Don't Doubt Johnny Football

Johnny Manziel is a rare playmaker that
 doesn't come around very often.

Draft day is finally here and the speculation can end. We will find out who teams really value. The most talked about player in this draft is Johnny Manziel. Some people love him. Some people hate him. Others don't know what to make of him. A lot of people tell me he is going to be a problem. They say he has a big ego and they don't like his ‘smug' attitude.

I don't know him personally. I don't know all of the details behind the ‘Johnny Football' persona. But, please name me one player that is going to be a top pick in the NFL Draft that doesn't have confidence. You can't name one. And if you can, that isn't a player I want on my team.

Manziel has all of the intangibles you look for in your franchise quarterback. He is a hard worker. How do I know that? Because of the respect all of his former Texas A&M teammates give him. They wouldn't respect him if he were lazy. He's a polarizing figure. He will make a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars relevant instantly.

Johnny Football isn't afraid to take a hit. His film shows he will do anything it takes to win. Yet instead of talking about that, the media wants to talk about how he's 5'11" and not 6'1". Most of the doubters act like two inches is the difference between him being a star versus a bust.

Manziel can play football at a high level. His teammates have always had good things to say about him. He's dealt with media scrutiny and still delivered in prime time games, yet most people still doubt his ability to succeed in the NFL. We know he won't crumble under high expectations. That is a big deal in the NFL. It's something quarterbacks struggle to learn throughout their careers. Tony Romo, Andy Dalton, Phillip Rivers are still trying to learn how to perform under pressure. Donovan McNabb never did learn it. This kid has been through it already and he's just 21-years-old. 

What team will select Manziel on draft day?

He is a polarizing player that possesses playmaking magic. A player like this doesn't come around often. The magic he has is Brett Favre-esque. If he has a 20 percent chance to be the second coming of Favre wouldn't you want him on your team?

Everyone talks about the ‘risk' that comes with Manziel. I don't see the risk. He's never had any major issues with his coaches or teammates. People are worried about his durability, but he never missed a game in two seasons. He's proven he wants to win and he made Texas A&M relevant for the past two seasons.  Remember when the joined the Southeastern Conference? People were worried about the Aggies. Instead, he led them to back-to-back top 20 finishes; two bowl victories and a 20-6 record.

The team that drafts Manziel is going to get a playmaker. I've compared him to Tyrann Mathieu of the Arizona Cardinals. I loved Mathieu last season. People criticized his size. They didn't like his off the field activity. He did have more off the field questions than Manziel. However, he was a playmaker. And once he got to Arizona the coaches raved about him. I have a feeling the team that selects Manziel will feel the same way.

The draft is less than 24 hours away and we will find out where he lands. One team will get better instantly, while others will regret their decision, unless the Houston Texans take him with the first pick.

Manziel will have the biggest impact of any player is this draft, even if the rest of you don't know it yet.

NFL Mock Draft 2014

Most people give their mock draft 'analysis.' Well I'm not going to 

bore you with that. Here's my mock draft. Enjoy!

2014 NFL Draft Preview

Don’t Reach On Mark Ingram

The NFL offseason makes smart fantasy football players stupid.

Last year people were buying into Lamar Miller, David Wilson and Daryl Richardson. They were taking these young running backs as early as the third round. You would think they would learn from their mistakes. Instead, the fantasy football speculation continues to build as we get into the dark days of the NFL offseason.

We’re in the awkward time after the top free agents have signed and yet the draft is still over one month away. Now, Mark Ingram is being mentioned as a potential break out candidate with the New Orleans Saints.

Ingram, 24 was the first running back selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Saints traded up to draft him. The Heisman Trophy winner hasn't been the back the Saints expected him to be. In his three seasons he has rushed for 1,462 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has missed 11 games due to injury.

Can Mark Ingram (28) be the lead back in 2014, since
Darren Sproles (43) was traded to
the Philadelphia Eagles?

Now, with Darren Sproles’ departure some believe that this is Ingram’s time to shine. While he remains a solid buy-low candidate, it seems inevitable that he shoots up draft boards as the football season gets closer.
This is your warning. Don’t buy into the hype. If Ingram was ready to lead the Saints’ backfield don’t you think he would've done it by now?

Is the potential there for a big season? They did pick him in the first round. He is heading into a contract year so maybe he will be productive. But, do you really believe he has the talent to do so? The fact that Ingram was unable to overtake Pierre Thomas as the lead back last season speaks volumes.

Ingram is nothing more than a situational running back, who is missing the lateral quickness to be a top starting running back in the NFL.

Don’t believe the offseason hype that Ingram will inevitably bring. He’s an average talent that many could reach on. Just make sure you aren't the one doing the reaching on draft day.  

Why Was DeSean Jackson Released?

Bengals Free Agency: Anthony Collins vs Michael Johnson

Don't Worry LeBron, We Know You're Great

Does anyone really question the greatness of two-time
NBA Finals MVP LeBron James?

LeBron James must think he needs to point out how great he is.

"I'm going to be one of the top four that's ever played this game, for sure," LeBron James said in an interview with NBA TV. "And if they don't want me to have one of those top four spots, they'd better find another spot on that mountain. Somebody's gotta get bumped, but that's not for me to decide. That's for the architects."

Normally, no one has a problem with a great player expressing his greatness in an interview. But, James has a chance to be more than great, to be more than just a Hall-of-Famer. He can be in the top four to ever play the game. In fact, he can be right up there with Michael Jordan.

It is a universal thought in the basketball world that James will be one of the greatest ever. Why does he feel the need to talk about being "top four?"

Could he be jealous of Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant?

Durant, 25, is well on his way to his first Most-Valuable Player award this season. He is averaging a league-leading 31.2 points-per-game, 5.5 assists-per-game and has a player-efficiency-rating (PER) of 31.01.
The Thunder are in first-place in the Western Conference, while James’ Miami Heat are in second place in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Indiana Pacers by 3.5 games.

Historically, James has been the only player than can score, rebound and pass at such a high efficiency. Durant was labeled as a scorer who couldn't rebound or pass like James. This season Durant is outscoring James by nearly 5 points-per-game (31.2-26.3), out-rebounding him (7.7-6.9) and is 2.16 points ahead of James in PER (31.2-28.85).

Naturally, James may feel the need to let people know that he is still the best player in the world. But, there is no reason to. He needs to look back at history to understand what is happening this season.

Should Lebron James worry about the great
season Kevin Durant is having?

In 1992-1993 Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were two-time defending champions. However, they finished second in the Eastern Conference standings behind the New York Knicks. Most believed the Bulls reign would end.

Jordan led the league in scoring that season and yet Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns was named League MVP. The Suns finished with the best record in the Western Conference.

Despite the doubters who believed the Bulls run would end, they knocked off the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals after being down 2-0 in the series. The Bulls then rolled over the Barkley and the rest of the Suns in the NBA Finals to win their third-straight championship.

James shouldn't care about the attention Durant is getting. Durant deserves it. But, we won't remember who won MVP if his team doesn't win a championship. We won't remember the Pacers being the top-seed in the East if they don't win a championship. We remember champions. History tells us we don’t care about the regular season. We only care about who wins the Finals.

Before James talks about the all-time greats, someone should tell him the architects of basketball’s Mount Rushmore look for championship rings, not MVP trophies.