Ironman92;1564850 wrote:So Manziel weighs 20 lbs more than Fran.....how big was the average o-line and d-line guys when Fran played 6-1 or 6'2........being about the same height Fran would have a better view for sure. How big and fast were the LB and DE? The LB's and DB's are way bigger or way faster and all are way stronger than almost every guy that played in Fran's days.
I do think Manziel can be a productive starter.....1st ballot HOF guy is a tough comparison.
Fran was a lowly regarded 3rd round pick out of Georgia. He was too small to play in the NFL. The Viking head coach, Van Brocklin couldn't stand his unorthodoxed style and shipped him to New York in the prime of his career.
In size comparison, Tarkenton was 5 11, 170...a midget even in that era. but he never got hurt. Ever. Why? He knew when to bail and rarely took a shot. I'm not saying that there's a road paved to Canton for Manziel. What I'm saying is that Manziel is the only quarterback I've ever seen that has the same escapability as Tark. Running around the backfield, dodging 300 lb. d tackles/ends. Imagine Gordon and Sammy Wadkins having 7-8 seconds to break open. Back to Tarkenton. Fran's completion numbers at Georgia were barely over 50% and his td to interception ration was about 1 to 1. Manziel's numbers are far superior to Tarkenton...not even close. In the NFL, Fan completed less than 60% of his passes, but won a lot of games with his legs. I think Manziel can do the same.