Johnny Football Back in the News Again

[RiverDog]

More drama from Johnny...

Fort Worth police said in a statement Saturday that officers were called to an apartment building around 2 a.m. about a possible assault. Police talked to a 23-year-old woman, who was not the caller, who said she had been involved in an incident earlier in the evening with her ex-boyfriend in Dallas. A preliminary investigation determined that a possible assault had occurred, though the woman refused to cooperate with officers and there was no evidence of a crime scene.

The woman also told officers she was concerned about her ex-boyfriend's welfare. Police officers attempted to locate him and later determined that he was safe and not in danger.

Fort Worth police confirmed the man in the report was Manziel. They said they are working with Dallas police to determine if any criminal offenses occurred, which Dallas police confirmed in a statement.


http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14678 ... ny-manziel

[EmeraldBullet]

Pittsburg should sign him.

[RiverDog]

Nope, he'd be a perfect fit for the Cowboys. The local police already know him.

[Hawktawk]

Unbelievable. The guy might be dead pretty soon the way he is going. I'm really concerned for Manziel the person right now, never mind the athlete.
I gave him a pass over the championship video of partying in a bar and only a few days later here is another incident.Does he get hammered daily?
My disappointment has been that I think the kid can play rat ball style and be successful .
But if he cant keep it in the holster any better than this hes going to have a lot more problemson his hands than trying to make an NFL roster. Sad.....

[RiverDog]

Unbelievable. The guy might be dead pretty soon the way he is going. I'm really concerned for Manziel the person right now, never mind the athlete.
I gave him a pass over the championship video of partying in a bar and only a few days later here is another incident.Does he get hammered daily?
My disappointment has been that I think the kid can play rat ball style and be successful .
But if he cant keep it in the holster any better than this hes going to have a lot more problemson his hands than trying to make an NFL roster. Sad.....

Maybe not dead, but almost certainly out of the league. His talent isn't so great as for a team to ignore the red flags and take a chance on him. It's sad to see anyone squander an opportunity like he's had when there are so many thousands of decent players that would have given anything to have been in his spot.

[Hawktawk]

No doubt RD. Bayless had it right a year and a half ago. The kid is an alcoholic and with the kind of dough he has its like kerosene on the fire. Of all the addictions alcohol can be the worst for some people.

[RiverDog]

Although there's no evidence that alcohol was involved in this latest episode, it's a pretty good bet that it was.

It will be interesting to see how the new regime in Cleveland deals with Johnny Football. They have no 'skin' in the decision to draft him so they don't have to admit to having made a mistake. He's certainly not doing himself any favors by making more headlines. I wouldn't be surprised if they cut him. I'm not sure they could entice a team to trade for him unless it's the Cowboys.

[Hawktawk]

Hue Jackson called the Manziel debate a "non starter" in a very clipped fashion when he was hired. I dont think hes a big fan of the antics. Haslam has recently said that Johnny could still be the QB with Cleveland under certain circumstances but that was before this latest incident. To be fair the report was generated by Johnny's batty college age girlfriend who has already been seen attempting to jump out of a moving car,etc. Its no secret the Browns organization wanted him to terminate the incendiary relationship with this party chick, that was reported after the cell phone incident..

So who knows. Jerruh is saying he wont draft a QB high in the upcoming draft and he already hired Hardy so my guess would be that a landing spot for him if he doesn't drink himself silly before next season.Although Jones had some high praise for Kellen Moore and said he might be able to win as a backup with Dallas so maybe not. With some of the stiffs lining up behind center around the league Manziel will have a shelf life for a while if he shows any sign of maturing whatsoever.That is looking like a big if...

As usual im eating lots of crow. I liked the kids game and his moxie coming out of college but his off field stuff is getting so bad we may indeed never see whether he could have any success in the league. I never really anticipated that.

