Report: Manziel was highest rated player on Cowboys board at time of pick

[Zman5]

Not talking about 7 guys. Franchise QBs are the most important piece. If you dont have to play one with ?marks immediately all the better. No way there are 7 much less 2 consensus franchise QBs in a draft. If so, you get trade value (RGIII), or other teams jump to get them.

Dallas had Aikman and drafted Walsh. Wash drafted RGIII and Cousins in the same draft and other examples. Every draft is different and every opportunity is different

Both Walsh and Cousins were drafted because Aikman and RG3 were not NFL proven QBs. Totally different situation than having a proven vet on your team.

 

[cml750]

Aikman led the Cowboys to two Superbowls after he had his back surgery, so I assume he worked with some top notch guys. Although from what I recall, he had to seek a second opinion before he had his surgery. The Cowboys doctors didn't think he had a serious problem. Once he got that second opinion, those docs told him he needed surgery.

How old was Aikman when he had his surgery and how old is Romo? Don't get me wrong, I hope Romo comes back 100%. Nothing would make me happier but I was about his age when I had my first back surgery and I can promise you I was not near the man I used to be and I don't get hit by 300lbs guys for a living.

BTW- I had to have a second surgery on a different disc in 2010 so I have been through it twice and both times it has taken it's toll even though the surgery helped me immensely from my pre-surgery conditions.

 

[dragon_mikal]

Me and you usually agree. I even agreed with you on Romo up until about five choke jobs ago. How much more failure are you willing to defend. Liking or disliking Romo has nothing to do with his age and health. It has everything to do with the future. Does it hurt to be prepared?

You do realize the last time Romo played he did the opposite of choke?

Taking JM would have made zero sense and everyone on here knows it. Only reason we're even talking about this guy is because of this board's obsession with throwing Romo under the bus.

I was happy with the 1st pick and am glad Jerry went with the right pick instead of just trying to grab headlines.

 

[jnday]

I'll say it. Age and injuries are real and pressing concerns. But the first reason we should be drafting a quarterback is that Romo isn't good enough.

I can take my opinions about Romo and out them aside. Contrary to popular belief, I have never watched the first full game that Manziel has played in. It boils down to the team having a 34 year old QB coming of two back surgeries passing on a top QB prospect in the draft. They deserve some more post-Aikman years because they clearly didn't learn a lesson. As fans, we will have to suffer through those years .

 

[jnday]

How old was Aikman when he had his surgery and how old is Romo? Don't get me wrong, I hope Romo comes back 100%. Nothing would make me happier but I was about his age when I had my first back surgery and I can promise you I was not near the man I used to be and I don't get hit by 300lbs guys for a living.

BTW- I had to have a second surgery on a different disc in 2010 so I have been through it twice and both times it has taken it's toll even though the surgery helped me immensely from my pre-surgery conditions.

I agree with everything you say and I have had right spinal surgeries .

 

[coogrfan]

You're mincing words. Jerry said JF was the BPA on his board when they were on the clock at 16.

I'm not mincing words, I'm pointing out that there is nothing in Jerry's statement (“Manziel was probably the highest player on the board at the time,”) to indicate that our front office felt that JF was a slam dunk, no brainer, head and shoulders better prospect than either Martin and/or Shazier.

 

[TheDude]

Not a red herring. Where a player is drafted impacts salary and possibly the length of a contract. Those things are pretty important. Sure Rodgers had some question marks. Height, arm strength and size weren't any of those questions.

http://www.californiagoldenblogs.co...aft-2005-aaron-rodgers-cal-bears-jeff-tedford

http://www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=4305124 - "Has adequate not ideal size"

Im not saying Johnny is = Aaron, but there were as many questions with Rodgers as with Manziel. I read somewhere S Jones confirmed that the 1t rd grade was 1 offensive and 3 defensive players. If Johnny was rated higher, then he could have had a 1st rd grade. If that report was true, Martin did not according if only 1 offensive player was.

That said, Im fine with the Martin pick, probably better pick, but you dont NOT take a future franchise QB because of the investment of the curent QB who is showing age and signs of wear

 

[KB1122]

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story...st-rated-player-passing?ex_cid=espnapi_public
http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story...st-rated-player-passing?ex_cid=espnapi_public

I was going to move on, but this story is too full of insane gems from the mind of Jerry Jones:

Jones called Manziel "the kind of guy who will change your plans and change your direction in my mind," but he added that he spent significantly less than an hour during the entire draft process pondering whether it'd be worth selecting the former Texas A&M quarterback if he was still available at No. 16.

