Johnny Manziel and Tim Tebow both won the Heisman Trophy in college. They also both played in the daunting SEC Conference. And there was that time Manziel wore Tebow’s New York Jets jersey to a party. Other than that, they have very little in common. Don’t tell that to Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon.
Moon told The Loop on KILT-AM in Houston Wednesday morning that he would not be surprised if Manziel ends up with an NFL career that is similar to the one Tebow had.
“As a college quarterback, he was one of the greatest to ever play, but so was Tim Tebow,” Moon said, according to CBS Houston. “He had a tough time making that transition because he was that same style of quarterback.”
Like NFL.com’s Mike Huguenin, I completely disagree that Manziel and Tebow are the same style quarterback. Tebow used his 240-pound body to pick up crucial first downs in short yardage situations and turn 1st-and-goals into automatic touchdowns. Manziel eludes defenders with his quickness and is a far more capable passer than Tebow ever was.
“You’re talking about taking a guy number one overall in the draft and he’s 5’11,” Moon added. “He didn’t really run that fast at the combine, only about a 4.6 which was closer to a 4.7, so you are talking about a small guy that’s not very fast in an NFL that’s big strong and fast. He likes to run around and make plays and he was able to do that in college. I just don’t know how well that’s going to transition into the National Football League.”
Moon has a point there. A lot of the defenders at the NFL level have speed that is similar to that which Jadeveon Clowney displayed at the NFL Combine. Manziel may not have the same luck getting away from NFL linebackers and defensive ends like he did in college, so that could be an issue.
The difference is Manziel can throw. Tebow’s throwing mechanics are horrible, and that is what ultimately led to an unsuccessful NFL career. If Manziel fails, it will likely be for different reasons.
