Could the Patriots sign Johnny Manziel?
The Patriots met with quarterback Johnny Manziel before and after his workout at Texas A&M’s pro day Tuesday, according to the Boston Herald‘s Karen Guregian.
The former Aggie was back in College Station as part of his comeback tour, with hopes of proving to NFL scouts he’s worth signing. Manziel participated in a variety of football drills, throwing passes to wide receivers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk.
.@JManziel2 is on 🎯 already pic.twitter.com/Xq4XeUAEuD
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) March 27, 2018
“I haven’t felt this good in a long, long time, from a mental standpoint and from a physical standpoint,” he told reporters after his showing. “I felt like the ball came out really well today.”
The 25-year-old was also at the University of San Diego’s pro day, where 13 NFL teams — including the Patriots — were on hand to watch. As NBC Sports Boston’s Albert Breer noted, no team explicitly sent scouts to check out Manziel. Those present were there to evaluate prospects from the University of San Diego. The players needed a quarterback, however, so Manziel capitalized on the opportunity.
Just b/c this seems to need clarification: No one sent scouts to San Diego to watch Johnny Manziel yesterday. The dozen or so scouts were there for Univ. of San Diego Pro Day. Manziel was basically a camp arm. Was a good, creative way to get in front of NFL teams.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 24, 2018
Manziel’s last professional snap came in December 2015 as a member of the Cleveland Browns. The 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft — who recently opened ups about his bipolar diagnosis — has expressed strong interest in returning the field after struggling with off-the-field matters the past couple of years.
“My goal is to make it back to the NFL and I realize I have to earn that privilege,” he said in an earlier statement.
In addition to meeting with him Tuesday, the Patriots have previously shown interest in Manziel. As the Boston Herald‘s Jeff Howe noted, his first pre-draft visit was with New England.
“They’ve got a history with him,” Howe tweeted.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Manziel also met with “a bunch of other teams” after his workout with the Aggies Tuesday. Rapoport also reiterated Breer’s point that scouts are not there specifically for him.
Maziel’s next step in his comeback tour is the development Spring League, which takes place March 28 to April 15 in Austin.
“The hope is some teams will show up for practice, some scouts with show up for the games and possibly maybe give him the opportunity to get back in the NFL,” Rapoport said. “It’s not going to take much. He doesn’t want any guaranteed money. He doesn’t even need a spot on the roster, maybe a practice squad spot.”
From Up to the Minute Live: What is the fallout from Johnny Manziel’s pro day tour? pic.twitter.com/2mEua6drPt
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 27, 2018
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