Why I am off the Johnny Manziel Bandwagon

When Johnny won the Heisman trophy in his freshman year I thought he would be a good NFL Pro, when he declared for the NFL draft I was still on board the bandwagon, after his “impressive” pro day I was still on board, but after that I decided to dig a little deeper and watch some more tape. After a close look I hurled myself off the bandwagon faster then he leaves the pocket. I am not going to say he is too small or his off the field partying are giant red flags, while they are a piece of the puzzle; I am going to go a little deeper. Johnny plays like no quarterback I have ever seen, in a very bad way. He runs around like a chicken with no head and misses on open receivers all the time in favor of running. He never throws the ball away and instead attempts ridiculous runs with no ball security what so ever. When he does pass it is outside the pocket and he never has his feet set resulting on over reliance of his receivers. He is super reckless and in 2 years at Texas A&M he was sacked 41 times with All American Luke Joeckel for one year and All American Jake Mathews for 2 years.

While people compare his play to Russell Wilson, Brett Farve, Frank Tarkenton, Michael Vick, and Roger Staubach he is nothing like any of them. Wilson, Tarkenton, and Staubach made throws set in the pocket on a regular basis and when they ran it was to buy time to make a pass. When they passed they set their feet and threw and accurate ball and if they ran they slid or ran out of bounds. Farve was a bit more reckless like Manziel but he was bigger and still made most of his throws from the pocket. Lastly in his prime Vick was the fastest man on the field and you can’t say that about Manziel.

While I am very harsh on Manziel I 100% believe Manziel has all the tools to become a success in the NFL. This is if he learns to play more like Russell Wilson, but I don’t think he will. Also his size doesn't help his type of play, especially when every player in the NFL is bigger, stronger, and faster than in college. His party life style doesn't help his chances as a franchise leader who is expected to work hard either. Similar to Tim Tebow he worked extremely well in college, but his style of play is not successful in the pros. He may have a good rookie season because the NFL hasn't seen tape on him but he will not have a good career. Johnny Football, more like Johnny Bust.

NFL Mock Draft 2.0 2014

1. Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney                                              DE       South Carolina
Quarterback is still their biggest need. But with some good options in the second round and a rare talent available, I have been convinced by the NFL Network that Clowney is the best choice.

2. St. Louis Rams: Sammy Watkins                                                   WR      Clemson
I know that they need a tackle, but the Rams can solidify their receiving core and finally have a true number one. Watkins is going to make their offense more explosive then they would with any tackle in this draft and they can still get a solid tackle next round.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Teddy Bridgewater                                       QB      Louisville
 He is my favorite QB in the draft and apparently the Jags agree because he has visited them twice. With Toby Gerhart, Justin Blackmon, Cecil Shorts III, and defensive guru Gus Bradley I think Bridgewater may be the missing piece to a Jacksonville team that didn’t look half bad in the second half of the season.

4. Cleveland Browns: Greg Robinson                                                OT       Auburn
They will get their franchise quarterback with their second pick but right now they need to protect him. Greg Robinson is a beast and you can plug and play him at right tackle with Joe Thomas on the other side. The Quarterback they grab will be well protected.

5. Oakland Raiders:  Jake Mathews                                                   OT       Texas A&M
The Jared Veldheer replacement will lock down the left side for many years to come.

6. Atlanta Falcons: Khalil Mack                                                         OLB    Buffalo 
Atlanta is in serious need of a pass rusher, Clowney is off the board so the next best option is Khalil Mack who can fill the biggest need in the draft.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans                                              WR      Texas A&M
Besides Vincent Jackson their best receiver is Louis Murphy. So If Evans is available I would sprint to the podium and give the starting quarterback of this team a new weapon.

8. Minnesota Vikings: C.J. Mosley                                                     ILB     Alabama
Mike Zimmer loves his defense and why not draft an impact leader and face of his new defense.

9. Buffalo Bills: Taylor Lewan                                                           OT       Michigan
If the Bills move Cordy Glenn over to the right side and put Lewan, who I think is just as good as last year’s Lane Johnson, on the right side they will allow E.J. Manuel to play at his full potential.

10. Detroit Lions: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix                                                FS        Alabama
An Instant upgrade to their secondary and is an absolute machine. Safety is also a bigger need then cornerback so why not take the best safety in the draft.

11. Tennessee Titans: Anthony Barr                                                   OLB    UCLA
Barr is hard hitting and explosive, something the Titans need. While he has never played in a 4-3 I actually think he may be a better DE in the pros then OLB. I think he has the skill set to be a edge rushing DE who can also stop the run. He is one of my favorite players in this draft.

