The Dallas Cowboys own the 16th pick in the upcoming 2014 NFL Draft, but the team is reportedly planning to make a splash by trading up to get a chance at drafting their top target.
ESPN Cleveland insider Tony Grossi reported on Monday that the Cowboys will look to trade up in the draft in order to pick former Texas A&M standout Johnny Manziel, one of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming draft.
"I can say this, he's going to be the guy everyone wants to see," Grossi wrote. "I've heard this rumor for a month -- the Cowboys will figure out a way to get Manziel. Wherever Manziel goes, there is going to be more clamoring about Johnny Manziel than there would be about Blake Bortles going No. 1 or Clowney going No. 1, or anyone else."
However, Grossi pointed out that the Cowboys will have to be extra aggressive on trade front, saying that the Cleveland Browns are also looking at drafting Manziel.
According to Grossi, the Browns are strongly considering drafting the 21-year-old quarterback, knowing that the fans' interest in the squad will shoot up dramatically if they decide to draft the former Heisman Trophy winner.
"This is a guy that there's just a tremendous interest in everything he does," Grossi said. "If the Browns take him, the interest in the Cleveland Browns nationally -- and that's true for any team - is going be just off the charts."
And if the Browns are indeed strongly considering selecting Manziel, it means that the Cowboys will have to move up to No.3 in order to draft the 2012 AP Player of the Year.
When asked about their interest in Manziel, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said that all talks at this point are purely speculations, but he had nothing but praises for Manziel.
"The only thing I'll say about Johnny Manziel is he obviously had a great career in college, one of the greatest college football players that I've watched in terms of exciting and being a great competitor," Jones said. "Those are things we'll work through and there's a lot of things that go into where you ultimately put a player on your board."
