TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW
Whether former Heisman winner plays or not, he changes the conversation here
Johnny Manziel attends his first practice with the Alouettes on Monday. ‘This organization obviously put a lot on the line to get me here,’ says quarterback, who has seen his share of controversy.
The three wise men — the head coach, general manager and saviour — walked into the basement hall at Olympic Stadium late Monday afternoon and announced to the assembled masses gathered that quarterback Johnny Manziel wouldn’t be the saviour of this beleaguered Alouettes franchise.
“We didn’t trade for Johnny to be the saviour,” general manager Kavis Reed stated. “We traded for him to be a part of this.”
Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter if Manziel, the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012, can walk on water. This is a franchise that’s sinking fast and requires a shot of adrenalin. Manziel, the former first-round (22nd overall) draft choice of the Cleveland Browns in 2014, will provide that once he becomes the 14th starting quarterback Montreal has used since Anthony Calvillo was concussed, never to return, in 2013.
It also shouldn’t be overlooked, as many have, that the Als acquired two legitimate offensive linemen from Hamilton in Tony Washington and Landon Rice. As for rush-end Jamaal Westerman and wide-receiver Chris Williams — the two players Montreal relinquished — they can be replaced, although Williams’ speed and Westerman’s disruptiveness will be missed.
The first-round draft choices in 2020 and ’21 the Als no longer possess? If Montreal doesn’t start winning games — and soon — that will become another GM’s dilemma. Besides, trades can be cultivated in the future to get those picks back.
In the span of 24 hours — the Als also acquired slotback Adarius Bowman on Montreal from Winnipeg for a conditional eighth-round draft pick in 2019 — Reed has swung for the fences after much of his lineup has taken its hacks and missed, the GM included for his off-season moves that haven’t come to fruition.
Many have criticized Reed for failing to address the team’s biggest need, a legitimate starting quarterback, over the winter. And yes, it’s easy to second-guess and point fingers. Why wasn’t this trade engineered sooner? Why would the Tiger-Cats have relinquished one of their assets before knowing the hand they’d been dealt?
The Als, who ended last season with an 11-game losing streak, now sit at 1-4. That means they’ve lost 15 of their last 16 games, a near-impossible feat. The offence continues operating on life support, having scored 69 points this season, 10 or fewer in three games. That works out to an average of 13.8 points per game.
There’s no excitement and little interest around this team. Manziel will change that immediately, whether he plays or not. He’ll sell merchandise and will help promote and market this team. There were 10 television cameras and numerous photographers on site Monday; many media who never cover this team making the trek to Olympic Stadium. A team official said, following Sunday’s trade announcement until Monday afternoon, three times as many tickets were sold over a similar corresponding period. That should continue between now and Thursday’s home game against Edmonton.
Manziel won’t start against the Eskimos; that honour should go to Matt Shiltz. But, with Drew Willy injured and Jeff Mathews previously sidelined, Manziel should dress. Perhaps head coach Mike Sherman might even have a package of plays available for him. Instead, let’s see what happens Aug. 3, when the Als host the Tiger-Cats.
“One of the first things I said to him was this has to work and this will work,” said Sherman, who recruited Manziel to Texas A&M after he had committed to Oregon. “I’m anxious and excited to move forward and get him involved in our team.
“We didn’t bring him here to have him sit on the bench. It depends on his assimilation of our playbook. We’ll see how the week plays out. I don’t want to put added pressure on him.”
Ticats head coach June Jones said much the same thing after Manziel signed his two-year contract. Then Jeremiah Masoli went out and had four consecutive games of at least 300 yards passing.
That streak stopped last week, in a loss to Saskatchewan, dropping Hamilton’s record to 2-3. But it made no sense for Jones to play Manziel.
Sherman won’t have any trouble or reluctance handing the reins to the 25-year-old Canadian Football League rookie. Even Manziel, who never requested a trade or forced the Ticats’ hand, must realize he’s closer to getting on the field in Montreal than he has since March 2016, following his release by Cleveland.
“I think this is a situation for me that can absolutely work,” said Manziel, engaging and refreshed despite having been awake since 5 a.m. “I walked in and saw coach Sherman with a smile on my face. I trust these gentlemen will put me in a position to succeed. I believe ... when I’m ready, they’ll give me the chance ( but) I’ve tempered my expectations to not reach too high. I realize there’s going to be some growing pains. It’s a process.
“This organization obviously put a lot on the line to get me here. There are expectations behind that.”
It takes years for the merits of any trade to be dissected. Should Manziel return to the NFL after his contract concludes in 2020 — or sign with another CFL team — this won’t look good. Should the Als continue losing with Manziel? That’s a trend we’ve grown accustomed to in Montreal.