Cleveland Browns rookie Johnny Manziel would be in a Dallas Cowboys uniform if not for Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly came very close to drafting Manziel until his son, Stephen, literally took the draft card with Manziel's name on it out of his hand.
Author Jim Dent revealed in his upcoming book, Manziel Mania, that Jones would have selected Manziel with the 16th pick of the draft if Stephen hadn't taken the draft card from Jerry.
"I wrote a book about Jerry Jones in 1995 titled 'King of the Cowboys.' I know the Boss Hog. I knew that (Jones's) hands were shaking when the Cowboys went on the clock with Manziel still on the board. I could envision Jones scribbling the name of Johnny Manziel on the draft card," Dent wrote, via DallasNews.com. "Indeed, all of these things happened.
"As it turned out, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones had snatched the Manziel card straight out of his dad's hand. Otherwise, Jerry would have drafted him and JFF would have sat for at least three years behind Tony Romo."
Manziel, whom Cleveland drafted with the No. 22 pick, is in contention to claim the Browns' starting job for Week 1. The rookie signal caller is expected to have the chance Monday night to make one final push to convince coach Mike Pettine it should be him who gets the starting nod for Week 1, not incumbent starter Brian Hoyer.
Manziel didn't put up jaw-dropping numbers last week in his preseason debut, but he showed some flash - in and out of the pocket - and some of the playmaking abilities that won him the 2012 Heisman trophy. He went 7-of-11 for 63 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions; he also ran for 27 yards, including a 16-yarder.
ESPN reported Pettine will announce Week 1's starter on Tuesday.
