As a first-time general manager taking charge of a quarterback-needy team, Jason Licht’s initial plan was to start his Tampa Bay Buccaneers tenure with a bang, by hand-picking his quarterback of the future with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
“I really went into that draft wanting to draft a quarterback,” Licht told Chris Long on the Green Light Podcast. “I really wanted to draft Johnny Manziel.”
Licht’s desire to put his stamp on the franchise with his own quarterback made a lot of sense. After all, he was inheriting a team with an unproven Mike Glennon as the starting quarterback. One of Licht’s first big transactions was signing Josh McCown away from the Chicago Bears in free agency, but while hopeful, the team knew that he wasn’t a realistic long-term answer.
“I locked myself in my office watching quarterbacks that year… I’d wake up again, ‘Okay, I’ve got to watch Johnny Manziel again.’ And every time I was watching it, Mike would just make these spectacular catches… it just became apparent that Mike was the guy.”
In their two collegiate seasons at Texas A&M, Manziel and Evans led the Aggies to a 20–6 record. Evans caught 151 passes for 2,499 yards and 17 touchdowns. Manziel called Evans a “man amongst boys”, and that sentiment has carried over to his NFL career. In hindsight, it’s easy to see why Licht became so enamored with Evans during the pre-draft process.
But what if Licht had given in to his urge to draft Manziel? Not at No. 7 overall, but after Manziel began to unexpectedly slide down the draft board. He wasn’t taken until No. 22 overall by the Cleveland Browns.
What if Licht had traded up from No. 38 in the second round to the back end of the first — trading a significant package to keep Evans and Manziel together by bringing them both to Tampa Bay? Though trading up for Manziel would’ve likely cost the Bucs a hefty price, in hindsight, it wouldn’t have mattered much in the long run.
Second-rounder Austin Seferian-Jenkins was cut early in his third season after a DUI. Third-round pick Charles Sims had one mildly productive season but never broke out, finishing with just over 500 yards and no touchdowns at his peak. No one from that Buccaneers draft class outside of Evans lasted more than five years in the league.
Needless to say, even if taking a massive swing on Manziel were to cost the Bucs significant draft capital in 2014, it wouldn’t have cost them any meaningful value in the long run, and might’ve been a risk worth taking to kick off the Licht era.
Would Johnny Manziel have succeeded in Tampa Bay playing with Mike Evans?
Safe to say, Manziel’s NFL career didn’t live up to the massive expectations that came as a result of his prolific college career. He appeared in only 14 games as a pro, with only eight starts. Manziel went 2-6 as starter, completing a dismal 57% of his passes for 1675 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He added 259 yards on the ground and one rushing touchdown.
After just two seasons in the NFL, Manziel flamed out and never got another opportunity. But it wasn’t due to a lack of talent — it was his immaturity and lack of both effort and passion for the game that ultimately doomed Manziel, and he’s been honest about that.
Evans, on the other hand, couldn’t have had a more opposite career trajectory. He’s entering the twelfth season of his prolific career, and has joined Jerry Rice as the only two receivers in NFL history with 11 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, with a chance to take sole possession of the record in 2025. He also owns the record for most consecutive 1,000 yard seasons to begin a career, with the next closest being Randy Moss with just six.
While Evans continues to carve out a Hall of Fame-caliber career, it’s hard not to wonder whether a different environment, one that kept the two teammates together, could’ve changed Manziel’s story.
Manziel landed in a dysfunctional Browns organization with little veteran leadership outside of Hall of Famer Joe Thomas. But what if he had come to Tampa Bay alongside his best friend, someone who might’ve helped keep him grounded both and off the field?
“Mike Evans. That’s somebody that, man. What a brother to me, man. It makes me emotional even thinking about it,” Manziel said on Club Shay Shay. “We got to come in at the same time and redshirt. And that redshirt year, we were tearing their ass up on the scout team.”
“Me and him had that relationship that was like, special special. It’ll never be taken from us… to have a special bond with somebody, that kid, that guy, that man means the f—ing world to me.”
Evans wasn’t the only positive force in that Buccaneers locker room. He had a strong mentor in the late-great Vincent Jackson, a respected veteran who was instrumental in Evans’ growth into a true professional. It’s not hard to imagine that same environment helping Manziel take a different path.
Between their chemistry and raw talent, it’s hard not to wonder how the Buccaneers — and NFL history — might’ve looked if Manziel and Evans had reunited in the pros. After dominating the college football landscape together, maybe Manziel would’ve maintained his focus and developed into a star alongside Evans.
There’s no doubt Jason Licht made the right call on draft night, as his first-ever draft pick has blossomed into the best offensive player in franchise history and a surefire Hall of Famer, while Manziel was out of the league after two seasons. Still, it’s fun to look back and imagine what could’ve been.