We are currently one week away from the 2014 NFL Draft, and there are lots of rumors circulating around the League. The Redskins' arch rival, the Dallas Cowboys, are said to have an intense interest in Texas A&M star Quarterback Johnny Manziel. This doesn't come as a surprise, because Manziel was a hot commodity before he even declared for the Draft. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner has been linked to Dallas on several recent occasions, and he has expressed interest in the possibility of being drafted by his favorite NFL team. Dallas fans are also excited for this recent hype; some have already started purchasing custom made Manziel jerseys.
This isn't just your regular draft talk. It could be classified as simple speculation, but it is evident that Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones wants this guy, and when Jerry Jones wants somebody, he goes and gets them. In order for Jones to achieve this, his team would most likely need to trade up in the Draft. Dallas is currently sitting at the 16th overall selection in the Draft, and Manziel is considered a top 10 pick by many draft analysts. With so many Quarterback needy teams in the top 10 selections, it is almost certain that Johnny "Football" will be gone by the time it is Dallas' turn to pick. With that being said, if Jerry Jones is serious about this, a Draft day trade is inevitable.
How much would the Cowboys have to sacrifice to get Manziel, though? A pretty huge sum to say the least. Redskins fans should be familiar with a situation like this, because it wasn't too long ago that Washington sold the farm for prized Quarterback Robert Griffin III.
In the 2012 NFL Draft, the Redskins knew they wanted the Heisman winning RG3, and they had the sixth overall pick. Fearing that another team might snatch him up from under their noses, they didn't hesitate to ship four high Draft picks (three firsts and a second round pick) to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for the second overall pick in the 2012 Draft. It cost the Redskins four high draft picks just to move up four spots in that Draft to get their Quarterback for the future.
Now that we've put that into perspective, let's move back and take a look at the Cowboys situation again. If Johnny Manziel does somehow manage to slip in the Draft, the Cowboys will be tempted to draft him. That being the case, they would have to put all their cards in and make a great offer of draft picks, players, or both to ensure that they get him. If Manziel becomes a star and flourishes in the Cowboys system, well, it will just give Redskins fans another reason to hate Dallas. However, if Manziel busts, it will put the Cowboys in a terrible spot for the future. They already have enough problems with the player payroll. Trading away Draft picks for the Texas A&M Quarterback could hinder the team, and prevent them from improving very much for the next few years or more. Redskins fans probably wouldn't mind seeing Dallas fall into a slump like that, though.
Even if the Cowboys do indeed draft Manziel, chances are he will probably be holding a clipboard on the sideline for a year or two. Tony Romo still has a massive contract, and Dallas won't be looking to get rid of him very soon, because it could send the team into major salary cap turmoil. Redskins fans can only hope that Manziel winds up on another team, but if he does find his way to Dallas, the NFC East will have a whole new beast to tackle.
