With the 2014 NFL Combine just around the corner, it appears that at least one highly touted quarterback will not be showing off his arm.
While the decision surprised very few people, Texas A & M quarterback Johnny Manziel announced this week that he will not be throwing at the annual scouting spectacular. Instead, “Johnny Football” will forgo the Combine and Texas A & M’s Pro Day to throw at his own private workout in late March. While it has certainly become commonplace for top quarterback prospects to abstain from throwing at the event, this year’s situation is a unique one.
Generally, when a draft class has a consensus number one quarterback prospect, said prospect doesn’t participate in passing drills because he can’t improve his draft stock by doing so. The 2014 quarterback class, however, features no such consensus prospect. Depending one whom you ask, any one of Manziel, Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, or UCF’s Blake Bortles could be the first signal caller selected on draft day. There are a number of analysts who are high on Fresno State’s Derek Carr, as well. In theory, all of these young men would be chomping at the bit to gain separation from the pack.
Things are a little different this year.
Manziel is the only one to declare openly that he won’t be throwing at the event, but Bortles and Carr are both undecided about participating in the festivities as well. Perhaps the hesitance on the part of the youngsters has to do with the fact that a plethora of quarterback-needy teams occupy the top end of the draft. Perhaps all of the would-be NFLers feel that they can only damage their standing in the eyes of these clubs and their executives. The conditions at the combine are much less controlled and scripted than Pro Day workouts, and a couple of mistimed throws to unfamiliar pass-catchers can hurt one’s draft stock.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that the big names are content to stand pat with their game tape and hope to wow scouts and General Managers with private workouts later on. The 2014 NFL Draft extravaganza is still a long way off, and the process is just getting started.
Quick Notes
– The bullying situation in Miami is the talk of the town these days. So much information has come out and so many people have had a great deal to say. I’m not one of them. It’s a situation that I haven’t felt compelled to address in this column, if only because it highlights a nasty side of the game we love. All I can say is that the situation is bad. Bullying at any level, in any society is unacceptable. Let’s hope these events can function as a cautionary tale that can ultimately lead to a positive change in locker room culture.
– At the time of this writing, it is the first day of the two-week franchise tag window. In short, teams have two weeks to apply the franchise tag to one of their impending free agents. Teams can apply either the non-exclusive tag (which allows the player to accept an offer sheet from another team, but results in the departing player’s team receiving two first round draft picks as compensation should they elect not to match the offer), or the exclusive tag (which means the player cannot accept any offer sheets, but also results in the player receiving a much higher wage). The franchise tag is an interesting device in the NFL. Teams generally prefer to avoid it, and players are usually opposed to it, favoring a long-term contract with more guaranteed money. Ultimately, however, when a long-term deal cannot be agreed upon the tag becomes essential. Look for several key players to receive the tag before the window closes. The events of these next two weeks will go a long way to determining what happens when free agency commences March 11. Things are about to get very exciting, indeed. Let’s see what happens next.
Thanks for reading, everyone.
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