Johnny Football Slipping To The Bucs

March 8th, 2014

johnny football 0114b

With the free agency dinner bell moving closer and closer, there are so many sensible directions the Bucs could go. That’s what happens when a team is 4-12. There are more holes to fill than some fans would like to or want to admit.

The same goes with the draft. The Bucs could go offensive tackle, wide receiver, defensive end, and of course, quarterback.

In his last mock draft before Tuesday’s dawn of free agency, otherwise known as Christmas in March, Joe’s good friend, Justin Pawlowski of WHFS-FM 98.7, had a certain player falling that the Bucs simply cannot pass up. And that, dear readers, is none other than Johnny Manziel, aka quarterback Johnny Football.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Johnny Manziel – QB – Texas A&M
Commish’s Comments:
If any of the top players in this draft could slip, I think the prime candidate would have to be Johnny Manziel because teams picking with the top 5 selections would much rather play it safe than roll the dice on a “boom or bust” prospect. We all know the positives and negatives Manziel brings with him. The real question here is, what will the Bucs new brass do if Manziel is sitting on the board as the clock starts for the Buccaneers? This has nothing to do with publicity or selling tickets. The drafting of Manziel would simply be because Lovie Smith believes he needs more out of his quarterback than Mike Glennon can give him, and he believes Manziel can give that to him and win a lot of games. Any team that drafts Manziel must be committed to him 100% or it will not work. Lovie Smith got fired by the Bears after taking them to a 10-6 record. I’m certain he realized that it takes more than just a great defense to win and keep your job in the NFL. I also believe it will take a coach with job security to take the ultimate chance on Manziel. I do not believe any coach in the top 10 picks has better job security than Lovie Smith after the way the last 2 coaches and 5 years has played out for the Bucs. I know this might be hard for some people to fathom, but it very well could become a reality. Manziel is a talented guy who makes plays in and out of the pocket. If he is available with the 7th pick, the Bucs very well could take him and make him the face of the franchise. Uh oh!

The “face of the franchise,” Johnny Football! Yes, the Bucs could do worse than having Johnny Football’s likeness plastered all over the Tampa Bay area.

Bucs general manager Jason Licht and coach Lovie Smith both talked openly about the very real possibility of drafting a quarterback. Whether that means a guy like Johnny Football at No. 7 overall or a guy like Jimmy Garoppolo in the second (that may be a reach) or Aaron Murray in the fourth round, time will tell.

Joe’s pretty sure Mike Glennon is going to have more company at quarterback this May, other than Mike Kafka.

81 Responses to “Johnny Football Slipping To The Bucs”

  1. Getaclue Says:

    Its working out beautifully to where he will fall into our lap. The kind of guy Tedford is I know he is chomping at the bit to work with a guy with his skillset

  2. Mcruzer Says:

    Every mock draft done over the last month now is pretty much worthless. With Henne resigned(for more than average back up money) and now this move, it does look more and more that one to two qb’s will fall to us. Joe, convince me that I should not be feeling these tebowesque feelings about JF and i will feel better about this pick come draft day.

  3. lightningbuc Says:

    If he comes to TB, hide your wives and girlfriends, because, according to Joe, this guy is the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain.

  4. Espo Says:

    I think any disinterest that has him falling to us is just smoke screens. Good. Let another team set themselves back.

  5. Stevek (MGM) Says:

    Take Johnny Foosball in round two.

    Don’t reach and pass on BPA. Rock star is y here to do that anymore.

  6. Name Required Says:

    Let another team set themselves back? The Bucs are 4-12! How much more “set back” can the Bucs get?

    Ranked last in offense.

  7. meh Says:

    He’d have to slip all the way to our 2nd rounder for me to even consider him.

  8. Eric Says:

    It does appear our chances to get him are looking much better. Awesome!

  9. Bill Says:

    Sorry Joe Bucs not taking a QB LOVIE going D IMHO

    Thanks

  10. Nose Tackle Says:

    No way the Bucs waste a 1st round pick on 4th round talent 2 yrs in a row.

  11. Getaclue Says:

    I think we go offense, lovie knows he is good enough to work with what he has if he signs legitimate de’s in fa. Manziel can do something the other qb’s can’t and that’s creating offense on his own.

