Jerry Jones Said Manziel Was Among Cowboys' Top 5-6 Players on Draft Board

Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has been on a seesaw throughout the team's depth chart this season. He's gone from starting the year as a backup to being promoted to starter and then entered Week 12 as a third-stringer. 

While he is miring in a tough situation in Cleveland, things could have played out much differently for Manziel.

On Tuesday, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan's K&C Masterpiece show (h/t the Dallas Morning News' Jon Machota) that Manziel was among the team's five or six top targets in the 2014 NFL draft.   

The Cowboys could have used his presence now, with starting quarterback Tony Romo out for the season with a shoulder injury. Instead of developing a young quarterback like Manziel, Dallas had to start Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel. Now it is 3-8 and sits on the bottom of the NFC East. 

That's not to say Manziel could have improved the Cowboys' situation.

Jones discussed the team's situation on 105.3 The Fan:

"

Do you remember two years ago when we sat there right to the last second on the clock with Manziel? My whole point is, there you are. That was the whole purpose of doing that. At that particular time, for a first-round pick, I thought that Romo had more time. And if we sat there and worked with Manziel for four or five years, now we all know what's happened. We know the off-the-field issues. But on our board, one of our top five or six picks dropped down to us and it was at the quarterback position, and I absolutely was a vote of one in that room to basically go there. And I understood why. 

"

Selecting 16th that year, the Cowboys instead went with guard Zack Martin out of Notre Dame, who was selected to the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro first team during his first professional season. 

The Browns, who were making their second selection of the first round at No. 22, snapped up Manziel. Dallas didn't pick again until 34th overall. 

Instead of playing for a Browns team that has seemed hesitant to give him a starting spot, Manziel could have been thrust into the spotlight this season in Dallas with Romo's injury trouble. 

This would have come, though, after a full season of observing and learning under an established quarterback like Romo in Dallas instead of competing for time with Brian Hoyer, Josh McCown and Austin Davis in Cleveland. 

While Manziel might continue to stay on the bench even after McCown's injury on Monday night, Jones and Cowboys fans can only wonder "what if?" when it comes to the possibility of Johnny Football suiting up in the Lone Star State. 

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.