If there were any questions about Johnny Manziel's ability to command the room and instill confidence in his teammates, former Texas A&M stars Mike Evans and Jake Matthews put the subject to rest at the 2014 NFL Rookie Symposium on Tuesday.
First-round draft pick signing tracker
No. 1 pick Jadeveon Clowney has already signed his deal with the Texans. Find out which other first-rounders have secured contracts. **More...**
"The NFL hasn't seen anything like (Manziel). He's a better passer than most people give him credit for and he can adapt," Evans said, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. "I think he's the best quarterback prospect in this draft, and I think he'll change the program here in Cleveland."
Evans also said he and his teammates "loved" Manziel, who is the smartest player they have been around.
"I trusted him," Matthews added. "He was one of the guys in the locker room, for sure, and I didn't resent (his fame)."
On the heels of Johnny Football's controversial offseason filled with Vegas trips, bikini-clad girls and inflatable swans, Evans believes the quarterback will turn the party mode off once training camp begins.
"He's just under a bigger microscope," Evans explained. "Everybody does it. When he gets on the field, all of that will go to rest."
The defense of Manziel wasn't limited to former teammates. Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix fully expects Manziel's game to translate to the next level.
"It's very tough preparing for a guy like him," Clinton Dix said, via the Beacon Journal. "Playing against him for two years in the SEC, he always comes prepared and ready to play."
Browns teammates have questioned Manziel's mediahype and extracurricular activities. Those who have played with him in the past expect all of that noise to quiet down once the hitting starts.
In the latest episode of the "Around The League Podcast," the guys discuss Rob Gronkowski's expected return to action and Cordarrelle Patterson's potential rise this season.