  12. lurker Says:

    it is looking more and more like a qb will fall. if any of the qb needy teams pass in the first round (i.e. Cleveland, Oakland, Jacksonville) they will get their qb in round 2 ahead of us.

  13. BucsQcCity Says:

    If he’s there and someone wants him bad. Trade down. We are not 1 player away from making the playoffs. Get draft picks!!!

    Anyone else is please about what is happening in NO? Now that they drop off Moore and Sproles my dream os that someone pay the ransom to steal Graham. That would be awesome!

  14. Adamant Says:

    IF Manziel is on the board when the Bucs pick at 7, how do they NOT take him?

  15. Ramon Says:

    Joe always likes to say that we must upgrade QB because we cannot compete in our division having the worst QB in our division. If we pick Manziel, we’d still have the worst QB in our division….in fact none of the QBs in this draft project to be any better than any of the other QB’s in our division. So should we spend our first round pick, in the best draft class in years, on a QB that will be the worst QB in our division, therefore making us unable to compete for the division, or should we pick an impact player?

  16. Getaclue Says:

    Usually the best qbs in their divisions werent projected to be either if you know you have the worst qb then you take the qb with the highest ceiling.

  17. Getaclue Says:

    We could also get additional draft picks dealing guys the new staff doesnt want. I wouldnt move up or down because at 7 you are likely to have either manziel watkins or mack there at least one of them

  18. Beeric Says:

    I’m in. Every time I watched Manziel play he simply wills his team to win. That characteristic is the anti-Freeman, and Glennon for that matter, and will probably add 2-3 wins a year on top of a Lovie-led 10 win defense. That’s championship levels, boys and girls.

  19. Eric Says:

    Johnny Football can become the second best QB in our division quickly, and third best right away.

    Would not be long before he is the best, depending on how long Drew plays.

    Now we have the worst offense in the entire league, lets get out of that hole before worrying about overtaking a Hall of Famer.

    But Ryan and Newton? Johnny has got that covered.

  20. SeanyMac in SC Says:

    No no no to Johnny “Spoiled Rotten” Football.

  21. Macabee Says:

    It is often unwise to put logic and football in the same sentence, but it’s what I do, it’s how I roll. My mind is asking me, if the 3 most QB needy teams in the draft just passed on Manziel, why should I not see “buyer beware” red lights flashing when we pick at #7? How could they all be so stupid to pass on this gem and we have had so much success in picking franchise QBs in 37 years that we should take this leap?

    Some would say when you come to a dark alley, have no fear God will be with you. I got as much faith as any man, but if God is not talking, I’m not walking!

    If anything, if Manziel were to appear at #7, it would give me the opportunity to see if the Vikings at #8 0r the Titans at #11 would like a piece of this “can’t miss” action, because I’m selling!

  22. Wilder32 Says:

    If the guy is still on the board when the Bucs are up, TRADE the pick to Cleveland for their #1 (late in the round) plus their #3 in this years draft and their #1 in next years draft. Manziel screams “Cade McNown” to me.

  23. Eric Says:

    The cleveland browns, jags, and raiders passing on a guy hardly causes me any concern.

    But unless you have the number one pick in the draft the player selected has been passed over.

    So, I suppose we have to wait for the number one pick before we can get a QB on this team.

    Or wait till round two and get a guy everyone has passed on.

    Silly.

  24. J 2.0 Says:

    Joe,

    Call a doctor bro, it has been much longer than 4 hours.

  25. jarret Says:

    I’m not a Glennon fan at all but I’m really not a jonny football fan. I wouldn’t want him with the very last pick in the draft. Pick up a vet for a bridge QB and Draft jimmy garpolo. Or however u spell his name.

  26. bee Says:

    Macabee

    I understand what you’re saying but you can’t base your decisions on what other teams are doing. Especially teams like the Browns and the Raiders who are worse than we are because they are picking before the Bucs. I mean, geez, there were teams that passed on Aaron Rodgers. Makes you wonder if the teams that passed had buyer beware on him too. If he’s the BPA and he fills a need you have to take him. Every single player in the draft is a gamble, so hopefully we gamble on the ones with the most “upside” and college production. Manziel has that.

