After a short respite Saturday night at the Final Four in Arlington, Texas, Johnny Manziel is shifting his attention back to football.
Manziel will visit the Raiders Sunday night and Monday, the quarterback told NFL Media analyst Gil Brandt Sunday morning before getting on a plane to Oakland.
The Raiders, who hold the draft's fifth overall pick, traded for Matt Schaub last month and reportedly have "a massive crush" on former Fresno State QB Derek Carr, but it isn't stopping them from doing their due diligence on Manziel, a likely top-10 pick.
Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie has holes that need to be filled elsewhere -- wide receiver and offensive line leading among them -- in addition to the pressing need of finding a long-term answer at quarterback, so some project the club will wait to draft a signal-caller until the second round or later.
Head coach Dennis Allen said Schaub, 32, is not just a stopgap and could start for the next three or four seasons, but Schaub's restructured contract suggests the team is much more in wait-and-see mode than Allen's comments suggest. Schaub's new deal doesn't include any guaranteed money beyond the 2014 season -- if he fails to bounce back from a disappointing 2013 season, the Raiders could cut him after next season to clear the way for a prized draft pick without taking a hit.
That said, if Manziel is the player the Raiders covet as a potential replacement for Schaub, they have done a good job of sending the narrative in the opposite direction this offseason.
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Oakland drafting UCF quarterback Blake Bortles with the fifth pick, while fellow analysts Bucky Brooks and Charles Davis both have Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson going to the Raiders in their latest mock drafts.
