According to a report from NFL Network, former Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel is in New England and expected to have a pre-draft visit with the Patriots.
That visit is expected to take place on Wednesday.
This is the second high-profile draft prospect quarterback the Patriots have met with in the last week-plus, as NFL Network also reported that the team visited with Blake Bortles last week in Orlando along with other Central Florida prospects.
Both Manziel and Bortles are not only considered first-round talents, but also potential No. 1 overall picks.
Manziel, known as Johnny Football, has been a controversial figure since rising to stardom and winning the Heisman as a red-shirt freshman in 2012. He was also a finalist for the award this past season. He's a dynamic athlete who also lives an active, celebrity lifestyle off the field.
New England currently has two quarterbacks on the roster – Tom Brady and Ryan Mallett. Mallett is entering the final year of his rookie contract and has played very little in his first three seasons as a former third-round pick. Brady is in his late 30s and is likely entering the later stages of his historic run leading the New England offense, though he shows few signs of slowing down.
The Patriots have the 29th pick in May's draft, and would likely have to trade way up to have a legitimate chance to draft either Manziel or Bortles.
So this could be a case of the team doing its due diligence, getting a handle on Manziel in an effort to understand how the early part of the draft could pan out.
It also brings back memories of Tim Tebow's own famous pre-draft visit, when the controversial Heisman Trophy-winning QB prospect had dinner with Bill Belichick in Boston's North End in the spring of 2010. Tebow was drafted in the first round by the Broncos, but later finished his NFL career in training camp with the Patriots last summer.
Whatever the reason for Manziel's visit to the Patriots, it certainly adds some speculative spice to the early-April pre-draft buzz in New England!
Why do you think the Patriots are meeting with the Manziel? Do you think there is any chance the Patriots would draft Johnny Football? Let us know with a comment below!