    Personally I hope we get Bridgewater, but if we get Manziel I’d be happy with that too.

  27. Bucfan#37 Says:

    I sit centered on the fence regarding the Bucs potentially getting Manziel, however his statement that Houston not taking him with the 1st overall pick would be a huge mistake seems a bit over the top and self centered.

  28. mark2001 Says:

    Wilder32…I like how you think. Could we get that lucky?

  29. MTM Says:

    Manziel is the top QB in the draft based on his game film in the toughest conference (suck it SEC haters). The “rumors” of him dropping are smoke screens pure and simple. Unless JM is caught smoking the hippie lettuce or arrested he’ll be gone by the 5 pick.

  30. Jeagan1999 Says:

    I see that Joe’s “Johnny Mancrush” wet dreams continue! Meanwhile we still need O-line help, a 3rd WR, A pass rushing DE, a SAM linebacker, a nickel corner and depth everywhere. A first round selection of a sub six foot QB with questionable arm strength and a checkered past IS a wasted pick!

  31. RustyRhino Says:

    So lets just say we draft manziel @7 what happens if his College football skills do not work as well in the NFL. Or he gets injured. Where will the buccaneers be then? How long until we could recover from this? We would still need another “Franchise” QB
    I am not sold on the fact that manziel will flourish in the Not For Long league. Would our whole hopes and dreams be clinging to the coattails of a reckless running chuck it up QB with our suspect at best Oline? For me Mr. Manziel is not a 1st rounder I would choose. We just have to many needs to fill for this to be our 1st round draft choice.

  32. Teddy Says:

    No way they gamble like this. Lovie needs solid players with a solid reputation. In my book, I see Licht making a trade down a few spots to pick up a third-rounder and taking Aaron Donald out of Pitt. It worked when they took Booger McFarland in ’99 to play next to Sapp, and it’ll work here too. If anything, Donald is better than McFarland was.

  33. Rrsrq Says:

    BPA @ 7, if all 3 qb’s are gone, Mack & Clowney, see if Bucs can trade back or if Johnny Football falls, I see what a team is willing to give up to move up. No, I’m not sold on Glennon, but if Bucs can get extra picks and grab one of the second tier quarterback with some mobility/escapability then that’s what they should do, IMO.

  34. RustyRhino Says:

    If he is there at # 7 find a trade partner and trade down to aqire more picks. Maybe get Eric Ebron.

  35. Couch Fan Says:

    Yes get all your hopes up. Will be all the more sweeter when we pass on Manziel and you all cry for us.

  36. buc89 Says:

    What good is BPA when Glennon brings the skill level of everyone around him down

  37. Patrick in VA Says:

    It was a long way off before but it’s only three days till free agency now. The passionate pleas for who to draft where because of various needs and holes are silly when we don’t know what holes are going to exist when the draft happens. Arguing a person being drafted at all and how highly is relevant regardless but basing it on our needs is premature. Let’s shelve this thing til Wednesday

  38. lurker Says:

    and how many teams passed on aaron rogers?

    everything is risk/reward mac.

  39. Couch Fan Says:

    It’s going to be a symphony of tears here in JBF when you all realize Lovie & Tedford don’t share your hate for Glennon. I’m predicting that will be the first wave of Buc Fans turning on them.

  40. Macabee Says:

    bee,

    Can’t argue with a word you said. But put yourself in Lovie’s shoes. He’s sitting there, a new coach looking at the fate of his last two predecessors, not long ago having tasted the same fate. Why does he take this gamble right out of the chute when there are so many other much safer and needed players in one of the deepest drafts in the last 10 years?

    You mention Aaron Rodgers. You do this when you have a Farve sitting there and you can let Rodgers sit in the incubator for 2 years before he sees the field. Lovie does not have that luxury. Would you not expect for him to follow his instincts and go defense or a safer pick like Watson or an OT if one was there?

    There will be another Manziel next year and every year thereafter. There always is. But is this the time to pull that trigger. If he did this and it’s a fail, the same people egging him on now will be the same people in 2 years calling for his head!

    Would to hear your second opinion!

  41. lurker Says:

    “What good is BPA when Glennon brings the skill level of everyone around him down?”

    this is f-ing funny 😉

  42. Macabee Says:

    * would love to hear….

