Despite being tied to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel for months, the Cleveland Browns are expected to pass on the polarizing quarterback if he’s still available at the number four overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

The door is still hypothetically open for the Browns to take Manziel with their second first round pick (26th overall), but unless they trade up from that spot, they can probably assume he will not be available.

FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer also added that the Oakland Raiders are not considering Manziel one pick later at number six overall, which could start rumors of a potential free fall for the talented passer.

Should Manziel not already be selected among the top three picks, he could fall to the seventh spot, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be the next logical landing spot. However, the Bucs are not in dire need of a passer, while the team right behind them (Vikings) do not appear to be high on the former Aggie.

After Minnesota, the next possible team that could show interest without trading up would be the Tennessee Titans, who are uncertain about the future of Jake Locker with the team. If Manziel isn’t off the board at that point, the St. Louis Rams could be in play with the 13th overall selection. Should Manziel slide past the Rams, as well, he could experience a dramatic slide, one that could even potentially drop him out of the first round, altogether.

While a free fall certainly looks possible on paper, it’s still not very likely. The Houston Texans still kick off the draft with the top overall pick, and are rumored to be at least somewhat interested in making Manziel their top pick. They could also always trade down and select Manziel after acquiring more picks. The St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars at two and three overall would also be realistic options for Manziel.

Only time will tell how the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft will shake out, but if all of the Manziel rumors are any indication, we’re in for one crazy Thursday night.

After a ho-hum two-game night featuring blowouts by the hands of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs, NBA fans will be hoping for a little more excitement out of Wednesday night’s matchups.

They just might get it, and then some.

With the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder both under-performing their way to an 0-1 hole in their respective series, they’ll surely aim to bring their A game in an effort to avoid a disastrous 0-2 hole. Indiana welcomes the Washington Wizards back to their home court to try to get the job done, while the Los Angeles Clippers return to OKC, trying to go up, 2-0.

Let’s break both games down and see if both series can’t get tied up at one game apiece:

Washington Wizards (5) @ Indiana Pacers (1) – 7:00 PM ET

It’s starting to look like this young Wizards team is for real. They looked hungrier, faster and more assertive than Indiana in game one, as just about every starter was ablaze in a solid win.

Roy Hibbert continues to be a mess, while the Pacers simply won’t be able to avoid an 0-2 hole if Paul George plays poorly for a second straight game. Washington is younger and more athletic, but Indiana is at home and is still capable of playing much better defense. Look for them to even the series up.

Pick: Pacers 96, Wizards 94

Los Angeles Clippers (3) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (2) – 9:30 PM ET

L.A. stormed into OKC and destroyed the Thunder in game one, as Chris Paul has probably the most efficient game of his career. That won’t happen again, though, so the rest of the Clippers will need to step up a little more.

The Clippers clearly came to play in what is expected to be a long, grueling series. OKC didn’t fully show up and got caught off guard, but it’s tough to imagine a team as talented as they are to go down 0-2 at home.

Pick: Thunder 106, Clippers 101

The Dallas Mavericks can probably bank on a few more seasons of Dirk Nowitzki trying to win one more title. The star forward suggested as much in a recent interview following his Mavs’ game seven loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

“I still think I’m going to play a couple more years at a high level. And we’ll just have to wait and see, meet with Mark [Cuban] a bunch. I’m not going anywhere for a while,” Nowitzki said.

Nowitzki did allude to the Mavericks needing to at least give him a fair contract for all he’s done in Dallas. His highlights have been putting the Mavericks on the map since he first arrived, and quickly turning them into a yearly playoff team. Nowitzki is also a superstar in the league and despite his age, showed he could still play at a borderline elite level when needed during the 2013-14 NBA season.

Nowitzki was also clear that while he’d like to be paid, he also wants to make sure the deal works for both sides so the Mavericks can sign other big name free agents to help them make deep playoff runs as his career winds down.

“We’ll find a good way where I feel respected for what I did and we still have enough money left for us to get great players in here…I’m sure we’re going to find a great solution for everybody.”

