NFL Rumors 2016: Dallas Cowboys to Pick Between Johnny Manziel and Robert Griffin III?
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman believes team owner Jerry Jones will make a strong push to acquire a quarterback in the offseason, naming Johnny Manziel and Robert Griffin III as the top target.
Aikman said in an interview with Sports Illustrated that the Cowboys will likely sign a popular backup in the offseason, as Tony Romo continues to deal with injuries.
"I believe as I sit here today that either Johnny Manziel or Robert Griffin III will be in Dallas as a back-up," Aikman said.
Manziel, who had a troublesome rookie and sophomore seasons with the Cleveland Browns, has been linked to the Cowboys since the Browns were eliminated from playoff contention. The former Texas A&M standout did not finish the season after suffering concussion. He was fined after he was spotted in Las Vegas while under concussion protocol.
The Browns fired coach Mike Pettine following their exit in the 2015 NFL season, hiring Hue Jackson as replacement. With Jackson's entry, most analysts and fans are convinced that Manziel's time in Cleveland is over. Most analysts also believe that the Cowboys is a possible landing spot because Jones wanted to draft Manziel in 2014.
However, Aikman also said on ESPN's "Mike & Mike" radio program that the Cowboys will likely sign Griffin instead of Manziel because of the latter's off-field issues.
"I think that based on some of the other things that have happened in Dallas, a lot of the spotlight that's happened with some of the players that they've brought in, I think RGIII would be the guy who would cause the less ripple effect throughout the organization and the landscape of the NFL," Aikman added via Sporting News.
Griffin, the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, did not play even in a single game with the Redskins this season. Kirk Cousins took his spot and performed well enough to keep it, leading the Redskins to the National Football Conference wild-card match, where they eventually lost to the Green Bay Packers.
When asked about the possibility of signing Manziel or Griffin in the offseason, Jones declined to comment, saying that both quarterbacks are still with their respective teams. Jones also denied that they are planning to draft a quarterback this year, insisting that they are still hoping that Romo's health will improve.
"There's no have-to in my mind because we have the luxury of having Tony Romo for the minimum of three to five years," Jones told Dallas Morning News. "So we're going to play football and hopefully play well with a healthy Romo."
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of latinpost.com