  43. lurker Says:

    i’m still wondering why all the love for lovie when his record sucked against +.500 teams, and mediocre at .500?

  44. mark2001 Says:

    But Tony said he would be great….and considering that Tony drafted Peyton Manning, and whiffed on the rest, that should be enough for us to peg our future on……what….Tony didn’t draft Peyton? ..never mind that. Just remember that Tony said Johnny would be a “rock star”.

  45. bucray1 Says:

    you know dude , i am actually rooting for the bucs to draft manziel now. not because i am a manziel fan , but because i’m afraid someone might have to put you down you’d be in so much pain if we didn’t. good luck with that.

  46. mark2001 Says:

    Macabee….Lovie is a Defensive guy first. If he thinks he can solidify the D line, I don’t know how he passes on that. Personally, I would like to see us use a high draft position for at least one WR along with signing a good WR FA. If Jackson ever went down, we would be down to a Rap Star and Street FA’s as our starting receivers.

  47. Couch Fan Says:

    @Macabee

    Good post and I agree. Their is no rule that says you must take a QB in the 1st round of your first draft.

  48. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    FYI, I’ve been saying for a month that 1-2 of the top QBs would drop to us. As I mentioned in the past, there is also a possibility that Clowney could as well.

    I watched as commenter after commenter said there was no way a QB or Clowney could fall to seven.

    I said then and I’ll say now…a QB ALWAYS falls in the draft. Every. Year.

    And the reason I think it’s possible Clowney could fall is the press he’s been getting. As we learned with Sapp, it doesn’t take much to make a player fall in the draft.

  49. BFFL Says:

    If they sign McCown then you can be sure they will not draft a QB. If they really think there is a good chance to get a worthy QB at pick 7 then there is no way they sign McCown because Glennon is more than a capable backup.

  50. Cody Says:

    Bucs Pass on Johnny…

    I think Cleveland at 4 and Oakland at 5 are key for Johnny…In my mind both of those teams are more likely to go defense than roll the dice on Mr. Football…If we pass on Johnny at 7 he could have an Aaron Rodgers type fall on draft day…

    My top 10 projection…

    1. Texans – (QB) Blake Bortles
    2. Rams – (OT) Greg Robinson
    3. Jaguars – (QB) Teddy Bridgewater
    4. Browns – (LB) Khalil Mack
    5. Raiders – (DE) JaDeveon Clowney
    6. Falcons – (OT) Jake Matthews
    7. Buccaneers – (WR) Sammy Watkins
    8. Vikings – (QB) Johnny Manziel (If Vikings pass here JF is in trouble)
    9. Bills – (WR) Mike Evans
    10. Lions – (CB) Justin Gilbert

    My Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2014 Mock Draft

    Rd1. Sammy Watkins (WR) Clemson
    Rd2. Gabe Jackson (G) Mississippi State
    Rd4. C.J. Fiedorowicz (TE) Iowa
    Rd5. Logan Thomas (QB) Va. Tech

  51. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Macabee Says
    “It is often unwise to put logic and football in the same sentence, but it’s what I do, it’s how I roll. My mind is asking me, if the 3 most QB needy teams in the draft just passed on Manziel, why should I not see “buyer beware” red lights flashing when we pick at #7?”

    That sort of logic would have had us NOT taking Warren Sapp in the draft. Teams get it wrong, obviously. It doesn’t matter if they pass on Manziel.

  52. Dr. Feelgood Says:

    I would take Johnny Football in a blink of an eye. I watched him shred my Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa two years ago. Then, when Saban had eight months to prepare for him, and ALL Bama did in the off season was prepare for him, he comes out and puts 14 points up in about 5 minutes, leading them to 42 points that day in the rematch. He is SO elusive, he feels the rush, and he can put the ball on the receiver’s hands WHILE on the run. He does throw some Brett Favre jump balls, but that’s usually when trailing pretty good. He looks more Favre-like with great plays than with bad ones. The reason 3 other QB hungry teams would pass on him is that they are the Jags, Browns, and Raiders, and they are so smart that they draft guys like Gabbert, (insert Browns flop here, starting with Brady Quinn). Ask the Raiders how drafting a HUGE QB, with all the physical checklist covered, at #1 worked out a few years ago (Jamarcus Russell). I would much rather take a “chance” on a once in a decade possibility than a “safe” need pick any day!!! Our defense is gonna rock with Lovie. Manziel is the type of player that teams spend most of their time trying to stop…….and they still can’t. Pick him…….NOW if given the chance!!! GO BUCS!!!