Nowitzki was thought to be in decline after an injury-riddled 2012-13 season had Dallas barely making the playoffs, but he returned to form and combined with point guard Monta Ellis to give the Mavs a strong offensive punch.

Nowitzki will turn 36 years old in June, but is healthy and coming off of a strong season in which he scored 21.7 points per game. The Mavericks only finished in the eighth seed in the playoffs, but were better than advertised in the ultra competitive Eastern Conference, as they pushed the top-seeded Spurs to the brink in a full seven-game series.

The second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs is alive and well after two games played out on Monday night. The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder both entered as the top seeds, yet still managed to drop the first game of their series.

The San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat look to avoid that fate, as they welcome the Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets to their home courts, respectively.

With the way the playoffs have gone so far, it’s nearly impossible to predict how matchups will play out. However, the Nets had Miami’s number during the regular season and the Blazers they have proven they can hang with anyone.

Here’s to trying to pick winners for tonight’s NBA Playoff action:

Brooklyn Nets (6) @ Miami Heat (2) – 7:00 PM ET

The Nets owned the Heat during the regular season, although it’s pretty important to point out the all of the games came down to the wire. In the playoffs, the much more talented Heat have to have the upper end. It won’t help Brooklyn that the series tips off in Miami, either.

In fact, the Nets may not have survived the first round had it not been for two big performances by big man Kevin Garnett, who played over his season average in minutes. He may have to do so again all series for Brooklyn to stand a chance. The Heat are well rested and at home, though, so it’s doubtful the Nets get off to the hot 1-0 start they desperately need.

Pick: Heat 106, Nets 104

Portland Trail Blazers (5) @ San Antonio Spurs (1) – 9:30 PM ET

This is a very interesting series, as the Blazers present the same matchup problems that the Dallas Mavericks did in round one, and that first round series took the Spurs to seven games. The main difference is the Blazers are simply younger and more explosive than Dallas, and present an even bigger threat.

With that said, the Blazers also play no defense and lack experience. It’s great for them to get out of the first round against a good Rockets team, but it’s a whole different story to come into San Antonio and push the Spurs around. San Antonio will have their work cut out for them, but after surviving a first round scare, look for them to be a little more disciplined on both sides of the ball. Gregg Popovich is also a master at in-game adjustments, so the minute LaMarcus Aldridge starts going off, the Spurs will look to cool it down.

Pick: Spurs 97, Blazers 95

After a wild first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, no one can be sure what to expect when the second round tops off on Monday night. One thing we can probably bet on, though, is some more intense playoff action.

The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder get things started at home in round two, as they prepare to host the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers, respectively.

Let’s take a closer look at both game ones and see if we can’t come away with a winner in each:

Washington Wizards (5) @ Indiana Pacers (1) – 7:00 PM ET

Washington shocked everyone with a convincing 4-1 series win over the Chicago Bulls in round one, while the Pacers were equally surprising, needing seven games to rid of the pesky Atlanta Hawks.

The Wiz absolutely have the youth, athleticism and size to challenge the Pacers, but unlike their round matchup, Indiana actually should lineup well against the Wizards. After surviving a scare and coming together with two straight wins the Pacers are suddenly starting to look more like a number one overall seed. Look for them to get this series started off on the right foot with a win at home.

Pick: Pacers 106, Wizards 99

Los Angeles Clippers (3) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (2) – 9:30 PM ET

Both the Clippers and Thunder just escaped from tough first round series, as both entered game seven’s and survived. The Clippers exerted much more energy in their series finale, though, so it’s going to be hard for them to go on the road and get a win to kick this series off.

Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan absolutely have the size and athleticism to dominate the Thunder down low, but it’s going to take more than brute force to upend OKC at home. Chris Paul will have to step up his game to match the intensity, while also trying to slow down the electrifying Russell Westbrook. Oh, and then there’s that whole issue of guarding Kevin Durant.

L.A. might be able to make this a long series, but we’ll have to see them test the waters before we believe they’ll start stealing games in OKC. For now, the Thunder look to be the better team and they should lock down the 1-0 series lead with a win tonight.

Pick: Thunder 103, Clippers 101

Not much went right for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2013-14 NBA season. Despite a season in which the team was openly tanking to earn a top pick for the 2014 NBA Draft, though, some good news did exist: rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams earned Rookie of the Year honors.

