The Texans Cannot Afford to Take Johnny Manziel!

The Texans might be one of the best teams ever to pick #1 overall in the NFL draft. They have talent everywhere and are one year removed from 12 wins. They have a great defense with playmakers everywhere and an explosive offense with one of the best running games in the league. You could say they are a middle class version of the Seattle Seahawks. The Texans did have injury issues but so did almost every team in the league.  The biggest difference between the Seahawks and Texans is having a competent, mistake minimizing QB under center. For some reason Matt Schaub turned into a turnover machine who just couldn’t get right. Tj Yates and Case Keenum hardly inspire confidence for the future. Having picks this high could put the Texans over the top with the talent they already have. They have to come out of the draft with a Quarterback who can lead this team. They don’t need a Peyton Manning or a Drew Brees. They need a Russell Wilson; smart, accurate QB with some athleticism that minimizes mistakes and plays within their system. That’s the reason why they CANNOT draft Johnny Manziel at the top spot. I know he’s the home state kid and how electric he is. The fans are probably asking for this but if the Texans brass wants to win they will not draft him. Yes he’s exciting but he’s also reckless. He doesn’t have the strongest arm and is vertically challenged. Now it has been proven that you don’t need to be tall to win in this league, congrats Russell. But it is still preferred. A lot of what the Texans want are going to be based on what Bill O’Brien wants but he already has a good offense in place that just needs a driver. Teddy Bridgewater, whose named has cooled off considerably in draft circles for reasons I can’t explain, would be a lot better fit. He’s more of the prototypical quarterback but more than a game manager but his accuracy and mechanics fit well with this offense. The risk of Johnny Manziel is just as high as the reward. His reckless style will leave him open to injury. And for those that say they will reel him in one he gets to the team, well now you’re taking away what probably the main reason you drafted him anyway. HIs running skills and the way he improvised on broken plays makes him who he is. If you try to limit him to the pocket you’re limiting his effectiveness. Whoever drafts him has to know that and also know you might not have him for 16 games on a consistent basis. Notice I didn’t mention his off field troubles because I don’t think they will be issues once he gets to the NFL. All this leads me to the point that a possible playoff ready team can’t afford to take a chance on a guy with the #1 overall pick. Bridgewater, Jadaveon Clowney, Jake Matthews or even trading down would be better options than taking the risk of drafting Johnny Football #1 overall. For those who say they messed up once by not drafting a hometown legend in Vince Young, I don’t see what they missed out on. He’s not in the league anymore and just filed bankruptcy. This year shows that they can’t afford take risks on at QB with the amount of talent they have everywhere else on the roster. I also wouldn’t pick the flavor of the month Blake Bortles either but that’s another article for another time.