[RiverDog]

Hue Jackson called the Manziel debate a "non starter" in a very clipped fashion when he was hired. I dont think hes a big fan of the antics. Haslam has recently said that Johnny could still be the QB with Cleveland under certain circumstances but that was before this latest incident. To be fair the report was generated by Johnny's batty college age girlfriend who has already been seen attempting to jump out of a moving car,etc. Its no secret the Browns organization wanted him to terminate the incendiary relationship with this party chick, that was reported after the cell phone incident..

So who knows. Jerruh is saying he wont draft a QB high in the upcoming draft and he already hired Hardy so my guess would be that a landing spot for him if he doesn't drink himself silly before next season.Although Jones had some high praise for Kellen Moore and said he might be able to win as a backup with Dallas so maybe not. With some of the stiffs lining up behind center around the league Manziel will have a shelf life for a while if he shows any sign of maturing whatsoever.That is looking like a big if...

As usual im eating lots of crow. I liked the kids game and his moxie coming out of college but his off field stuff is getting so bad we may indeed never see whether he could have any success in the league. I never really anticipated that.

Hey, we all eat crow from time to time.

JJ did want Manziel badly during the draft two years ago, but a lot has happened since then, and with all the flak he took over the signing of Greg Hardy, I'm betting that he stays away from Manziel and his baggage, especially if this latest episode involves any type of abuse or mistreatment of a woman. If Cleveland cuts him, I doubt that it's Dallas that picks him up.

[Hawktawk]

http://cle.247sports.com/Bolt/Browns-re ... l-43377044
Not good for Johnny with this team at least. He could be released as early as the 8th of February or be traded starting in early March.
You would think they would try to get someone to give them something for him but they may be that PO'd they will just can him.
I wonder if the Browns will attempt to recover some of the money if they release him for off field problems.

[obiken]

March HT, they cant afford the cap hit!

[RiverDog]

ESPN is saying he's done in Cleveland...

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14697 ... ource-says

Here's what obi was talking about:

The reference to league rules points to the fact that the Browns do not have the salary cap space to release Manziel on Feb. 8, the day after the Super Bowl and the first day they can do so. The move will take place when the new NFL year starts March 9, according to the source. Releasing Manziel in February would count $4.6 million against the cap, and due to the cap's machinations, the Browns do not have that space -- and will not have it in February. The cap will increase in March, which will allow them to release Manziel then.

But he sure can party. The guy sounds like he's a dead ringer for Bluto of the college movie "Animal House."

[Hawktawk]

Thanks guys I'm a real boneheaded on cap issues. Other stuff too

[obiken]

ESPN is saying he's done in Cleveland...

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14697 ... ource-says

Here's what obi was talking about:

The reference to league rules points to the fact that the Browns do not have the salary cap space to release Manziel on Feb. 8, the day after the Super Bowl and the first day they can do so. The move will take place when the new NFL year starts March 9, according to the source. Releasing Manziel in February would count $4.6 million against the cap, and due to the cap's machinations, the Browns do not have that space -- and will not have it in February. The cap will increase in March, which will allow them to release Manziel then.

But he sure can party. The guy sounds like he's a dead ringer for Bluto of the college movie "Animal House."

RIVER,
PLEASE don't disrespect Bluto in Animal house by comparing him to Manziel. Bluto was a professional power drinker and Manziel is just an adolescent.

[RiverDog]

RIVER,
PLEASE don't disrespect Bluto in Animal house by comparing him to Manziel. Bluto was a professional power drinker and Manziel is just an adolescent.

You have a point. Bluto was probably a more inspirational figure, could rally people around him better than Manziel:

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!

[Uppercut]

PC seems to like him and he also likes "projects". Maybe Sea can get him for a couple 6-packs a week to replace Tavaris. Johnny mite be a good backup when sober. Tavaris is more like a monument.

[Hawktawk]

Reports out of Dallas are that they are now "unlikely" to sign Manziel. He might be a man without any suitors whatsoever. Its been dumb and dumber. Nike is going to drop him as well. What a precipitous drop and he has nobody but himself to blame. He'll probably be dead broke within a couple of years if not sooner.

