As much as the Oakland Raiders and Johnny Manziel might be an ideal fit from a personality standpoint -- outlaw quarterback joins outlaw club -- they wouldn't match quite as well personnel-wise. That's what former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon suggested to College Football 24/7 at the NFL Scouting Combine, and on Wednesday's CFB 24/7 podcast, NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks explained exactly why.
"Why Russell Wilson was able to be successful, it's because Pete Carroll has built a system where Russell Wilson is basically the point guard," Brooks said. "Some nights he needs to look for his shot and be the guy that is driving that offense. Other nights, he plays the role of being the distributor. I believe Johnny Manziel can play a role very similar for a team, but he needs to have the pieces around him. Right now if he goes to Oakland, Oakland doesn't have a No. 1 receiver, they don't have a talented tight end in place, and their offensive line is still in flux. I don't know if they have enough to allow Johnny Manziel to be the guy that he can be at the next level."
The Raiders have a need at quarterback and hold the No. 5 pick in the draft. With plenty of other needs for a team coming off a 4-12 season, however, the time to throw a rookie quarterback into the NFL fire is anything but ideal in Raiderland. Then again, none of the other quarterback-needy clubs picking at the top of the first round are in a position for a draft-and-groom philosophy, either. Manziel, however, will need more than just surrounding talent from his new team, Brooks said.
"Johnny Manziel will not be the guy that is perfect for everybody, every system," he said. "So it kind of takes a village to determine whether this guy can be a productive player in the system, and the locker room, that you have in your organization. ... I would prefer him to go to a place that is a little more structured, a place that has good veteran leadership in there so he doesn't necessarily have to be the beacon of light when it comes to being the leader of the team. I believe that he will benefit from being in a supporting role."
While it goes without saying that Manziel and fellow top quarterback prospects Blake Bortles of Central Florida and Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville are aiming to be the No. 1 pick of the Houston Texans, the one benefit to any of them slipping in the draft would be the greater likelihood of joining a winning club with more talent to work with.
But that benefit would require slipping past the Raiders at No. 5.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
