The Dallas Cowboys almost went in a wildly different direction a decade ago.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Cowboys selected future Hall of Fame Zack Martin with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round. That pick would obviously pay dividends, with Martin going on to make seven first-team All-Pro teams, two second-team All-Pro teams, and nine Pro Bowls in his 10-year career.
However, according to Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, if team owner Jerry Jones had had his way, Dallas would have gone with a much more controversial and needle-moving pick - Heisman Trophy winner and Texas A&M Aggies star, Johnny Manziel.
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"We go 'let's talk about Johnny Manziel,' and everybody in the room just had their head down, not saying a word," Jones said during an appearance at an event with the Sports Business Journal. "And then I said, 'Dad, I know this is a hard thing because everybody knows you want Johnny, but as you've heard some of the things, I don't think he's the right guy for us,' and so roll the clock forward, and we end up picking Zack Martin."
"And boy, it is tense. Usually after every pick, we’re all clapping, high-fiving—[saying] 'Boy, isn't that a great pick.' Well, after we pick Zack Martin... Jerry looks over at me, slaps me on the leg, and he goes: 'Son, I didn't get to buy the Dallas Cowboys... we're not sitting here 'cause you do down-the-middle-of-the-road things. What you just did is down the middle. You'll never be great.'"
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Jones was quick to point out that it wasn't an issue that the coaches or other staff members in the building had with him.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and chief EVP Stephen Jones react before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and chief EVP Stephen Jones react before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Rather, it was more about the fact that Dallas already had Tony Romo on the roster performing at a high level at the time, and the idea that drafting a polarizing figure like Manziel to put behind him, would erode the team's chemsitry.
"It was nothing against Johnny Manziel, he's a great competitor, it was just 'do you use your first-round pick?'" Jones said. "And of course, we had Tony Romo in the building, and so it was more about that. Do create that kind of anxiety in the organization by bringing him (Manziel) in?"
Of course, things worked out in the Cowboys' favor. Martin went down as one of the best to ever play the guard position in the NFL and locked up a Hall of Fame induction in the years to come. Meanwhile, Manziel struggled with his maturity and mental health once he got to the NFL level, and was never able to establish a career for himself.
Still, what Johnny Football would have looked like in a Cowboys uniform, and how he would have performed with a star on his helmet is certainly a fun conversation to consider.
Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel
Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel throws in the third quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Kyle Field / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
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