12. New York Giants: Eric Ebron                                                      TE       North Carolina
How many interceptions did Eli Manning throw last season, 27. That is nine more than touchdowns. Enter Eric Ebron a check down tight end who Eli can pass short to instead of those downfield picks. With Ebron on the field he can make more plays instead of Eli.

13. St. Louis Rams: Justin Gilbert                                                      CB       Oklahoma St.
First Watkins, now a lockdown cornerback who will practice against Watkins every day. Everyday they will make each other better. Gilbert and Watkins will make the Rams an explosive team.

14. Chicago Bears: Aaron Donald                                                      DT       Pittsburgh
Aaron Donald is an athletic defensive tackle who can play all over the defensive line and restore a big need for the Bears.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Darqueze Dennard                                        CB       Michigan St.
He just looks like a Steeler, a press coverage monster who has drawn comparisons to Darrelle Revis. 

16. Dallas Cowboys:  Johnny Manziel                                                QB      Texas A&M
Manziel is available and I am not sure Jerry can resist. I don’t like this pick, but I think it will be a blockbuster decision that will keep Johnny Football in Texas and make Dallas the most talked about team once again.

17. Baltimore Ravens:  Calvin Pryor                                                  FS        Louisville
With this pick the Ravens might start looking like the Ravens of old with two talented safeties, Matt Elam and Calvin Pryor.

18. New York Jets: Odell Beckham Jr.                                              WR      LSU
Odell Beckham, Eric Decker, Chris Johnson and either Mike Vick or Geno Smith could be a scary offense if you think about it.

19. Miami Dolphins: Zach Martin                                                       OT       Notre Dame
The Dolphins need offensive linemen and ones without baggage. Zach Martin is a talented, baggage free lineman who can play any position on the line.

20. Arizona Cardinals:  Blake Bortles                                                QB      Central Florida

I was never a big Bortles fan because I feel he is very raw and won’t be a successful starter right away. But, Arizona would be perfect for him, he can sit until Carson Palmer retires and learn from him. Also QB guru Bruce Arians, who I believe is the best QB developer coaching right now, can mold him like he did with similar athlete Ben Roethlisberger.

21. Green Bay Packers: Dee Ford                                                      DE       Auburn
With the addition of Julius Peppers the packers instantly have a better pass rush, but it can get better. Dee Ford can fill that need at 3-4 outside linebacker and mesh well alongside Clay Mathews.

22. Philadelphia Eagles: Brandin Cooks                                             WR      Oregon State
Cooks himself has said he would be a great replacement for Jackson, I completely agree. I really like Cooks and think Chip Kelly will find many uses for the former Beaver who caught 10 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in 2 games against Kelly in college.

23. Kansas City Chiefs: Marqise Lee                                                 WR      USC
I have said this before and I will say it again. I have personally seen Marqise Lee live and he is amazing. Lee is the fastest and most athletic player on the field. Sadly he has had some durability issues, but I think he can be very successful at the next level.

24. Cincinnati Bengals: Kony Ealy                                                     DE       Missouri
Pass rushers are considered the weak point of this draft and Kony Ealy is really the last of the top tier so if given the chance the Bengals should take him to replace now Tampa Bay Buccaneer Michael Johnson.

25. San Diego Chargers: Bradley Roby                                              CB       Ohio St.
I had a difficult time picking between Bradley Roby and Kyle Fuller, but after comparing I decided Roby would be a better fit because of his physical advantage. I think Roby has the capability to be a number 1 corner fill the Chargers biggest need by far. He has some off the field issues and if this current alleged DUI is in fact as bad as it seems he may slip.

25. Cleveland Browns: Derrick Carr                                                  QB      Fresno St.
They locked down their offensive line and now they can grab the quarterback who will have some nice protection. I really like Derrick and think he will have a far better career then his older brother. I am no Costner but I think I have drafted a nice 1^st round for Cleveland, and maybe even a playoff season.

27. New Orleans Saints: Kyle Fuller                                                  CB       Virginia Tech
While the Chargers decided Roby over Fuller does not mean he is a bad player. Fuller is a very good corner who is 2^nd on Mike Moyock’s top corner list. He can learn from maybe the best ever, Champ Bailey and become a starting corner for the next 10 years.

