Why Trevone Boykin needs Johnny Manziel

Trevone Boykin is an electric athlete. He’s a guy who can throw a 60 yard bomb on you or walk you in the 100 meter dash. For those who don’t know what getting “walked” is it means while you’re struggling to catch up he’s sipping on a glass of ice water across the finish line.

Every year we come across guys who put up these huge numbers, thousands of passing yards, hundreds of rushing yards, low interceptions and all the hype. Trevone Boykin is no different than some of the quarterbacks we’ve seen in recent years such as Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel. Trevone however, is not receiving the same kind of attention as the previous mentioned.

Johnny Manziel:

2012: 3706 passing yards, 1410 rushing yards, 47 tds (26 passing, 21 rushing) and 9 interceptions

2013: 4114 passing yards, 759 rushing yards, 46 tds (37 passing, 9 rushing) and 13 interceptions

Robert Griffin III:

2010: 3501 passing yards, 635 rushing yards, 30 tds (22 passing, 8 rushing) and 8 interceptions

2011: 4293 passing yards, 699 rushing yards, 47 tds (37 passing, 10 rushing) and 6 interceptions

Give or take a few yards, touchdowns and interceptions and you pretty much have the same numbers right? Here’s the problem, as many faithful draft analyst are aware of: The spread system is absolutely killing what we know about future quarterbacks.

Sep 3, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Trevone Boykin (2) drops back for a pass in the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Using the spread system has essentially simplified the game, making reads easier from the pistol and shotgun formations and opening up lanes for easier passes. The NFL however is not a finesse game, track stars and thin legged quarterbacks don’t make in this league. Unless one does. Trevone Boykin stands at an average build of 6’2 and 205 lbs but with room to bulk. As we’ve seen with RGIII though there needs to be an emphasis on leg strength and durability.

Manziel has his elbow issues which brings up concerns of being too thin, even at 210 pounds. The skinny quarterback can make it but needs to know how to survive in the NFL against guys who can win track meets at 3 inches taller with 50 extra pounds of weight. The (re-invented) Johnny Manziel we saw against the Titans in week 2 is a small glimpse at what these athletes can do when corrected properly and yes, there’s still a long way to go but we saw a little bit of Texas A&M on Sunday. Manziel was given an opportunity and he succeeded, currently he’s sitting at number 2 behind Josh McCown because well, apparently you don’t lose your job to injury, no matter your track record but that’s not expected to be all season.

Dec 31, 2014; Atlanta , GA, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Trevone Boykin (2) throws the ball in the third quarter against the Mississippi Rebels in the 2014 Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

We will see Johnny Manziel again. The thing that has to be understood about a transition is that it’s not just talent that’s pushed over as a quarterback, its the ability to make line adjustments, hot routes, progressions, composure, calling the play, knowing the play and being able to lead grown men into a game based on trust and execution. It’s no longer cards of Mickey Mouse and a war hammer telling you to throw it deep. Stat-stuffing-spread-system-college-quarterbacks (that’s one identifier for you) are your 5 star athletes that need to be handed a redshirt in the NFL. There’s no question in terms of ability, to RGIII’s credit he gave defensive coordinators a new page in their book after his first year but it’s been a nightmare for him since then.

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