IRVING, Texas -- If you have read my work over the past two seasons here at DallasCowboys.com or followed me on Twitter, you know I have always encouraged fans of the game to take time to sit down and study pro and college games to learn about the players we so often discuss.
For 13 seasons, I worked as a professional scout in this league, but that doesn't mean that a guy or gal can't sit down, study several games on a player and have an idea whether he can play or not. There is not a day that goes by where I don't have discussions with coworkers or fans about players currently on NFL rosters or in the college ranks.
The point I am trying to make is that we are all different in the way they look at players and that I have no problem as long as your opinion is formed from sitting down and doing the work.
I have the utmost respect for the job Ron Jaworski does at ESPN, because I know how hard he works when he is getting ready to go on air. I have had people at NFL Films in New Jersey tell me about the round the clock work that he puts in, so that is not in question for me.
Where I have a problem is in Jaworski's comments here recently about Johnny Manziel and where he would or would not select him in the upcoming NFL Draft.
"I'm not crazy about him, to be honest with you. I've only looked at five games. I wouldn't take him in the first three rounds," Jaworski said Tuesday on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia. "That's my opinion. It's incomplete right now. But he has not done a whole lot to me."
It's fine with me that he wouldn't consider Manziel in the first three rounds of the draft. I get that, because it's a fact that there are plenty of scouts who feel the exact same way. I'm a fan of Derek Carr, and I am positive that there are scouts that do not feel the same way I do. But I'm good with that. [embedded_ad]
My issue with Jaworski is that he came out so strong about the player, but he said his opinion was "incomplete." From my experience in this profession, it's fine to have an idea on the film study of a player. But to have the view he does on the player, and then use the word "incomplete" doesn't sound credible to me.
It is his job as an analyst to have a "complete" view of the player, and then offer his opinion. I would respect his view much more if he came out a month from now, after Manziel's workouts for the league, and said, "I have studied ALL of his games, watched the workout and talked to some coaches about his mental makeup and this is what I found."
From my view, it was irresponsible of Ron Jaworski to share his view of Johnny Manziel without having a "complete" evaluation of the player, when he has far better resources than you and I at his hands. If, after he does all the work, he still doesn't like the player and he feels the same way, I have no issues -- he did his due diligence.
Johnny Manziel is not for everyone in this draft and that will be proven out, but as my old bosses in the business use to say, it only takes one. Ron Jaworski should know better than that.