[RiverDog]

Reports out of Dallas are that they are now "unlikely" to sign Manziel. He might be a man without any suitors whatsoever. Its been dumb and dumber. Nike is going to drop him as well. What a precipitous drop and he has nobody but himself to blame. He'll probably be dead broke within a couple of years if not sooner.

Yea, I saw those reports. They confirm my earlier suspicions.

We'll have to wait and see what materializes out of this latest episode. If he gets charged with assault, then it's highly unlikely that any team will take a chance on him, even teams in the CFL. Even if he doesn't get charged, he's going to have to make one helluva persuasive argument to a potential suitor even for a tryout. And no, I do not want to see the Hawks so much as taking a flier on this guy. I'd rather see them give a break to some lower round pick or UDFA than someone that's pissed away their opportunity.

IMO if the Browns cut him as they are expected to do, the only way he's ever going to get back in the league is to dry out and go to the Arena Football League and play a couple of seasons. I think we've seen the last of him for at least a couple of years.

[Hawktawk]

Manziels agent dumped him this morning and had a very grim and sad statement that his "fate rests entirely in his hands". I don't have a link but it sounds like Johnny is a person who is utterly cratering, maybe one of the worst manifestations of unchecked alcoholism I have ever seen in a high profile athlete. Its not a joking matter anymore.

[c_hawkbob]

He's the new Ryan Leaf. He'll be breaking into a bathroom near you soon ...

[Hawktawk]

He's the new Ryan Leaf. He'll be breaking into a bathroom near you soon ...

I guess it is a joking matter

Leaf is actually a pretty good comparison Bob thinking back on it.

[Hawktawk]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/man ... li=BBnb7Kz
Sad. Like or dislike the player its horrible to go through this hell with any family member. Been there done that.

[c_hawkbob]

I guess it is a joking matter

Leaf is actually a pretty good comparison Bob thinking back on it.

Sorry about that! I guess I could have given your post a day or two before running directly counter to it huh?

In truth though it's certainly not a joke for anyone that cares for or has any kind of vested interest in Johnny, but at the risk of sounding callous, I'm in neither category.

Sure I'd rather see him get his life squared away than actually reach the depths Leaf reached, but at this point as a fan of a team not the Browns, he kinda has become a joke.

[RiverDog]

The comparison to Ryan Leaf is probably the closest one available, but I'm not sure that Leaf had a substance abuse issue until after he was out of the league. Manziel has had one prior to, during, and probably after he's out of the league.

The other difference was that there wasn't a large number of red flags pre draft about Leaf like there was about Manziel. One team passed on Leaf... the Colt's when they selected Peyton Manning as the #1 overall, not a bad guy to be 2nd to. Leaf went #2 to the Chargers. There were serious reservations about Manziel, enough so that it caused a number of potential suitors, including hometown teams like the Texans and Cowboys, to pass on him. Then the Browns were stupid enough not only to draft him, but compounded their mistake by trading up to get him when he was falling like a rock, not too unlike the Broncos when Josh McDaniel traded up to get Tebow.

[Hawktawk]

Leaf made a comment to Dan Patrick yesterday that Manziel is like "looking in a mirror" for him now.

Ryan Leafs lack of red flags had a lot to do with the time in which he was drafted. There weren't smart phones in everyone's pocket, social media wasn't nearly as established if at all in the late 90's.He skipped a meeting with the colts and they took Manning who they were planning to take anyway. In hindsight the stories of him being an obnoxious person and total drunk in college, getting in fights in bars in Pullman etc. just weren't as widely disseminated at the time. Pills wound up being his undoing obviously. But the stories are similar so far, two high profile athletes with tremendous college success who were coddled and protected because of the things they brought to the field. Then the NFL life became gasoline on the smoldering fire.

Tebow doesn't even belong in this discussion. Compared to those two maggots he is one of the highest character guys ever to don the shield. Hed make the Browns better right now.....

[RiverDog]

Tebow doesn't even belong in this discussion. Compared to those two maggots he is one of the highest character guys ever to don the shield. Hed make the Browns better right now.....

