Is Johnny Manziel the anti-Tim Tebow or Michael Vick-lite?

Johnny Manziel is about to strut into the NFL saloon with a reputation for living large, playing fast and loose and seemingly eager to wear the black hat that goes with notoriety.

In other words, he’s the anti-Tim Tebow.

Where Tebow preached unabashedly about his cleanliness and piety, and may have rubbed some fans the wrong way with his weekday sermons, Manziel makes no apologies for his brashness, his collection of Twitter party photos or his larger-than-life me-me-me profile. He relishes it.

Currently out of football, Tebow, the son of missionaries, is building a hospital to help children in the Philippines. His mark on the NFL remains that one playoff win, Tebowing, the meme where he dropped on a knee and rested his fist on his head in glory to God, and as a draft-day cautionary tale.

In comparison, Manziel, an heir to an oil business fortune, is reportedly trying to trademark the phrase The House That Johnny Built, in reference to the $450-million renovation of Texas A&M’s home field where Johnny Football (another pending trademark) made his name. His draft day tale remains unwritten.

Tebow, who trademarked Tebowing to make sure it’s used in The Right Way, was often photographed shirtless yet claimed to still have his virginity. He is now a roving minister.

Manziel was suspended half a game for an alleged autograph scandal, lit up Twitter with various racy party photos and was allegedly told to leave the Manning Passing Academy as a counselor for reportedly being hung over and/or being late to sessions. 

Both quarterbacks enjoyed tremendous success in the college game and have Heisman Trophies on their shelves. They embraced different running styles, Tebow like a bruising fullback, Manziel like a scatback, but both used the same skill to lift their names to the NCAA marquee.

Coming out of college, Tebow was as wholesome as pure milk on campus but had plenty of questions about his accuracy and throwing ability. Questions that should not have been overlooked by the Broncos when they drafted Tebow late in the first round or else Josh McDaniels would still be in Denver. Tebow simply couldn’t complete a mid-level pass consistently.

Manziel, on the other hand, is a double shot of Texas whiskey, no ice. He too comes with questions about arm strength and throwing mechanics. His lack of height (not quite 6 feet) is another issue of concern, as is his penchant for improvisation as a passer.

The biggest link between Tebow and Manziel coming out of college however, is in Q rating. Like the former Gator, Manziel has the PR sizzle to lift a QB-needy franchise out of any malaise. At least in the short term.

Every move photographed. Every nuance interpreted. Every outing papparazzied. If there’s a media superstar waiting to break out of this draft, Manziel is it. He’s a walking one-man version of Hard Knocks.

With some on-field success, Manziel could help build a stadium in Buffalo, put Jacksonville back on the NFL map, end the QB suffering in Cleveland, transform the Twin Cities' offence or restore the roar in Oakland’s Black Hole.  

Just the same, he could party his way out of the league or earn enough suspensions to permanently retard his development as a quarterback.

It’s a proposition teams at the top of the draft and teams looking to trade up for a quarterback have to consider. And given the similar quality of passers in the draft class, it’s a risk that not many teams are willing to take, which is why, along with the other concerns, Manziel isn’t the slam dunk No. 1 overall choice.

He’s not a Troy Aikman, a Peyton Manning, or even an Andrew Luck.

The player Manziel resembles most coming out of college is Michael Vick. Manziel is not as quick or as fast as Vick and also doesn’t measure up in terms of arm strength. But he is a bit more accurate with the ball and has a better sense of anticipation in terms of when a receiver is about to come open. Their freakish abilities to avoid defenders is roughly the same. 

Will their career arcs mirror each other as well? I don’t know but either way, it will be must-see TV.

With the Dallas Doomsday here, it's time to trade Tony Romo

Cowboys fans, this is the winter of our discontent.

First, the polar vortex just won’t leave. The miserly snowman is supposed to exit this week but he’s digging in, leaving golf sticks to get dustier and dustier.

Moreover, could it get any chillier in Big D?

DeMarcus Ware. The face of the defence for the past decade. Gone. Just like that.

Jason Hatcher. Gone. To the Redskins? That’s a double slap to the face.

Anthony Spencer. Checking out how many Benjamins the Giants want to throw at him. That’d be the triple whack.

And that talent is draining from the league’s worst defence? With no money to refill those pass-rushing needs.

We know who’s to blame. So how does owner/GM/impresario Jerry Jones right the ship? Or at least bail most of the water from the hull?

REBUILD. Say it with me, Jerry. It’s time. To. REBUILD.

 It wouldn’t take long. It potentially could be done within two years.

The hardest part would be accepting how fast the window of opportunity is closing for Tony Romo. And that the cast around the quarterback, mainly on the other side of the ball, needs a massive overhaul. One that won’t be accomplished by shuffling salary cap money around from year to year.

Love him or hate him, you have to admit Romo’s past three seasons have been the best of his career. Statistically, they’re the best three seasons of any Cowboys quarterback, Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach included.

In Romo’s first three seasons as a starter, when the team was at its best -- thanks to the input from coach Bill Parcells, Romo was credited with losing 21 fumbles. In the last three seasons, that number was down to 10.

Romo has improved his ball security and pocket awareness while still delivering the big plays and elusiveness that made him such a marked improvement over Drew Bledsoe.

Still, those last three years have delivered a 24-24 regular season mark and an 0-0 playoff resume.

If Romo were to shake off the effects of back surgery and deliver another statistically superb season in 2014, what would the team’s record be?  7-9? 8-8? 9-7?

Anyone think the upside is higher? Not with what’s looming on the defensive side of the ball.

Romo has been durable in his career, starting less than 13 games only once in the past 9 seasons -- missing 10 games in 2010 with a broken collarbone. But he has taken a lot of big shots. Those rib, hand and back injuries accumulate. Should he miss significant time in 2014, the Cowboys’ fate would be sealed.

Thus, here’s the Romo paradigm for the upcoming season: Limited upside with major risk to the downside. And would this scenario change in 2015, when his contract will account for $27.7 million in salary cap money?

 

Jones made the tough decision to part with Ware. Soon it’ll be time to move on from the last gems of the Cowboys’ Parcells era, Romo and Jason Witten. The question is not if, but when. The earlier that’s realized and accomplished, the more value they would net a franchise in severe need of an infusion of talent.

We have a problem. Houston? What can you give us? A second-rounder this year and next year’s first?  Any other offers? Done. Sign Michael Vick to a short-term deal.

Doubt there’s a market for Witten and his contract, but fish around. Seattle could use a pass-catching tight end. Then see what Gavin Escobar can do. If he’s not the heir apparent, and there was little to believe he is from last season’s snapshot, then find out now.

Trading Witten, the franchise's greatest tight end, is not done lightly, but this is the state of emergency facing the Cowboys.

Just like winter needs to release its icy grip, Jones must accept past mistakes and move on. It’s either a slow descent or a fast one: Short-term pain and a chance at a quick recovery or continued irrelevance.

Acquire as many picks as possible and carpet bomb the next couple of drafts. After all, even a blind squirrel finds some acorns.