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NFL Rumors: Will Johnny Manziel Land In Dallas Or L.A. Via Trade?

By Ernie Howell
Published on: 08:45 PST, Mar 10, 2016

NFL rumors have swirled around Johnny Manziel as the Cleveland Browns decided to retain the troubled quarterback on Wednesday, the first day of the new NFL season. The reason the Cleveland Browns haven’t released Johnny was the value Manziel might hold for teams looking to trade a late-round draft pick for the signal caller, the Inquisitr reported.

The team would not hold onto Johnny long, however. According to a Cleveland Plain Dealer article, the Browns would look to release Manziel by the end of the week if no suitors call for the 2014 first round draft pick.

“If they felt there was no interest, they would’ve waived him Wednesday and put the ugly saga behind them… But some NFL talent evaluators still believe Manziel can play if he gets his head on straight, and a team might be willing to take on the challenge.”

Despite his array of legal and personal troubles in his first two years in the NFL, an unnamed source in the Cleveland article confirmed as many as three teams have expressed interest in Manziel. With a thin crop of quarterbacks remaining, players with potential — such as Johnny Football — could still command a look by a quarterback-desperate franchise.

The Dallas Cowboys could be the odds-on favorites to land Manziel, according to multiple reports. What could spur the Cowboys to pursue Manziel is their star quarterback Tony Romo — who was injured much of 2015 — underwent a procedure this week to surgically repair his collar bone, a Philadelphia NBC affiliate reported Wednesday.

Romo is not expected to miss the off-season workout schedule after missing 12 games last year due to multiple injuries. The article cited Dallas’ poor record without Tony Romo in the lineup as the team limped to a 4-12 finish.

“Because of Romo’s injuries,” the article read, “the Cowboys are likely to sign a backup in free agency to compete with Kellen Moore.”

The Los Angeles Rams may also be interested in trading for Johnny Manziel. While the team currently has three quarterbacks on their roster — Case Keenum, Nick Foles, and Sean Mannion — none of the three are considered a long-term solution for the franchise. That’s the reason ESPN blogger Nick Wagoner wrote that Johnny could merit a long look for the Rams this off-season.

In another ESPN article last month, the Manziel love affair for the new Los Angeles franchise began before the 2014 draft. The Rams head coach, Jeff Fisher, confirmed his respect for the quarterback’s abilities before a December, 2015, football game.

“I’ve always been a Johnny Manziel fan. We had a private workout and had visits. I think he’s an NFL talent and he can win games.”

The Denver Broncos also fall into the category of teams that are desperate for a quarterback after Petyon Manning retired and Brock Osweiler bolted for Houston. According to recent Inquisitr articles, Brock Osweiler was considered the team’s most important free agent and had been offered a three-year, $45 million contract to stay with the Broncos. But rumors that he and fellow quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick were seeking better deals from other teams appears to be coming to fruition.

Johnny Manziel and the Cleveland Browns have reached this point because of partying and domestic violence allegations from ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley. The issue could land Manziel in hot water with the NFL and has some wondering if Johnny would endure the same treatment ex-Baltimore Raven Ray Rice experienced after his domestic violence charges.

What do you think about the rumors Johnny Manziel may find a home with the Dallas Cowboys or Los Angeles Rams via trade? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images]

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