Manziel is Distraction Dallas Doesn’t Need
Oct 27, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Have you ever played Monopoly with someone who was happy…win or lose…if they were able to buy Boardwalk and Park Place? That seems to be the mentality of Jerry Jones when he is picking and choosing player personnel much of the time. That is also what made my stomach drop to my shoes when I heard the news that Johnny Football is going to enter the 2014 NFL Draft.
A few of Jones’ earlier big name acquisitions turned out just fine. Most obvious among them being Prime Time Deion Sanders, who was lured away from the rival 49ers’ fold in the glory days of the 90s. Besides the flash bulbs and tv cameras that followed his every move, Sanders also helped secure the Cowboys dynasty status by being instrumental in adding more Super Bowl hardware to the trophy case at The Ranch before leaving to end his career as a Baltimore Raven.
Most recently, though, Jones’ attempt to bring big name players to Dallas hasn’t turned out so well…see The Failed Terrell Owens Experiment. At first, Owens seemed to flourish in Big D. After some spectacular catches and entertaining touchdown dances soon even yours truly had almost forgiven him for that blasphemous display on our beloved midfield Star during his time in Frisco. T.O. even tearfully attempted to stand up for Tony Romo after that botched snap heard round the world. But, alas, it was not to last. Rumors of a locker room split abounded and when ESPN dispatched Ed Werder to lurk in the halls of The Ranch we all knew the end was near.
The most recent controversial pick came on Draft Day 2010 when Dallas used its first round selection to procure beleaguered wideout Dez Bryant, who had been suspended for most of his final year at Oklahoma State after failing to fully disclose his interaction with the aforementioned Deion Sanders. Although his on the field play has largely outweighed his off the field antics of late, Bryant is still prone to sideline outbursts and temper tantrums. As a result, the jury is still out on whether he can prove himself worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as #88s past.
When Manziel announced that he was foregoing his remaining college eligibility at Texas A&M to play with the big boys, rumors began swirling about whether or not the ‘Boys should make a play for Johnny Football. If I had a vote, it would be a resounding Heck NO!
Jerry Jones’ abovementioned history in wanting to keep star power in the Cowboys locker room, not to mention the fact that current QB Tony Romo has just undergone his second back surgery in as many years, has added fuel to the fire of speculation to what would happen if Manziel ended up in Big D.
The recovery period for the surgery that Romo underwent has widely been reported as 12 weeks. Barring some unforseen circumstances, that means that he will be back in the saddle when the Cowboys kick off the 2014 season. We have all witnessed the toughness of Romo in playing through pain and coming back from injury. Although he turns 34 soon, there doesn’t appear to be any dire need to bring in his eventual replacement just yet…especially in the wake of the ginormous contract he just signed that will likely ensure that he finishes his career in Dallas.
Manziel will probably be off the board when Dallas makes their first round pick. However, if no team has risked drafting him by then, here’s hoping Mr. Jones avoids temptation. Bringing Manziel, with his immaturity and off the field shenanigans, into the Cowboys locker room would only create a distraction. In addition, the Cowboys most pressing needs are on the defensive side of the ball. Here’s hoping the Cowboys War Room is focused on bringing in a productive pass rusher and getting help for our less than stellar secondary instead of figuring out a way to bring Johnny Football and his ego to Dallas.