Johnny Manziel will be on an NFL football team at some point, probably today, with the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to take place Thursday evening. Just sit around for eight hours then turn on your laptop, type "SBNation.com" into the proper entry form (if you have another favorite sports-musing website, that's okay, but we don't like you), and hit enter, and you will probably find out what uniform Johnny Football will be wearing next season rather quickly.
If you can't wait, you can try to parse out where Manziel is headed through draft rumors, but be forewarned: JFF has been tied to just about every team in the league at this point. The latest batch of rumblings link the Texas A&M star to the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let's go down the list.
JFF is going to New York
According to NJ.com Jordan Raanan, "a person with knowledge of the team's draft philosophy" believes that the Giants would "seriously consider" taking Manziel if he fell to them at No. 12.
Why this makes sense
It doesn't.
Okay, fine. If Manziel falls out of the top 10, he'd be a strong value pick for any team. He'd be able to play backup to Eli Manning for a few years, then take over when the franchise is ready to move on from the veteran, a la Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre.
Why it doesn't
Because this feels like posturing, or at least an attempt by NJ.com to drum something up. "Person with knowledge of the team's draft philosophy" could, in theory, be one of several thousand Giants fans. Things get weird just before the start of the draft. This is a good example.
Likelihood: 1/10
JFF is going to Dallas
So says Todd McShay in his latest mock draft.
Why this makes sense
Unlike the Manziel-to-New York rumor, Manziel-to-Dallas has actually been around for a while now. He'd be a hit in Dallas after having so much success in College Station, and Jerry Jones has been rumored to be making a trade into the top 10 to select the quarterback.
Why it doesn't
Because mortgaging your future for a backup to your veteran signal-caller isn't a sound way to run an NFL franchise. Maybe Manziel falls all the way to No. 16, however, like McShay believes. Then, the Cowboys' investment wouldn't seem that crazy. That's a big "maybe," though.
Likelihood: 3/10
JFF is going to Tampa Bay ... ?
Just yesterday, reports indicated that the Buccaneers were interested in trading up from No. 7 to secure Manziel. That report was corroborated by later reports that the Bucs' ownership had fallen in love with the quarterback. So good to go, then, Mr. Football to Tampa Bay?
"@KevinHupf: @JayGlazer Please give me good news. Please tell me Tampa isn't going to take Manziel">>they won't at 7 no
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) May 8, 2014
Oh.
Why this makes sense
The Bucs own a high draft pick that they could use as leverage to secure an even higher draft pick if they want to ensure that they land Manziel. Lovie Smith hasn't shown Mike Glennon any love since taking over as head coach, so the team is apparently in the market for a long-term answer at quarterback, assuming the Bucs don't see Josh McCown becoming a multi-year starter. Tampa Bay has a very real shot at nabbing Manziel if it wants him.
Why it doesn't
Manziel doesn't fit the mold of a quarterback typically deployed in a Jeff Tedford offense. Scripts aren't really Manziel's thing. In addition, there are reports that the defensive-minded Smith would like to select defensive tackle Aaron Donald out of Pitt. His word outweighs the Glazers', who have never dictated the Bucs' roster.
Still, Manziel to the Bucs kinda makes sense.