB Sam Bradford to the Twin Cities. Oh, my. Just the thought of this must have Bradford haters giddily performing forward rolls, putting party hats on, guzzling Absinthe, and wildly embracing each other as if The Rapture is nigh.
* That report is the opposite of what fellow CBS Sports football writer Pete Prisco said about the Rams and Bradford: "There is a sentiment around the league that the Rams are ready to give up on quarterback Sam Bradford. After spending time in St. Louis, and talking with general manager Les Snead, that is far from reality. The Rams think a healthy Bradford, with help, is plenty good enough to get them deep into the playoffs -- and maybe more. The Rams might take a passer at some point in the draft, but Bradford is their guy for now. And he should be. He was playing well before he got hurt last season. It's just dumb to think he should be cast aside."
* With another hat tip to our friends at the Turf Show Times, respected NFL Films producer and analyst Greg Cosell now believes that Manziel will go to the Rams on the 2nd overall pick. Cosell made the comments Monday on a Houston radio station.
* Here's a general roundup on Manziel mania from SB Nation.
* Should we buy into the Rams/Manziel rumors? Yes, according to longtime Sporting News football guy Vinnie Iyer.
"As much as the Rams have thrown public support behind Sam Bradford as their starting quarterback, it's getting harder to ignore what Manziel can do for them," Iyer wrote. "More so than having (Jake) Matthews block for Bradford or either (Dwight) Evans or Sammy Watkins make big catches for Bradford's, Manziel is their fastest ticket to what they've been missing for a while: a dynamic, creative offense worthy of putting on a greater turf show."
* Here's a vote for Manziel to the Rams at No. 2 overall from Frank Schwab of the "Shutdown Corner" blog at Yahoo Sports.
"What if Bradford is just average again and you passed on Manziel, a potential franchise quarterback you like? The Rams have a very good roster; they won't be drafting in the top 10 next year. Now you're stuck with the core of a really good team but still no quarterback to run it and no easy way to acquire a good one," Schwab wrote. "Because the second pick comes from the Robert Griffin III trade, it's a unique situation for the Rams. They can still get a good tackle or impact defensive player at No. 13. The second pick of the draft can't be considered a "luxury pick" of course, but it is a very unusual opportunity that won't present itself again anytime soon."
OK ...
Here's what I think.
Two things:
1. I've said all along that if the Rams want to shake up their offense and their franchise and create long overdue excitement in a football market that's been depressed by failure, boredom and incompetency, the one player in this draft who can do it is Manziel. Sometimes I think that football people forget that they're in the entertainment business. And I'll repeat what I wrote a couple of months ago: if the Rams love Manziel, then they should draft him at No. 2 overall. Bradford's future is uncertain and quarterback is the most important position on the roster. If the Rams are crazy for Johnny, then take him. If they aren't crazy for him, then move on and grab your offensive tackle at No. 2. Don't force it. Maybe Manziel will be there at No. 13. But as others have said: doubt it.
2. The Rams probably are intrigued by Manziel, but I would be shocked if they drafted him. I think this is a pretty blatant attempt by Snead and Fisher to create anxiety among teams that covet Manziel. And if the Rams can stimulate trade interest in that No. 2 overall choice, this is how to do it. Fly to Texas for a private workout. Let key national media people know in advance that you're making the trip to the southwest to look at Manziel. After the workout, let an influential member of the national media know that you had a classroom session with Manziel, and even traveled to Texas Tech to meet with his QB coach and coordinator at Texas A&M. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Understand that the Rams are a secretive organization. Fisher and Snead have had a history of making stealth scouting missions (Brian Quick among others) that no one in the media heard about until after the draft. Based on the Rams' standard operating procedure, it's just highly unusual to see all of these media leaks popping up all over the place. The timing is way too convenient. Fisher and Snead and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff obviously want people to know they're really jacked up about Manziel, and are thinking about taking Manziel. And why not? The tactic may create or enhance a trade market for the No. 2 overall pick.
I don't need to be convinced that there's value in taking Manziel, but that's a separate issue. I'll buy into the quarterback ... but I won't buy into the Fisher-Snead pre-draft orchestration that's been designed for the purpose of generating a national media buzz.
And if the Rams do deliver a Manziel surprise ... well, there will be plenty to talk about.
And if the Rams take a player or players other than Manziel in the first round? Well, that's where the Fisher-Snead orchestration could backfire.
If fans start to believe that this really could be true -- that the Rams are going to draft the swashbuckling Johnny Football to energize the entire franchise -- then imagine the reaction when they don't take Manziel.
Talk about a buzzkill.
Thanks for reading ...
-Bernie
• Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_c2ee27d2-b979-5bb2-b3db-b304113d4725.html
It's been fun to watch all the hullabaloo over the Rams and Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
If you follow the Rams you've probably been keeping up with the circus.
You may recall that former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah (now of NFL.com) has been busy telling anybody who asked that the Rams are ga-ga over Manziel -- something that has NFL general managers and personnel bosses buzzing.
Well, at least a little, anyway. Buzzing from the standpoint that there's a lot of noise out there, and this is the time of the year when you have to filter and/or throw out about 97 percent of what NFL team sources are whispering.
More buzzworthy material came over the transom on Monday.
I'll provide some links as we review it all.
Let's go:
* Peter King of SI.com and NBC believes the Rams are genuinely fond of Manziel. King doesn't rule out STL taking the flamboyant QB if he lasts until the 13th overall pick.