I wasn't comparing the two personalities. Of course, Tebow is a lot higher character guy than Manziel.

What is similar is the way they were drafted. Both were drafted in the first round, both were dropping, both had teams trade up to get them, and both of their head coaches that drafted them ended up getting fired.

[Zorn76]

Johnny Manziel is an alcoholic who needs help in the worst way.
It's up to him if he decides to do so.

[Hawktawk]

Johnny Manziel is an alcoholic who needs help in the worst way.
It's up to him if he decides to do so.

Absolutely Zorn. Its sad and I've seen it up close and personal, probably almost everyone has.

Haslem seemed genuinely bummed yesterday saying the Browns were concerned with him as a person more than as a player and that they have unsuccessfully reached out to him numerous times.
Even with Leaf I believe his pro career started out 3-0 and he looked pretty good for a couple of months. When the losses built up he started snapping on reporters, fans, and teammates and then the game came apart. Knowing some of the signs of prescription painkiller addiction I believe he was having problems back then but it wasn't known for years.

Manziel is as public and drastic of a flameout of a high profile QB coming into the NFL that I can remember.

[RiverDog]

Absolutely Zorn. Its sad and I've seen it up close and personal, probably almost everyone has.

Haslem seemed genuinely bummed yesterday saying the Browns were concerned with him as a person more than as a player and that they have unsuccessfully reached out to him numerous times.
Even with Leaf I believe his pro career started out 3-0 and he looked pretty good for a couple of months. When the losses built up he started snapping on reporters, fans, and teammates and then the game came apart. Knowing some of the signs of prescription painkiller addiction I believe he was having problems back then but it wasn't known for years.

Manziel is as public and drastic of a flameout of a high profile QB coming into the NFL that I can remember.

Leaf also had a second stop, in Dallas. He wasn't an immediate bust. I knew a person that was a baseball player for WSU during the time Leaf was there that said Leaf was a first class A-hole, and that his own teammates didn't like him. I don't think teams did nearly as extensive research into he backgrounds of these players like they do nowadays, and as you pointed out, the communication age really wasn't upon us like it is today.

Jamarcus Russell was a huge bust, and he was a #1 overall. But Manziel's done it in quite a unique way with his off field antics, so I get your point.

I never did like Johnny Football, even in college. He was embroiled in a scandal then flaunted the NCAA with is "show me the money" act (where are my critics from the Cam Newton thread???). He had a difficult time with his head coach. And I felt that his talent was way over rated. Russell Wilson, for example, was faster, had a stronger arm, better mechanics, more athletic, and he didn't go until the 3rd round, was projected a lot lower than even that. I was shocked when Cleveland moved up to get him. He looked like he was heading into the second round.

Most #1 picks get a 2nd chance if they fail at their first stop. Jake Locker most certainly would have gotten a second shot had he not decided to hang it up. Josh Freeman had a second chance after he imploded in Tampa Bay. I would be surprised if Manziel gets another chance in the NFL with the way he's been so unresponsive in Cleveland. It's like he doesn't even care. I'm not even sure if a CFL team is willing to take a chance on him.

[Hawktawk]

[Leaf also had a second stop, in Dallas. He wasn't an immediate bust. I knew a person that was a baseball player for WSU during the time Leaf was there that said Leaf was a first class A-hole, and that his own teammates didn't like him. I don't think teams did nearly as extensive research into he backgrounds of these players like they do nowadays, and as you pointed out, the communication age really wasn't upon us like it is today.

Jamarcus Russell was a huge bust, and he was a #1 overall. But Manziel's done it in quite a unique way with his off field antics, so I get your point.

I never did like Johnny Football, even in college. He was embroiled in a scandal then flaunted the NCAA with is "show me the money" act (where are my critics from the Cam Newton thread???). He had a difficult time with his head coach. And I felt that his talent was way over rated. Russell Wilson, for example, was faster, had a stronger arm, better mechanics, more athletic, and he didn't go until the 3rd round, was projected a lot lower than even that. I was shocked when Cleveland moved up to get him. He looked like he was heading into the second round.

