Teams looking forward to seeing Johnny Manziel showcase his arm at the NFL Scouting Combine will have to wait a few weeks.
Four days after a report surfaced that Manziel would not throw for scouts at Texas A&M's pro day on March 5, his agent, Erik Burkhardt, tweeted that Manziel also will decline to throw at the combine.
Manziel's decision is not uncommon. Three other high-profile quarterbacks -- UCF's Blake Bortles, Alabama's AJ McCarron and Fresno State's Derek Carr -- have expressed uncertainty about whether they will throw at the combine. McCarron and Carr have both cited their concern with throwing to receivers they are unfamiliar with as a deterrent.
NFL Media analyst Charlie Casserly said Thursday on "NFL AM" that the quarterbacks' concerns, while somewhat true, are probably blown out of proportion.
"Here's what the agents tell them: You're not going to be throwing to your receivers, you're not going to have time to practice with them, so you may not look good as far as your accuracy goes," Casserly said. "Well, that's true. But guess what -- I never cared about that. You've got to give scouts and coaches and general managers a little credit for a little intelligence, don't you? We know you're not throwing to your receivers. What you want to see in a quarterback is see him throw live. See the arm strength, quickness and release."
Manziel largely has avoided media interviews as he prepares for the 2014 NFL Draft, but he had plenty to say Friday in his first public comments since announcing he would leave Texas A&M, even daring the Houston Texans to pass on him with the No. 1 overall pick.
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