Johnny Manziel's play-making ability isn't in question, and according to Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, his work ethic isn't either.
That's why Shanahan compares the first-round draft pick to another rookie the former Redskins OC groomed, Robert Griffin III.
FANTASY: When to take Johnny Football
Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel (AP Photo)
"Johnny and Robert are very similar," Shanahan told Jim Corbett of USA Today on Friday. "They're both talented guys who can make plays with their legs. But there comes a time in the NFL when they're going to keep you in the pocket, and you're going to have to have that ability to make the throws with your arm and mind. And Johnny, just like Robert, has that arm talent and intelligence to do that."
A Manziel-RG3 comparison is easy. Both made fools of defenses in college with seemingly unprecedented athleticism to complement more-than sufficient arm talent, a lethal combination that earned each a Heisman Trophy.
On-field comparisons inevitably prompt off-field questions thanks to public perception surrounding Johnny Football. RG3 wouldn't have taken a weekend trip to Las Vegas, would he? Manziel can't be as committed as RG3, right? You'd be surprised, according to Shanahan.
"Perception becomes everyone's reality, but Johnny has been here working his tail off day and night, doing everything we ask," Shanahan said. "He's really attacked it every day, done a good job even as each week gets harder as we throw a lot more at him. I've been very impressed."
Shanahan, along with his father Mike who served as head coach in Washington when the family duo called the Redskins' offensive shots, started Griffin at QB from Day 1. Despite a different situation in Cleveland and a reportedly "open" competition between Manziel and veteran Brian Hoyer, it's hard to imagine Shanahan won't do the same this time around.
Team president Alec Scheiner said the Browns' season-ticket base has grown by more than 4,000 since Manziel was picked. His No. 2 jersey is on store shelves in the Cleveland area and is already one of the league's top sellers before he has played in a game.
That being said, we're confident about which quarterback gets the nod from Cleveland fans.
Shanahan tailored an offense to fit RG3's skill set in 2012, when the quarterback earned Rookie of the Year honors as well as a Pro Bowl selection. But if named starter, Manziel may not get that luxury, which makes the "open" quarterback competition in Cleveland even more of a head-scratcher.
"You put a scheme in that everybody runs," Shanahan said. "But there's things that Johnny does better than Hoyer, and things that Hoyer does better than Johnny."
If and when Manziel starts, there's an elephant in the room and a Manziel-RG3 comparison that Shanahan surely ponders: Can he stay healthy?
Griffin, who barely limped out of his rookie season and failed to play a full 16-game slate in Year 2, so far hasn't proved he can. Manziel can wow the league as a rookie just like the Redskins QB did, but for how long?
Manziel's 6-foot, 207-pound frame supports the rhetoric — RG3 is bigger, listed at 6-feet-2-inches and 217 pounds. But more of a factor than his size is Manziel's style of play, which Shanahan expects to shine in the league just as it did in college.
"You have to have some special magic, swagger to you that you can get the job done," Shanahan said. "And Johnny demonstrated that as good as anyone who's ever played college football. And we think he'll be able to carry it over.
But you also know he won't be able to do it as much. Yet he still has to be him and make those plays."
Running quarterbacks historically get hurt. It's that simple. Check out the average number of games Michael Vick, one of the best all-time duel-threats, plays per season (it's 12.8) if you need proof.
Shanahan sounds like a coach who's going to let Johnny Manziel be Johnny Football and, although he "won't be able to do it as much" in the NFL, Johnny Football likes to make plays with his feet.
That's the Manziel-RG3 comparison to watch.