  53. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    RustyRhino Says
    “So lets just say we draft manziel @7 what happens if his College football skills do not work as well in the NFL. Or he gets injured. Where will the buccaneers be then? How long until we could recover from this? We would still need another “Franchise” QB.”

    OMG, that would be the case no matter what position is picked.

    Besides, IF Manziel gets injured, Glennon get’s another shot. It’s that simple.

    Your logic is waaaaay out there.

  54. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Cody Says
    “7. Buccaneers – (WR) Sammy Watkins”

    The pick will not be Sammy Watkins. I can tell you that with 100% certainty. Lovie Smith refuses to draft WRs in the first round. He believes it is better to take them in the 2nd round or later.

  55. rayray1 Says:

    Don’t see it Justin & Joe. Johnny F is not the kind of QB either Lovie or Tedford have shown to prefer in the past. Both appear to prefer a pocket passer who makes few mistakes. That’s not Johnny F.

  56. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    mark2001 Says
    “Macabee….Lovie is a Defensive guy first.”

    Do your research. In his nine years with the Bears, Lovie only drafted defense 2 times.

  57. Jordan Says:

    I believe that the Jaguars signing of Henne is more an indication that they believe there are only 2 top QBs worthy of a 1st round selection. If they thought that Bridgewater, Bortles, and Manziel were all equal, they wouldn’t have signed Henne. But, since they sit at the 3rd draft spot, they aren’t guaranteed one of the two “1st round worthy” Quarterbacks.

  58. Macabee Says:

    mark2001,

    Probably an oversight, but go back and read my post to bee and see what I said that Lovie’s first instincts are. Appreciate your keeping me focused tho!

  59. Macabee Says:

    Eric/bee/lurker,

    Let me attempt a humorous analogy to make my point. All of you guys know the Joe knows table quality. If the 4 of us are sitting there with Johnny Football and the young lady in the picture and Johnny agrees to share. Naturally Joe is at the head of the line!

    If Joe gets up and says “sorry fellas I’m going to take a pass, I’ve got to write another JF story” and leaves the room. Eric next in line cautiously asks “Is she clean?” Johnny looks at Eric and winks with that smile of his in the picture and says “well, she is now!”

    Are you guys taking that offer and more importantly, are you putting faith in Johnny Football? For me I’m getting up and following Joe out of the door (synonymous with the first 3 teams passing on Johnny). My excuse is that I don’t want to miss Joe’s next Johnny Football story.

    If Joe passes that’s enough for me and I’m not going down that alley or up that alley or however you want to put it! LOL!

  60. Macabee Says:

    *know that Joe….

  61. Jordan Says:

    Seriously consider that Henne would be the 4th highest paid player on the Jags. Oakland is going to do the same thing, they are going to sign McCown or Vick. I believe teams have graded one or two of the top QBs in this draft out of the 1st round. The question is, which QBs are teams bumping to the 2nd round? Is it Manziel? Bortles?

  62. Couch Fan Says:

    That sort of logic would have had us NOT taking Warren Sapp in the draft. Teams get it wrong, obviously. It doesn’t matter if they pass on Manziel.

    —————————–

    Incorrect. While that does seem like a fair statement, in actuality, Sapp dropped because of off field issues. it had nothing to do with his on field ability. Manziel has a little bit of off field issues but mainly people just dont know if his game will translate to the NFL. 2 completely different situations.

  63. gatrbuc17 Says:

    Joe. You are a professional. Set your Johnny Football mancrush aside long enough to be realistic. Lovie is NOT REACHING for a QB in the first rd. Jeeeeeeesh

  64. Barry Says:

    Teams will be trading up before Bucs to get JM. He won’t be there at 7. Bucs best bet is to move down.

  65. Barry Says:

    No matter who Bucs draft at 7 , I hope I don’t have the same disappointment that I had when they drafted J.Freeman. Worst draft day experience I’ve ever had as a Bucs fan.

