@texasag1969 said:

And with that kind of NIL money, why take a chance this year when the Browns have all that draft power when he can stay at Texas another year and maybe get another team to take him in 2027? Plus how much more will Texas fork up to keep him another year? If he plays well you can bet it will be more than $6.5 million.    PS_Wouldn't that be mirific!!?

Eggs-actly Aggies!  I think a few of us were thinking Arch would stay at Texas for more than just the 2025 season when we had this discussion about 2-3 months ago.  

@flugel said:

? Stop with the multi-syllables.  Otherwise, spot-on...

The Mannings aren't stupid; while their youngest QB has a 6.5 million $ NIL contract in a college football program that he has yet to win the starting job at.  My guess?  That family will only have eyes for Jimmy if Arch is a bust.  As someone that watched his grandfather play in the NFL (and many of his highlights at Ole Miss) - Arch has a lot more than the 1st syllable of his 1st name in common with his grandfather.  He also has Grandpa's footspeed and change direction genes that bypassed Peyton & Eli. His dad Cooper also had those genes which is why he played WR instead of QB.  What I'm waiting to see is if Arch also has the same arm talent gene his grandfather had that his dad (Cooper) didn't get.  Should be interesting.  

The ONLY question I have is - who here really thinks the Mannings want Arch to be drafted by Jimmy Haslam?   

And with that kind of NIL money, why take a chance this year when the Browns have all that draft power when he can stay at Texas another year and maybe get another team to take him in 2027? Plus how much more will Texas fork up to keep him another year? If he plays well you can bet it will be more than $6.5 million.    PS_Wouldn't that be mirific!!?

@tiamat63 said:

 What I'm conveying is that Haslam is a bit altruisticly self-serving.  His connections to the university, the Mannings, etc etc.... all for the greater glory to his status and image. 

? Stop with the multi-syllables.  Otherwise, spot-on...

The Mannings aren't stupid; while their youngest QB has a 6.5 million $ NIL contract in a college football program that he has yet to win the starting job at.  My guess?  That family will only have eyes for Jimmy if Arch is a bust.  As someone that watched his grandfather play in the NFL (and many of his highlights at Ole Miss) - Arch has a lot more than the 1st syllable of his 1st name in common with his grandfather.  He also has Grandpa's footspeed and change direction genes that bypassed Peyton & Eli. His dad Cooper also had those genes which is why he played WR instead of QB.  What I'm waiting to see is if Arch also has the same arm talent gene his grandfather had that his dad (Cooper) didn't get.  Should be interesting.  

The ONLY question I have is - who here really thinks the Mannings want Arch to be drafted by Jimmy Haslam?   

@tiamat63 said:

Haslam is a bit altruisticly self-serving.  His connections to the university, the Mannings, etc etc.... all for the greater glory to his status and image. 

Yes.  And he tries to force that to happen.  He aligns himself with Bill Parcells.  He hires him to evaluate the QB's in the draft.  Parcells tells him, Whatever you do, don't draft Manziel.  But Haslam can't help it.  It's instant notoriety.  No having to wait for playoff wins.  He changed our beloved uniforms into clown costumes so it could be New And Improved !  You Ohioans are lucky about 2 things.  That Tennessee already has a football team.  And that he's getting his new stadium complex.  

@orion said:

Well, there's a reason for that.  Knoxville was his hometown.  Pilot Flying J was headquartered there.  His brother was the governor of TN.  

 What I'm conveying is that Haslam is a bit altruisticly self-serving.  His connections to the university, the Mannings, etc etc.... all for the greater glory to his status and image. 

@dutch-oven said:

As of today, Arch Manning has less than 100 college pass attempts and two starts. 

So there's two ways this can play out if Haslam has his heart set on Manning: 

1. He enters the NFL Draft in 2026 with a maximum of 17 college starts, or...

2. He returns to college football for another season and doesn't enter the 2026 Draft, and the Browns do not use their probable high two first round picks to secure themselves a franchise QB, instead wait for the 2027 Draft and try to get Manning then. He might fall right into their laps with their probable ONE first round pick in 2027, or they might have to give up a boatload of picks for the apple of Jimmy's eye. 

How the turntables... 

Aside from all that, Arch has an NIL contract paying him $6.5 million.  The ONLY question I have - is how did this discussion/topic get so brand new all of a sudden?  

