Johnny Manziel fooled a great many teams at the 2014 NFL Combine by acing his interviews and presenting himself as a changed man. Many teams believed him, the Cleveland Browns included, and they came to regret it.
Now, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, NFL teams are determined to not get suckered into picking the next Manziel.
“This is the Johnny Manziel combine,” one NFL executive told Freeman. “The Browns weren’t the only ones fooled by Manziel during the interview process here. We spent time with him, and we completely misjudged him.
“He charmed us.”
The problem, according to Freeman, is that players at the Combine have been well-coached both on and off the field.
“I’ve been amazed at how smooth and practiced the players have become in just a few years,” one general manager said. “It’s different from even just five years ago.”
As Freeman notes, teams are desperately trying to avoid a repeat performance of a player with character issues schmoozing his way into someone’s good graces. It’s a tricky high-wire act, and teams are very guarded now.
It’s worth noting that the Browns claimed they didn’t interview Manziel at the combine two years ago. That, it seems, was a smokescreen after they fell hard for him.