  66. zam Says:

    Commish got 1 pick right in last year’s first round. Mayock got 9. Walter Football got 8. (Kiper got 0.)

  67. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Couch
    My point was that teams pass on good players. Look at Wilson. Look at Brady. There are examples throughout NFL history.

    Consider Mark Dominick. He SUCKED at drafting players. How many good players did he pass on? His drafts did not get good until Schiano entered the picture.

    The Raiders are notorious for passing on good players. The Browns too.

    The point is, you cannot go by what the other teams pass on because each team has its own set of circumstances and front office staff and coaches.

    Personally, I consider Schiano the best at drafting I’ve seen in a very long time. Predicting Lovie is difficult because of his time off.

    When I looked at his previous drafts, he avoided WRs in the first round in all of his drafts. He only picked defense 2 times in 9 years. He gave up 3 first round picks for various reasons (I’m not sure of those circumstances). He drafted OL two times and failed both times. He drafted TE once in the first round.

    But his time off gave him time to think. So really, it’s next to impossible to predict which way he will go until we witness his new thought process.

    I know we all have our favorites in this draft. Many tend to project their own desires into their projections instead of trying to think like Lovie. Maybe because it is hard to think like him at present.

    I was listening to sports radio this week and a caller from Chicago called in and claimed fans there were frustrated because he always drafted defense. It was a lie, because he only drafted defense twice.

    I just read a nice article on Tedford. It went into the type of QBs Tedford likes. To be honest, Bridgewater and Bortles fit him better than Manziel, but Manziel has that unpredictable factor. He could be the next Favre or the next Tebow.

    If we take him and he turns out to be a bust, we’ve still got Glennon who the MGM seems to think has all the potential needed. Personally, I’m hoping for Bortles. I just thing Tedford can do more with him.

  68. lurker Says:

    wrap that rascal, mac! 😉

  69. lurker Says:

    and just like johnny football slingin the rock to Michael Williams…..

    balls deep, mate, balls deep.

  70. Teddy Says:

    I have good friends from Manziel’s home town who know him and his family well, and they will be the first to tell you that his whole family is Tyler Trailer Trash. There’s no way Lovie/Light bet on him in the first round. Certainly not with how they’re pushing for character guys. JF is a character, but he’s not a character guy.

  71. Daffy Buc Says:

    JF moved the ball against some tough defenses. Few can do that. I believe Tedford would get the best out of him. The offense would be creative. If they sign a vet qb and it is pricey I would be surprised if Love light take a qb in 1. The OTA next month will tell all. They will see immediately their guy or not.

  72. Patrick Says:

    LOL at all the people calling Manziel names. The guy likes beer and women……OH MY GOD HE’S SUCH A BAD PERSON!

  73. lurker Says:

    nice comments by your hairdresser, teddy. they jelly?

  74. Kyle Says:

    It would be better for the bucs if Mack fell to 7 but that is looking less and less likely now, dammit!

  75. andres Says:

    haha Joe I think you’re hoping Manziel slips to… YOUR LAP. Dood your man crush is showing.

  76. bucrightoff Says:

    My favourite draft scenario is Sammy falling to us, that’d be great. My second favourite is Johnny falling to us, and we don’t take him. Joe might surrender his fan card, but either way the reaction would be utterly hilarious.

  77. Thomas Says:

    Don’t be surprised if they get Manziel and Mccown that Glennon doesn’t even make the team. If they get those guys they will trade him during the draft for another pick anywhere in the draft.

  78. NY Buc Says:

    ^^^

    I’d be surprised if that scenario played out. No way the Bucs get rid of Glennon and keep Kafka on the roster even if Manziel and McCown are on the Bucs in 2014.

  79. aztech Says:

    I’ve never read a bunch of more idiot comments in my life. If JM is there at 7 you take him. In two years these know nothing morons will be pretending that they wanted him all along after he turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to the Bucs.

  80. bucsfan85 Says:

    Omg please please please football gods !! do a
    us a solid! I will seriously be beyond happy if we could land any of the top three prospects especially johnny football!!!

  81. BoJim Says:

    Macabee Said:

    “the young lady in the picture and Johnny agrees to share. Naturally Joe is at the head of the line!”

    I’d tap that.