Constant behavioral issues and immaturity have led to Johnny Manziel not only being released by the Cleveland Browns, but to his future in the NFL being questioned. Maybe the former San Diego Padres draft pick should give baseball a chance.
Johnny Manziel was supposed to be the savior of the Cleveland Browns at the quarterback position. An exciting talent in college with his arm and his legs, the biggest question with Manziel was whether or not he could handle being an NFL quarterback. His prima donna persona, questionable choices in college, and lack of a sense of whether or not he could play in a professional offense, made it questionable as to whether or not he would find success professionally.
While Manziel had his moments, his future in the NFL is in doubt. His partying ways and lack of production, coupled with occasional run ins with the law, led to his release by the Browns. His agents and endorsement deals have abandoned him, and with his latest run in with the law, there may not be another team willing to give him a chance to prove he can be a professional quarterback.
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Enter the San Diego Padres. They selected the former Browns quarterback in the 28th round of the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft, drafting him as a shortstop with the 837th pick. Manziel had actually considered playing baseball at Texas A&M, but instead decided to focus on the gridiron and become Johnny Football.
Manziel had played baseball through his junior year in high school as a middle infielder, and had even joined the Padres for a round of batting practice in 2013. He hit a home run that day, and joined the Padres broadcasters to discuss his love of the game.
Perhaps a change in focus would help Manziel get his life on track. He would no longer be the superstar football player, or the anticipated savior of a moribund franchise. While he would still be quite well known, Manziel would be no different than any other minor league player chasing their dreams.
Likewise, there is the possibility that the day to day grind of the baseball season, and the work he would need to do in order to get used to playing baseball once again, could help eliminate his distractions. Having someone there to keep track of Manziel, much like the Rangers did with Josh Hamilton during his first stint with the franchise, could not only let him untap his potential, but get his life back in order.
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Just because his football career has been a bit of a trainwreck does not mean that Johnny Manziel is done. The San Diego Padres own his rights, and maybe the baseball diamond will help change his life.