Our dream is for Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel to wind up on the Vikings, and we're starting to get worried. At one point, we thought having the Vikings draft lower -- 8th, like they are now -- would be perfect. It would allow teams ahead of them to take more sure-fire prospects who fit the bill with measurables and keep GM Rick Spielman from looking like he was reaching too far, again, for a first-round quarterback. But Manziel's ridiculous bowl game performance on New Year's Eve, plus guys like Oregon's Marcus Mariota staying in school, combined with all the teams drafting ahead of the Vikings who need QBs ... and, well, we're starting to get nervous. Todd McShay at ESPN has four QBs going in the top six picks, including Manziel at No. 4 to Jacksonville.
It's entirely possible the Vikings will be shut out ... or have to move up.
Or the greatest thing of all could happen: Manziel, who certainly has the predisposition for this, could do something dumb in the next few months.
We're not talking about anything too major or dangerous. Maybe some public urination. Maybe mouthing off to an officer of the law. Just enough to plant some more "character" seeds of doubt with the teams ahead of the Vikings.
Because, you see, this is generally how the Vikings get their franchise players in the draft. Randy Moss was passed over by other teams not because of his play but because of character. Teams had questions about Adrian Peterson's health. Percy Harvin? Again, character. The most infamous time the Vikings stayed away from a character "red flag," they passed on Warren Sapp and instead took Derrick Alexander.
So please, Johnny: find it in your heart over the next few months to mess up -- not so much that people will never let you live it down, but just enough to ensure you are there at No. 8 for the Vikings.
