Why The New York Jets Should Stay Away From Johnny Manziel

With the off season in full effect and every NFL team deciding what positions are of need and how to fill said positions, the Jets have difficult decisions to make as well. Some of the most important decisions to be made are regarding the NFL draft. First the team needs need to be established and prioritized, thus giving John Idzik an idea of where in the draft to look for different positions, and what positions can be handled in free agency. I would argue the most important thing the New York Jets need before next season is a game changing receiving threat.

Some would disagree with me and say that the quarterback is the biggest need of this team and therefore the Jets should trade away draft picks to trade up and draft Johnny Manziel. This, I believe, is a dangerous mindset and one the Jets should avoid at all cost. The bottom line is this, no matter who the quarterback is for the New York Jets is, he needs to be put into a position to succeed. Currently with the outside receiving threats we have it could be argued that too much burden would be placed on any quarterback. In order for a quarterback to play like a first round talent he needs at least one receiver or tight end that plays like first round talent, the best chance to get this is in the first round of the draft.

If we were to trade up in the first round to grab Manziel not only will we compromising our best chance to get that game changing receiving weapon I mentioned earlier, we will also lose other draft picks. The New York Jets have a lot of team needs to fill, more so than a lot of other teams, and by using multiple picks on one player we lose the ability to add much needed quality talent elsewhere on the team. Furthermore, in my opinion Geno Smith did not get a fair chance of a fair assessment, he was limited by lack of receiving weapons and inconsistent line play. Bringing in another quarterback before these issues are addressed the likely result will be another struggling quarterback. The likelihood for a quarterback to come in and fix the offense by himself is low, and even lower for a rookie.

There will be other quarterbacks in future drafts who are just as exciting as Johnny Manziel. Geno Smith might not be the answer but it is too early to tell, and by assuming he is the sole problem, the Jets would not only lose multiple picks in this years draft but render a second round pick in last year’s a waste. This is a team sport after all, without a good team behind him, what will any quarterback do, likely not much. In order for the Jets to be a competitor next year the front office will need to stay away from risky moves such as reaching for Manziel, and instead focus on a sound, tempered approach to acquiring talent. Sorry Manziel fans, as exciting as he is to watch he is the wrong move for the Jets.