Johnny Manziel was a huge name when he came out of college, after becoming the first freshman in NCAA history to win the Heisman Trophy while playing for Texas A&M. The Dallas Cowboys were planning to draft Manziel in the first round but Stephen Jones convinced his dad Jerry Jones to pass on the quarterback and they drafted offensive guard Zack Martin instead. Overall, 21 teams passed on Manziel on draft day in 2014 until the Cleveland Browns used their second first round pick to choose Manziel to become their new starting quarterback. Things went downhill and he only started eight games in his two seasons in the NFL.

Now, the New England Patriots are looking at Manziel.

The Patriots considering bringing in Johnny Manziel

In his two seasons as a starting NFL quarterback, Johnny Manziel threw for 1,675 yards with a 57-percent completion percentage. He threw seven touchdowns and seven interceptions and only won two of his eight starts with the Cleveland Browns. However, a stint with the New England Patriots could be huge for Manziel.

Tom Brady is locked in as the starting quarterback, despite being north of 40. The Patriots traded away Jimmy Garapolo, who proved to be a star when he joined the San Francisco 49ers. However, Garapolo is the only real star to come from backing up Brady, as names like Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett were the two most recent examples of New England Patriots' backups who couldn't make it in the NFL as quality starters.

Despite that, the New England Patriots talking to Johnny Manziel, both before and after Texas A&M's Pro Day is encouraging for fans wanting to see the quarterback get a second chance in the NFL.

Is this a new Johnny Manziel?

The reason Johnny Manziel was at Texas A&M's Pro Day, years after graduating, was to help the younger A&M players try out for NFL scouts ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft.

However, he was also there to try to prove to the NFL that he could still throw the ball and try to get a second chance.

According to Ian Rapoport, the New England Patriots are just one of a "bunch" of teams interested in Johnny Manziel.

NFL.com reported that one NFL scout said that Johnny Manziel looked better than he did throwing the ball than he did four years ago when he was throwing to try out for his own shot at the NFL Draft.

Another said the ball came out quickly and he looked relaxed.

That is the big deal here. Johnny Manziel's NFL career didn't end two years ago because he lost games for the Cleveland Browns. He bombed out because of an attitude problem that led to off-field distractions. If Manziel proves he has grown up, he could get another chance in the NFL.

"I got lost in a lifestyle, got caught up in the wrong things," Manziel said after his Texas A&M Pro Day performance. "I don't want to make the same mistake twice."
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