Jerry Jones: Cowboys are ‘aware of’ Johnny Manziel

Because Jerry Jones was so high on him prior to the 2014 NFL Draft, Johnny Manziel will forever be linked to the Dallas Cowboys. And even though the Cowboys appear to have already found their franchise quarterback, Jones continues to do very little to erase that narrative.

Manziel says he is working toward an NFL comeback, and Jones was asked about the former Cleveland Browns first-round pick at the Scouting Combine over the weekend. He stopped short of denying that the Cowboys would ever sign Manziel.

“Enough has been said,” Jones told reporters, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I certainly admire the same things all of the A&M fans have admired about him, but I recognize just as everybody does, including him, his challenges. So that’s about all I can say. We are aware of him. He is a talented guy.”

Jones wanted to draft Manziel so badly a few years ago that his son, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, supposedly had to physically restrain Jerry from turning in the draft card with Manziel’s name on it. Stephen ultimately made a wise choice, as Manziel’s life and career have spiraled downward.

The chances of Dallas signing Manziel are incredibly slim, and that became even clearer when Stephen Jones made these comments prior to last season. If there is any truth to the rumor that Manziel is attracting real interest from NFL teams (and we don’t think there is), it is doubtful the Cowboys are one of those teams.