INDIANAPOLIS -- Johnny Manziel dared the Texans to pass on him in the draft.
How did that sit with the man who will ultimately play a leading role in deciding what to do with the draft's first overall pick?
Texans GM Rick Smith smiled and brushed it off Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine when asked for his reaction to Manziel's comment.
"He's a colorful, confident guy," Smith said. "You've got to appreciate that about him. I don't have a problem with that."
So it doesn't sound like Manziel ruffled too many feathers with his bold statement, published in a Houston Chronicle story last week:
"It would be the worst decision they've ever made," Manziel said, referring to the Texans. "I'd be in the same division playing against them twice a year. Sorry, but you just turned that chip on my shoulder from a Frito into a Dorito."
Manziel also addressed that comment Friday during his session with the media. He expressed disappointment that the quote received so much attention, but it wouldn't have been very Johnny Football of him to apologize for it, and he didn't.
"I wish there would have been other comments from that article taken more seriously than that one, in general," he said. "The main thing I wanted to portray is that whatever team I do end up with -- not necessarily the Texans, whether it was any of the 32 teams in the NFL -- that whenever I am in the organization, now each one of those guys are now my teammates, my brothers. I'm on the field with those guys. Whatever it takes to try and be successful, to try and get a victory is what I'm going to do. I'm going to do anything for that team, for that organization, to try and be great, to try and be the best player I can be."
There's been talk that the Texans might pass on Manziel because he lacks ideal size and isn't a true pocket passer, therefore making him a far from ideal fit for the type of offense new head coach Bill O'Brien wants to run.
O'Brien pushed back on that presumption Friday.
"I think, again, I look for what's best for the team," O'Brien said. "There's no way that you just label yourself, 'You like this type of quarterback, you like that type of quarterback.' You look for what's best for your football team and how does he fit the type of things you're going to do on both sides of the ball, whether it's a quarterback or any other position.
"In my career, I've been around quarterbacks that were 6-foot-5 and quarterbacks that were 5-foot-10," he said. "Both types of quarterbacks were very successful in some of the things we did offensively. Again, we're just looking for the best at every position, whether it's quarterback or not."
While Manziel's height was drawing plenty of attention at the combine early Friday, a decision by the Texans to pass on Manziel in May could have a lot more to do with fit than it does with size ... or a dare.
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