NFL Rumors: Execs Believe Johnny Manziel’s Potential ‘Off The Charts’

Johnny Manziel’s lackluster performance Saturday in his Spring League debut evidently did little to deter NFL teams from keeping tabs on the free agent quarterback.

Manziel, a former first-round pick who hasn’t played in an NFL game since the 2015 season, was just OK on Saturday, completing 9 of 15 passes for 82 yards with a touchdown. But according to Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman, some NFL executives still are enamored of Manziel’s “potential,” perhaps envisioning the days of him thriving at Texas A&M en route to the 2012 Heisman Trophy.

Manziel, who appeared in 15 games (eight starts) over two seasons with the Cleveland Browns after being selected 22nd overall in 2014, finally seems to have gotten his life back on track after persistent partying and several off-the-field issues derailed his NFL career. It’s still hard to imagine him returning to the league and making an impact, though, especially since there already were questions to begin with about how his playing style would translate to the NFL.

Nevertheless, Manziel continues to make headlines, for better or worse. Maybe an NFL team at some point will look to catch lightning in a bottle despite the obvious red flags.