INDIANAPOLIS -- If Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie sees Johnny Manziel as the franchise's next quarterback, he might want to re-think the position. That's how former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon, now an analyst with Sirius XM NFL Radio, sees it.
"Bad fit," Gannon said, asked if Manziel would be right for the organization, which picks No. 5 overall in the May 8-10 NFL draft and would likely have to trade for a higher pick if it wants the former Texas A&M star. "Only from the standpoint that I think a team has to be ready for a young quarterback. I don't think that team is quite ready yet."
After a 4-12 season, the Raiders have plenty of other needs. Its offense ranked No. 23 in the NFL in total yards, 24th in scoring, and rookie quarterbacks often need a strong foundation of talent around them to succeed. But while Gannon doesn't see Manziel being ideal for the Silver & Black, he's clearly a Johnny Football fan.
"I really like him. I know people make a big deal about some of the off-the-field issues and some of the maturity things. To me, he's a young guy who's had a lot of success and we all handle it differently," Gannon said. "I think my biggest concern is the discipline from a quarterback standpoint. Footwork, sitting in the pocket, going through reads and progressions. I think he has to go somewhere where they have a very disciplined coordinator and quarterback coach. Somebody who is really going to grind on him and stay on him for those first couple years as he learns the system. He's a guy who likes to ad lib a lot, and you can't always do that in the NFL."
Unfortunately for Manziel, getting picked near the top of the draft as a quarterback almost inherently means the offense is in need of work.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread.*