I would be surprised if Manziel gets another chance in the NFL with the way he's been so unresponsive in Cleveland. It's like he doesn't even care. I'm not even sure if a CFL team is willing to take a chance on him.

Leaf had a cup of coffee in Seattle didn't he?

Not a lot to disagree with on JM other than my projections for him as a pro.
He showed flashes of promise in his self limited opportunities to see the field. Its a pretty moot argument when he cant get his lips off the jar for even a day.

He was a cocky in your face Johnny money kid in college for sure. I don't put Cam in the same category. Cam is showboating as a winner in the NFL which annoys the hell out of a majority of fans around the league and made it about race when they complained. I sat in a bar last night next to a table of 8 young men 2 of whom were black and 2 Hispanic and to a man they were criticizing Newton's antics. It was an interesting non scientific poll. Nuff said...No Denver gear on either.

Manziel hasn't done much winning at the pro level so we really don't know and probably never will what kind of a guy he would have been as a winner. It would be a long time sober before any coach would even entertain the idea. I would guess it would be a lot like Cam in that if he's a classless winner it would be held more against him based on past behavior. Right now he Is literally on a drinking binge from hell, absolutely cratering and he's the butt of jokes instead of the subject of prayers so he has obviously already worn out his honeymoon with the fans.

Russell ate his way out of the league along with ethical issues work and otherwise. Locker was a sad deal, the guy just never stayed healthy.

As for Russ he made Manziel a lot of money as Johnny was being called the next Wilson coming into the draft by some pundits and former league superstars. Of course there is no next Wilson. Wilson is on a trajectory to have #3 in the rafters and a bust in Canton. Looking at some of these hair fires around the league with FIRST rounder's it just reminds me of how lucky we truly are as Seahawks fans.

I hope Manziel gets another chance, if for no other reason than it will mean he is clean and sober and in the league drug and alcohol protocol.

[RiverDog]

Leaf had a cup of coffee in Seattle didn't he?

Not a lot to disagree with on JM other than my projections for him as a pro.
He showed flashes of promise in his self limited opportunities to see the field. Its a pretty moot argument when he cant get his lips off the jar for even a day.

He was a cocky in your face Johnny money kid in college for sure. I don't put Cam in the same category. Cam is showboating as a winner in the NFL which annoys the hell out of a majority of fans around the league and made it about race when they complained. I sat in a bar last night next to a table of 8 young men 2 of whom were black and 2 Hispanic and to a man they were criticizing Newton's antics. It was an interesting non scientific poll. Nuff said...No Denver gear on either.

Manziel hasn't done much winning at the pro level so we really don't know and probably never will what kind of a guy he would have been as a winner. It would be a long time sober before any coach would even entertain the idea. I would guess it would be a lot like Cam in that if he's a classless winner it would be held more against him based on past behavior. Right now he Is literally on a drinking binge from hell, absolutely cratering and he's the butt of jokes instead of the subject of prayers so he has obviously already worn out his honeymoon with the fans.

Russell ate his way out of the league along with ethical issues work and otherwise. Locker was a sad deal, the guy just never stayed healthy.

As for Russ he made Manziel a lot of money as Johnny was being called the next Wilson coming into the draft by some pundits and former league superstars. Of course there is no next Wilson. Wilson is on a trajectory to have #3 in the rafters and a bust in Canton. Looking at some of these hair fires around the league with FIRST rounder's it just reminds me of how lucky we truly are as Seahawks fans.

I hope Manziel gets another chance, if for no other reason than it will mean he is clean and sober and in the league drug and alcohol protocol.

Leaf might have had a tryout for the Hawks, but I'm pretty sure that he never suited up for even a preseason game.