MCW didn’t face much stiff competition as a rookie, clearly operating as the most versatile rookie player in the league, making an impact as a scorer, passer and defensive asset. His Sixers teams was best known for an epic losing streak near the end of the year, as well as their depleted roster, but Carter-Williams did an excellent job putting up quality numbers despite the problems surrounding him.

Carter-Williams even dealt with soreness and swelling in his knee during the season, yet impressively missed just 12 games on the year. While most rookies hit “the rookie wall” in their first year, due to the college basketball season having 40-50 less games on average, MCW powered through and finished with several strong games. MCW eve played 34 minutes in the season finale against the Heat in Miami, as the Sixers earned an unlikely win against the defending champs to close out an otherwise brutal season on a high note.

MCW became the first player (and second player ever) since Los Angeles Lakers’ phenom Magic Johnson to compile averages of 16 points, six assists, six rebounds and 1.9 steals per game in his rookie season. Carter-Williams’ official season-ending numbers were a very impressive 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

While his bulky knee was a problem for him at times, MCW still kept his play at a high level. However, his biggest enemy throughout the year was probably the lack of talent around him on his roster. Philly traded away most of their talent mid-way through the season, leaving the Sixers’ roster quite bare. MCW was forced to try to produce and win games with no-name players, yet found a way to carry his team to some wins, while putting up very solid numbers.

Just 22 years old, the raw Syracuse product’s main issues to improve upon going into the 2014-15 NBA season will be efficiency, shot selection, defense and decision-making. He already has elite size at 6’7” to be a one of a kind point guard, but will need to properly utilize his length and athleticism to defend better, while also using his passing and vision to set his teammates up better than he already has.

A solid shooter, MCW should see a jump in shooting percentage in year two if he can manage to take better shots and get some extra help, which should help him to not force offense when his shot isn’t falling.

Two more series remain in the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, as Sunday offers up two more epic game seven finishes. Saturday night did much the same, showcasing an amazing three game seven conclusions.

Sunday won’t be much different, as the West’s top-seeded San Antonio Spurs cap round one by hosting the feisty eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks. The night gets started with an equally intense battle from the East, with the Canada-based Toronto Raptors hosting the Brooklyn Nets.

Just three series in the entire first round of the playoffs didn’t go the the seventh and final game of the maximum allowed in a series, with Sunday’s two contests putting the finishing touches on a chaotic and highly entertaining kick off round to the NBA Playoffs.

Let’s break down these final two contests of round one and see if we can’t correctly predict the winners:

Brooklyn Nets (6) @ Toronto Raptors (3) – 1:00 PM ET

Toronto had the Nets up against the ropes going into game six, but couldn’t seal the deal in Brooklyn. That brings the series back to Canada, where the Raptors got this series off to a rough 0-1 start.

Experience has kept the Nets in this series, while youth and athleticism is what has been working for them thus far. Even on the road, however, it’s tough to think that the veteran squad lead by Paul Pierce and Deron Williams will drop to a fledgling team in seven games. It could be a toss up, but one thing’s for sure; it’ll go down to the wire.

Pick: Nets 98, Raptors 97

Dallas Mavericks (8) @ San Antonio Spurs (1) – 3:30 PM ET

Dallas travels to San Antonio in the first round capper, where the Spurs have lost just 10 times all season, including their series with the Mavericks. Dallas has had an extremely difficult time containing Tiago Splitter inside, typically losing gamers where the Spurs dominate the paint.

If the Mavs are going to shock the world, their interior defense will need to border on decent, while Dirk Nowitzki will probably need to come out red hot. That’s an unlikely duo on the road in a huge game seven, however.

Pick: Spurs 97, Mavericks 89

Andy Dalton has done a pretty solid job as starting quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals through his first three seasons. It’s possible the job he has done hasn’t been good enough.