The biggest of 2 reasons Uncle Peyton went back to UT was to get his 4th season of experience as a starting QB.  The reality that he started as a true freshman also means he wasn't getting the additional red-shirt year of experience.  The 2nd reason (when we factor in how important college football rivalries like Ohio State-Michigan & Florida-Tennessee) is that senior season was supposed to be their best chance at beating Florida.  Well, they didn't beat Florida.  However, that didn't prevent Peyton from being the 1st overall pick in the draft for the Colts - or, stop him from succeeding all the way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  

Like we discussed a few months ago, there's no urgency for Arch to make Cleveland his priority in 2026.  While the Mannings appreciate/respect Jimmy for how it all worked out with Peyton at UT; they're not ignorant of Jimmy's self-induced trend of train-wrecks in Cleveland.  I've been wrong before, but I doubt they ever want to see Arch playing for Jimmy in Cleveland.  

@tiamat63 said:

I'm positive Haslam loves having the ties to Tennessee

Well, there's a reason for that.  Knoxville was his hometown.  Pilot Flying J was headquartered there.  His brother was the governor of TN.  

@tiamat63 said:

Levity aside - it does.     

 I acknowledge Peyton's steady hand involved in the ownership history of Haslam with the Browns.  He was the one who told JH that this team wouldn't see the playoffs with Banner and Lombardi at the helm.   Haslam rightly listened. 

 But this is where things get problematic.  I'm positive Haslam loves having the ties to Tennessee and the Mannings. Good for his image, his brand and gets to be in the company of football royalty while accomplishing nothing on the field himself - people LOVE brushing elbows.   Peyton seems like a straight shooter when it comes to talent.  But when it comes to family, people can struggle to give honest assessments.   There is also a certain delusion that may occupy JH's mind that "I can field another Manning and then the whole family will be more visible in Cleveland"...     Or possibly even involved with the Browns front office is some shape or form.  

 This piece was run by Grossi and now Cowherd is screaming it from the mountain tops.   I'm also positive they have never received word from anyone about the validity of their stories.  But this may be one of the wild assumptions where, you know someone's mentality, that you fill in the blanks and it ends up having a modicum of truth to it.

 I hope and pray either Arch looks like the 2nd coming or sensible minds prevail in CLE.

As of today, Arch Manning has less than 100 college pass attempts and two starts. 

So there's two ways this can play out if Haslam has his heart set on Manning: 

1. He enters the NFL Draft in 2026 with a maximum of 17 college starts, or...

2. He returns to college football for another season and doesn't enter the 2026 Draft, and the Browns do not use their probable high two first round picks to secure themselves a franchise QB, instead wait for the 2027 Draft and try to get Manning then. He might fall right into their laps with their probable ONE first round pick in 2027, or they might have to give up a boatload of picks for the apple of Jimmy's eye. 

How the turntables... 

@dutch-oven said:

How old is Saban?

Seems like something Haslam would do. 

Levity aside - it does.     

 I acknowledge Peyton's steady hand involved in the ownership history of Haslam with the Browns.  He was the one who told JH that this team wouldn't see the playoffs with Banner and Lombardi at the helm.   Haslam rightly listened. 

 But this is where things get problematic.  I'm positive Haslam loves having the ties to Tennessee and the Mannings. Good for his image, his brand and gets to be in the company of football royalty while accomplishing nothing on the field himself - people LOVE brushing elbows.   Peyton seems like a straight shooter when it comes to talent.  But when it comes to family, people can struggle to give honest assessments.   There is also a certain delusion that may occupy JH's mind that "I can field another Manning and then the whole family will be more visible in Cleveland"...     Or possibly even involved with the Browns front office is some shape or form.  

 This piece was run by Grossi and now Cowherd is screaming it from the mountain tops.   I'm also positive they have never received word from anyone about the validity of their stories.  But this may be one of the wild assumptions where, you know someone's mentality, that you fill in the blanks and it ends up having a modicum of truth to it.

 I hope and pray either Arch looks like the 2nd coming or sensible minds prevail in CLE.

Not so. They also focused on very unshiny helmets.?

@orion said:

I'm not a Cow-heard fan...but he seems to know Haslem.  

I think we have known for awhile JH has a big hard on for Arch.... Nothing earth shattering here... But I don't expect to see Arch come out till 27.. I think the Browns like Klubnik as well.. I just don't see Sanders as the long term answer... There's just something iffy about him besides the obvious Deion connection... The Browns seem more focused on Shiny new stadiums and Parking Attendance than they do winning...

Seems like something Haslam would do. 

@ap1 said:

I'm not a Cow-heard fan...but he seems to know Haslem.