28. Carolina Panthers: Kelvin Benjamin                                             WR      Florida St.
Cam Newton has a big arm right? Don’t the Panthers also have a HUGE need at receiver, and Kelvin Benjamin is what, like 6-5 and falling down the draft boards. This pick is literally a no brainer Benjamin would fit perfectly in the Panthers offense.

29. New England Patriots: Louis Nix III                                           DT       Notre Dame
Imagine Nix and Vince Wilfork together on the same line. That is a nightmare for every Quarterback in the NFL and will turn a weakness into strength. Tight End can wait.

30.  San Francisco 49ers: Jason Verrett                                              CB       TCU
Quality player and filling a big need. This pick has 49ers all over it and I think Verrett can be a top notch slot corner or a quality outside corner.

31. Denver Broncos: Chris Borland                                                    ILB     Ohio St.
Inside Linebacker is the biggest need for the Broncos and Borland who is a second round talent slips into the first round because of need. I see him as a solid starter who is just another addition to the Broncos Improving Defense.

32. Seattle Seahawks: Timmy Jernigan                                               DT       Florida St.
The 49ers took a quality player to add to their defense so why can’t the Hawks. When your defense is amazing, why not add slipping defensive tackle Jernigan, who knows a thing or two about winning championships like his new team does. The Hawks defense can be even more unstoppable.

Why I like the Chris Johnson Signing

I really like the Chris Johnson signing and I think that he can return to 1,300 plus yards and 12 touchdowns next season. First off his production never dropped, in his 6 seasons he has rushed for over 1,000 yards each of them, and his lowest rushing average in a season was 3.9.  He is a former 2,000 yard rusher and I believe offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg will use him successfully like he has with Garrison Hearst, Brian Westbrook, and LeSean McCoy. I also believe that his speed will blend well with either Michael Vick or Geno Smith, who both have speed, in some special option packages. I also believe that Vick or Smith can be successful in the right system, with a good run game. I think this is the best signing of the three offensive signings, Eric Decker and Breno Giacomini. I think overall there will be an improvement in the Jets’ offense and it will be based around Chris Johnson.

My Top 10 Running Backs of All-Time

Hey, I apologize for not posting lately and thought it was time to come out with a new top ten list. I hope you enjoy My Top 10 Running Backs of All-Time.

1. Walter Peyton

Walter is Amazing. In my opinion he is the most influential and greatest NFL Player of all-time. While all of his main records have been broken he was the undisputed greatest Running back when he played and broke decade old records. He was a superstar on and off the field. He was finesse but hardnosed at the same time never running out of bounds and always taking the defender head on. His craziest season was in 1977 he rushed for 1,852 yards and 14 touchdowns along with 2 receiving, but only in 14 games.  26 years after retiring he is number two all-time in rushing yards and number five in all-time rushing touchdowns. Proving he could do it all, in his career he passed for 331 yards and eight touchdowns (Most all-time by a running back). Walter Peyton is a true NFL hero.

2. Barry Sanders

He ran for 15,269 yards (3^rd all-time), 99 touchdowns (9^th all-time), never run for under 1,100 yards in any season during his career, ran for 2,053 yards in a season (4^th all-time), was a Pro Bowler every year of his career and a six time all pro, all with only 4 other offensive teammates in his career who had been to at least one Pro Bowl. Barry Sanders no doubt on an average team would still hold every major rushing record, but because he was on one of the worst in NFL history he second on my list. If you have never seen a Barry Sanders Run click the link and watch it. The defense knew he was coming because he had no passing game and still was a monster. In the post Super Bowl era the lions have made the playoffs 10 times, five of those time were when Barry was on the team. He was such a waste of talent and if he had not retired in his prime and had been on Emmitt Smith’s Dallas Cowboys or Walter Peyton’s Bears his records would be so great they would never be broken.

3. Jim Brown

Why is Brown not number one or even two, don’t get me wrong he is a legend but he played against a lack of completion when there were the great players (which Brown was the best of the best) then there was everyone else. Walter and Barry played against better competition. Barry if on a better team would own every rushing record known to man and would be the best player of all-time. And Walter beat Brown stat wise, and they both have one championship. Lastly when Walter played he was the NFL, when you thought of the NFL you thought of Walter and before him Jim was the standard but then it became Walter. This guy was pretty amazing of all the guys on this list of astounding talent only him and Adrian Peterson (who is not done with his career yet) and him averaged 5.0 yards or over in his career. In an age where there where two or three players a year had thousand yard seasons (there were 16 this year), Jim Brown only rushed for under 1,000 yards twice in his nine year career, and both seasons he rushed for over 900 yards. If you averaged his career rushing yards and touchdowns he would have 1,368 yards (7^th most if he played in the NFL this season) and 12 TDs (tied for 3^rd ). This is pretty amazing considering that he retired 47 years before, only played 12 and 14 game seasons, and he would still be in the top 10 in the two major rushing categories. This guy was truly dominant.