Jake Locker had more problems than staying healthy. The guy never could hit the broadside of a barn with his passes. He never had a completion percentage of 60% in any season, in college or the pro's. He also had this run first mentality when his first look wasn't open, wouldn't go through his progressions. Obi can tell you how many debates I got into it with on the old Husky forum at the PI. It's amazing what your loyalty to a team or school can do to your objectivity. We had some big debates about the Hawks drafting him, and I was dead set against using a first rounder. Tennessee saved us from ourselves by taking him before he fell to our spot. Just think about what our future might have been had we drafted Locker in 2011. We probably would have never drafted Russell the following year. Even with as good as our defense is, we'd still be this mediocre, .500-ish, marginal playoff team if it wasn't for Russell.

Agree 100% about Russell, although I think it's a bit premature to be talking about Canton.

Manziel's had his chance. I'd rather see some obscure UDFA from Po Dunk U get a once-in-a-lifetime shot rather than Manziel getting a second chance. Even practice reps are a limited commodity in the NFL.

[NorthHawk]

I believe that one of the reasons - and maybe the biggest reason that Manziel was drafted so high was because of the success of Wilson.
He showed that a mobile QB who was also an escape artist could succeed in the NFL.
That opened the door for Manziel when he otherwise might have been overlooked for a few more rounds.
Had the situation been reversed, and Manziel been a couple of years ahead of Wilson and with Manziel's lack of success, Wilson might have dropped even further than the 3rd round had JS not insisted on selecting him.

[Hawktawk]

[quote="RiverDog
Leaf might have had a tryout for the Hawks, but I'm pretty sure that he never suited up for even a preseason game.

Jake Locker had more problems than staying healthy. The guy never could hit the broadside of a barn with his passes. He never had a completion percentage of 60% in any season, in college or the pro's. He also had this run first mentality when his first look wasn't open, wouldn't go through his progressions. Obi can tell you how many debates I got into it with on the old Husky forum at the PI. It's amazing what your loyalty to a team or school can do to your objectivity. We had some big debates about the Hawks drafting him, and I was dead set against using a first rounder. Tennessee saved us from ourselves by taking him before he fell to our spot. Just think about what our future might have been had we drafted Locker in 2011. We probably would have never drafted Russell the following year. Even with as good as our defense is, we'd still be this mediocre, .500-ish, marginal playoff team if it wasn't for Russell.

Agree 100% about Russell, although I think it's a bit premature to be talking about Canton.

Manziel's had his chance. I'd rather see some obscure UDFA from Po Dunk U get a once-in-a-lifetime shot rather than Manziel getting a second chance. Even practice reps are a limited commodity in the NFL.[/quote]

Leaf was in training camp during the Holmgren era at some point. I swear he threw a few balls in a preseason game but maybe not.

To be fair to Locker he was in Tennessee as opposed to being coached by Pete Carroll. One season he had the Titans off to a fast start and playing his best ball of his career when he had the hip injury that ended his season. He never got all the way back. He also had a concussion history. I remember him getting put absolutely to sleep in Husky stadium back in college. He was down for several minutes, it was scary as hell.

In hindsight Its obviously a Godsend we didn't wind up with him for all the reasons you mention.

I think you're right about Manziel. There's way too few upsides to taking a chance on a radioactive guy like that, especially since he is accused of beating a woman as well as having alcohol abuse issues.

If you're Ben Rapel burgher with a few rings you can do worse but little Johnny not so much. He's likely done.
As I say, the on field talent was controversial and debatable but this is undeniably one of the worst Darwin awards ever to a pro athletes career.

[RiverDog]

Leaf was in training camp during the Holmgren era at some point. I swear he threw a few balls in a preseason game but maybe not.

To be fair to Locker he was in Tennessee as opposed to being coached by Pete Carroll. One season he had the Titans off to a fast start and playing his best ball of his career when he had the hip injury that ended his season. He never got all the way back. He also had a concussion history. I remember him getting put absolutely to sleep in Husky stadium back in college. He was down for several minutes, it was scary as hell.

In hindsight Its obviously a Godsend we didn't wind up with him for all the reasons you mention.