"At the end of the day, where we are is that there's no way we're not going to be without Romo for the next four, five, six, whatever you want to say years."

 

[DoctorChicken]

35 years ago, we passed on a quarterback b/c we thought we were well situated at the position. That qb was Joe Montana.

And a bunch of people passed on Aaron Rodgers.

A crap load of people passed on Randy Moss. Know why? He was a bonehead.

Players get passed on. We don't know if Manzy will be great or be horrible, and I for one am glad the team didn't risk it.

 

[DFWJC]

No way Jason Garrett wanted Manziel.

 

[DandyDon1722]

I'll say it. Age and injuries are real and pressing concerns. But the first reason we should be drafting a quarterback is that Romo isn't good enough.

That's the absolute LAST reason why we should be drafting a QB. He's more than good enough with some help but please keep that Crystal ball clean so we can all know the future like you seem to do.

 

[DanTanna]

Say what you will about Vince Young, but that story about him looking up at the owner and telling him to "draft Manziel" was pretty cool.

 

[TheDude]

Both Walsh and Cousins were drafted because Aikman and RG3 were not NFL proven QBs. Totally different situation than having a proven vet on your team.

So GB really screwed up taking Rodgers? Rivers and Brees come to mind as well.

 

[Frozen700]

Sturm doesn't sound pleased.

Questioning coziness of Cowboys FO with Romo.

As he should. I'm not sold on Romo as the future. Especially 2 more years from now. Heck even 1

 

[jnday]

That is where you lose the argument. It has nothing to do with Romo. It has to do with the years after Romo is gone. The Romo defenders feel so threatened by the ideal of having a QB ready to step in when he is gone and they should be happy that the team is prepared. Take the Barnes and emotions out if it and fans would say it was foolish not to have a replacement .

 

[85Cowboy85]

Published: May 9, 2014 at 10:28 p.m.
Jerry Jones: Johnny Manziel was No. 1 on my board

Gregg Rosenthal
Around The League Editor
It was strangely the moment of the night during Thursday's first round of the NFL Draft. The Dallas Cowboys were on the clock. Johnny Manziel was still on the board. The internet was about to explode.

The Cowboys decided to pass on Manziel, but it wasn't an easy decision. Owner Jerry Jones admitted to reporters Friday that Manziel was the highest rated player on the Cowboys' board at the time. NFL Network's Albert Breer reports that the Cowboys discussed drafting Manziel while they were on the clock.

Ultimately, Jones said, the Cowboys just had too much invested in Tony Romo. (That's largely because of Jones' self-inflict salary cap woes, which forced his hand in Romo's last contract negotiations.)

"It's not the usual development guy behind an accomplished quarterback. He's a celebrity. He's Elvis Presley," Jones said via ESPNDallas.com.

So Jones ignored value because Manziel is a celebrity? Welcome to bizarro Dallas.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" provided instant reaction to all the wild happenings in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

That is completely disingenuous. Jerry Jones has stated several times why he didn't want to take a qb. There are several reasons with that one perhaps being the least important one.

Secondly you certainly can't call not drafting a QB "bizarro dallas". Historically teams very rarely draft a QB in the first round if they have a guy who is playing well going into the following year. Teams typically do not preemptively draft qbs. That's why one of them falls every other year.

Thirdly the salary cap woes had nothing to do with the Romo negotiations they were always going to resign him.

 

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

Every team passed on Montana. Even the team that eventually drafted him.

And everybody passed on Tom Brady

 

[cml750]

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story...st-rated-player-passing?ex_cid=espnapi_public

I was going to move on, but this story is too full of insane gems from the mind of Jerry Jones:

Senility is a terrible thing!

 

[cml750]

As he should. I'm not sold on Romo as the future. Especially 2 more years from now. Heck even 1

People who have had back problems like me have doubts he will make a season much. I hope I am wrong but somehow know I am not. Even if he does make the season he will never be quite the same.

 

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

I'm glad they picked Martin, even if the way they went there has me concerned