"More mystery about 13," King wrote. "The Rams really like Johnny Manziel, and if he were there at 13 (which is unlikely), they would consider picking him. His workout for the Rams on Friday in Texas, with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer running the show, was impressive, as was the 80-minute post-workout session in the meeting room with Schottenheimer and coach Jeff Fisher, among others. One other piece of knowledge I got confirmed Sunday: Rams GM Les Snead recently went to Texas Tech and met at length with coach Kliff Kingsbury—Manziel’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at A&M in 2012—and came away thinking Manziel could adjust to life well as an NFL passer. Does that mean the Rams will take Manziel if he’s there at 13? I am still dubious. But I can tell you the Rams like him a lot."
* Jason LaConfora of CBS Sports raised the ante on King by suggesting that the Rams and the Minnesota Vikings may be discussing a deal that would send QB Sam Bradford to the Twin Cities. Oh, my. Just the thought of this must have Bradford haters giddily performing forward rolls, putting party hats on, guzzling Absinthe, and wildly embracing each other as if The Rapture is nigh.
* That report is the opposite of what fellow CBS Sports football writer Pete Prisco said about the Rams and Bradford: "There is a sentiment around the league that the Rams are ready to give up on quarterback Sam Bradford. After spending time in St. Louis, and talking with general manager Les Snead, that is far from reality. The Rams think a healthy Bradford, with help, is plenty good enough to get them deep into the playoffs -- and maybe more. The Rams might take a passer at some point in the draft, but Bradford is their guy for now. And he should be. He was playing well before he got hurt last season. It's just dumb to think he should be cast aside."
* With another hat tip to our friends at the Turf Show Times, respected NFL Films producer and analyst Greg Cosell now believes that Manziel will go to the Rams on the 2nd overall pick. Cosell made the comments Monday on a Houston radio station.
* Here's a general roundup on Manziel mania from SB Nation.
* Should we buy into the Rams/Manziel rumors? Yes, according to longtime Sporting News football guy Vinnie Iyer.
"As much as the Rams have thrown public support behind Sam Bradford as their starting quarterback, it's getting harder to ignore what Manziel can do for them," Iyer wrote. "More so than having (Jake) Matthews block for Bradford or either (Dwight) Evans or Sammy Watkins make big catches for Bradford's, Manziel is their fastest ticket to what they've been missing for a while: a dynamic, creative offense worthy of putting on a greater turf show."
* Here's a vote for Manziel to the Rams at No. 2 overall from Frank Schwab of the "Shutdown Corner" blog at Yahoo Sports.
"What if Bradford is just average again and you passed on Manziel, a potential franchise quarterback you like? The Rams have a very good roster; they won't be drafting in the top 10 next year. Now you're stuck with the core of a really good team but still no quarterback to run it and no easy way to acquire a good one," Schwab wrote. "Because the second pick comes from the Robert Griffin III trade, it's a unique situation for the Rams. They can still get a good tackle or impact defensive player at No. 13. The second pick of the draft can't be considered a "luxury pick" of course, but it is a very unusual opportunity that won't present itself again anytime soon."
OK ...
Here's what I think.
Two things:
1. I've said all along that if the Rams want to shake up their offense and their franchise and create long overdue excitement in a football market that's been depressed by failure, boredom and incompetency, the one player in this draft who can do it is Manziel. Sometimes I think that football people forget that they're in the entertainment business. And I'll repeat what I wrote a couple of months ago: if the Rams love Manziel, then they should draft him at No. 2 overall. Bradford's future is uncertain and quarterback is the most important position on the roster. If the Rams are crazy for Johnny, then take him. If they aren't crazy for him, then move on and grab your offensive tackle at No. 2. Don't force it. Maybe Manziel will be there at No. 13. But as others have said: doubt it.
2. The Rams probably are intrigued by Manziel, but I would be shocked if they drafted him. I think this is a pretty blatant attempt by Snead and Fisher to create anxiety among teams that covet Manziel. And if the Rams can stimulate trade interest in that No. 2 overall choice, this is how to do it. Fly to Texas for a private workout. Let key national media people know in advance that you're making the trip to the southwest to look at Manziel. After the workout, let an influential member of the national media know that you had a classroom session with Manziel, and even traveled to Texas Tech to meet with his QB coach and coordinator at Texas A&M. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Understand that the Rams are a secretive organization. Fisher and Snead have had a history of making stealth scouting missions (Brian Quick among others) that no one in the media heard about until after the draft. Based on the Rams' standard operating procedure, it's just highly unusual to see all of these media leaks popping up all over the place. The timing is way too convenient. Fisher and Snead and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff obviously want people to know they're really jacked up about Manziel, and are thinking about taking Manziel. And why not? The tactic may create or enhance a trade market for the No. 2 overall pick.
I don't need to be convinced that there's value in taking Manziel, but that's a separate issue. I'll buy into the quarterback ... but I won't buy into the Fisher-Snead pre-draft orchestration that's been designed for the purpose of generating a national media buzz.
And if the Rams do deliver a Manziel surprise ... well, there will be plenty to talk about.
And if the Rams take a player or players other than Manziel in the first round? Well, that's where the Fisher-Snead orchestration could backfire.
If fans start to believe that this really could be true -- that the Rams are going to draft the swashbuckling Johnny Football to energize the entire franchise -- then imagine the reaction when they don't take Manziel.
Talk about a buzzkill.
Thanks for reading ...
-Bernie