I think you're right about Manziel. There's way too few upsides to taking a chance on a radioactive guy like that, especially since he is accused of beating a woman as well as having alcohol abuse issues.

If you're Ben Rapel burgher with a few rings you can do worse but little Johnny not so much. He's likely done.
As I say, the on field talent was controversial and debatable but this is undeniably one of the worst Darwin awards ever to a pro athletes career.

If Leaf played in a preseason game, it was damn short as I sure don't remember it. But I admittedly have a disdain for preseason games, so who knows.

Locker's numerous injuries were mainly due to his style of play. I can't really put my finger on it as to why his style of play subjected him to more injuries, but he was constantly getting hurt at both the college as well as the pros. Other quarterbacks can play nearly their entire careers and not sustain a serious injury. Before Peyton's neck injury, he hadn't missed a start for something like 12 years, and it's not just because Manning is a pocket passing QB and Locker more mobile. Russell Wilson hasn't come close to sustaining a serious injury in his 4 years here (knock on wood). Nevertheless, even when Locker was healthy, he had problems with his accuracy and his run first mentality. Being injury prone was just one of his problems.

[mykc14]

It's sad but true, he was a hawk.

(I tried to copy and paste the image but my phone was being difficult, sorry)

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=ht ... MwgkKAEwAQ

[Hawktawk]

RW stays healthy because he is one of the most intelligent scrambling QB's of all time.Unless the game is absolutely on the line he knows when to hold em and when to fold em. He develops more ankle breaking moves all the time to make guys miss. He is also extremely well put together, more like a tailback than a QB. And last but not least, he is tough. Its one of the reasons he hasn't missed a play in 4 years.To think some said he was overpriced and greedy.........

I remember you were never high on Locker but there were big time analysts saying his athletic talents projected to Steve Young like potential. You were right and they were wrong. Brittle and inaccurate with questionable decision making is a recipe for out of the league, although Its hard to improve when you're in the training room.

As you say there would have been suitors had he been traded or released instead of retiring.I always pull for the local kids and the underdogs so it was a bummer to see how it ended. I was hoping he would get a fresh start.

[RiverDog]

RW stays healthy because he is one of the most intelligent scrambling QB's of all time.Unless the game is absolutely on the line he knows when to hold em and when to fold em. He develops more ankle breaking moves all the time to make guys miss. He is also extremely well put together, more like a tailback than a QB. And last but not least, he is tough. Its one of the reasons he hasn't missed a play in 4 years.To think some said he was overpriced and greedy.........

I remember you were never high on Locker but there were big time analysts saying his athletic talents projected to Steve Young like potential. You were right and they were wrong. Brittle and inaccurate with questionable decision making is a recipe for out of the league, although Its hard to improve when you're in the training room.

As you say there would have been suitors had he been traded or released instead of retiring.I always pull for the local kids and the underdogs so it was a bummer to see how it ended. I was hoping he would get a fresh start.

Locker played out his contract with the Titans and was a free agent when he retired so the Titans couldn't have traded him, but he almost certainly would have gotten another shot had he wanted to, although it wouldn't have been with the Titans and it wouldn't have been for huge money. There aren't many first rounders that don't get a second chance if things don't work out with the team that drafted them. Manziel has a chance to be included in some pretty exclusive company.

I admire Jake for the decision he made and respect the fact that he wasn't going to fleece a team out of millions and disappoint a whole bunch of fans by simply going through the motions if his heart wasn't in it. I was pretty tough on him over the years but he was a first class guy.

[Hawktawk]

Couldn't agree more about Locker not fleecing the team for what would have still been a lucrative contract.

[RiverDog]

As expected, the Browns released him. And to think that they actually traded up for that POS. Marginal talent for a first rounder, self destructed despite multiple second chances. Maybe he can hook up with Ryan Leaf.

I feel badly for the Browns fan base as they are one of the more loyal fan bases in the league. Some fan bases, like the Raiders and Cowboys, deserve a bust like Manziel. Boy, it sure must suck to be a Browns fan.