4. Emmitt Smith

While I said that, although Emmitt Smith has better stats then Barry Sanders, Sanders would own all of his records if he was on a better team and didn’t retire so fast, Emmitt was still amazing. His best season came in 1995 when he rushed for 1,773 yards and 25 touchdowns (a record at the time and 3^rd all-time currently). He was the NFL MVP in 1993 and that same year won Super Bowl MVP. He was an eight time Pro Bowl selection and a four time first team all pro with four rushing titles and 11 straight 1,000 yard seasons. He is the all-time leader in career rushing yards and touchdowns.

5. Marshall Faulk

The leader of the “Greatest Show on Turf” Marshall Faulk was a playmaker. He was an intense runner with the possibility of breaking off a long touchdown on any play or a deadly receiver who could catch in the backfield, slot or 30 yards down field. During his career he rushed for 12,279 yards (10^th all-time) and 100 touchdowns (tied for 7^th all-time). As a receiver he caught 767 passes (more than Micheal Irvin), 6,875 yards (only 1,115 yards less than Don Hudson) and 36 touchdowns (more receiving touchdowns than Jim Brown and Walter Peyton combined). In 1999 he had an amazing season where he rushed for 1,381 yards and caught 87 passes for 1,048 yards and had a total of 12 touchdowns. He won the NFL MVP in 2000 and was the greatest all around running back of all-time.

6. LaDainian Tomlinson

This guy is pretty underrated. The only thing he hasn’t done (the reason why Marshall Faulk was rated ahead of him) was win a Super Bowl. When he got into the playoffs his stats dropped. But in the regular season he was unstoppable. In 2006 he had one of the greatest seasons a rusher could have with 31 total touchdowns (an NFL record for a running back), 28 rushing touchdowns (NFL record), 1,815 yards (19^th all-time), averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and catching 56 passes for 508 yards. In his career he had 13,684 rushing yards (5^th all-time), rushed for 145 touchdowns in his career (second all-time), and had total 162 touchdowns in his career (3^rd all-time). Just to prove he could do it all passed for 143 yards and 7 touchdowns (Most all-time by a running back) in his amazing career.

7. Eric Dickerson

Dickerson was a monster, boasting one of the best seasons by a player all-time period. In 1984 he rushed for 2,105 yards (1^st all-time), averaged 5.6 yards per carry and 14 touchdowns. Over his career he rushed for 13,259 yards (7^th all-time) and had 90 touchdowns (12^th all-time). In seasons where he had 200 or more carries he averaged 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was the truly an amazing runner, who could make even the best miss.

8. Curtis Martin

Until his hall of fame induction I had never even heard of him. He is no doubt one of the most underrated football players of all-time. He had 14,101 rushing yards over his career (4^th all-time) and 90 touchdowns (12^th all-time), which is tied with Eric Dickerson. He was the pinnacle of consistency. In the 11 seasons he played in he rushed for 1,000 yards 10 times and never played less than 12 games throughout his entire career. He went to 5 Pro Bowls and is one of two men in NFL history, the other being Barry Sanders, to rush for more than 1,000 yards each of their first 10 seasons. This man defined the term “Bell Cow” for running backs.

9. Tony Dorsett

A 4 time Pro Bowler who played in 5 NFC Championships, and 2 Super Bowls. That is a great career for a running back to say the least. He rushed for 12,739 yards (8^th all-time) and 77 total rushing touchdowns (21^st all-time). He had 4.3 yards per carry over his career. He did all this with an average of 17 carries a game which is less then Jim Brown, Eric Dickerson, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders and Walter Peyton.

10. Jerome Bettis

I had a really tough time deciding between him and O.J. Simpson, my 11^th all-time runner. But, after careful consideration I decided that Jerome had more longevity, better career stats and a Super Bowl ring. Nothing against O.J. who had a great career, on the field. Jerome had 13,662 yards in his career (6^th all-time) and 91 touchdowns (tied 10^th all-time) vs. O.J.’s 11,236 yards (18^th all-time) and 61 touchdowns (tied 43^rd all-time). And, as a definitive factor Jerome had a longer career on the field O.J. and had a longer one in jail.