Per ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, the Bengals could seriously consider drafting Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater if he free falls all the way to their 24th overall selection in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Despite Dalton posting career numbers in 2013 and guiding Cincy to a third straight post-season appearance, there is enough doubt about him being the franchise’s true long-term answer under center to potentially make drafting a sliding quarterback very appealing. While Dalton has seemed to have improve at least statistically each year, the Bengals have yet to win a playoff game in any of their three appearances with Dalton at the helm.

Bridgewater’s talent and leadership could force Cincinnati’s hand, putting him “in discussion” as a “fallback option” late in round one.

The Bengals are a well built and balanced team on both sides of the ball, but drafting a quarterback with questions of his own is likely to be a highly scrutinized move. After all, the Bengals have several other glaring needs, specifically at linebacker, safety and cornerback.

A player like Bridgewater could still ignite a fire under the franchise, while it’s very arguable that Bridgewater has more natural talent and a better arm than Dalton. Dalton’s lack of elite arm strength has been a highly targeted flaw in his game, and if the Cincy brass thinks it’s what is keeping the Bengals from taking their game to the next level, upgrading over him might be the route they end up taking.

This is draft rumor season, though so it’s also entirely possible the Bengals are content with their draft board, but are trying to brew up interest in their pick. With Bridgewater already tentatively expected to slide in the first round of this year’s draft, Cincinnati could be trying to generate interest in their pick so they can try to trade down.

NBA fans couldn’t ask for a better slate of weekend playoff games. The first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs is just about over, as five games will be played over Saturday and Sunday – all potentially epic game seven’s.

It all gets started with three series-ending clashes on Saturday night, with the Pacers and Hawks squaring off in Indianapolis, followed by battles between the Grizzlies and Thunder and Clippers and Warriors.

Will Hawks or Grizzlies pull off a major upset? Or will all the home teams (and top seeds) prevail? Let’s break down tonight’s three playoff matchups to find out:

Atlanta Hawks (8) @ Indiana Pacers (1) – 5:30 PM ET

Atlanta has been scraping and clawing their way through this series thus far, but failing to win on their own court in game six probably did them in. Indiana was floundering through this series and looked lost for the better part of it, but may have gained their confidence back when they tied it up at 3-3.

With the series reverting back to Indiana, the top seed in the East should have their mojo back. It’d be a shock at this point if the Pacers didn’t move on to round two.

Pick: Pacers 105, Hawks 99

Memphis Grizzlies (7) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (2) – 8:00 PM ET

There have been no tougher fought series, as these two teams have come together for a ridiculous four straight overtime games. It may all be for nothing if you’re a Memphis follower, though, as the team couldn’t close the series out in game six on their home court and now big man Zach Randolph is suspended for game seven for throwing a punch on Thunder center, Steven Adams.

Add in point guard Mike Conley being less than 100% for the Grizz, and it may take a miracle for this game to even be close in the final minutes. It’s an unfortunate ending for what was one of the best series of the playoffs, but it looks the the Thunder will escape into round two.

Pick: Thunder 98, Grizzlies 90

Golden State Warriors (6) @ Los Angeles Clippers (3) – 10:30 PM ET

Golden State has been rather pesky in this series, stealing game one and then taking care of business at home with two wins in three tries. The Clippers at least have the benefit of game seven landing in Los Angeles, where they’ve also won two of three on their own court.

Blake Griffin hasn’t had it easy with the Warriors playing physical defense on him all series long, while star point guard Chris Paul clearly hasn’t been himself for most of the series, either. L.A. is the better team and they’re at home, though, so they’ll look to close out their series with the win.

Pick: Clippers 104, Warriors 103

Johnny Manziel is arguably the most polarizing player heading into the 2014 NFL Draft. He’s controversial off the field and an enigma on it. NFL teams don’t know which way to lean, naturally causing his draft stock to fluctuate through the draft season.

It’s not so hard to gauge his future, though, per 12 of 20 polled NFL executives. According to a recent poll done by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 12 of 20 executives label the electrifying Manziel as a “miss”, essentially labeling him as a bust for this year’s draft.

Many scouts remain concerned about Manziel’s height and size, as he’s one of the smallest quarterbacks in this year’s draft class and NFL history doesn’t boast a large amount of successful quarterback under six feet. Drew Brees, Russell Wilson and Michael Vick are three high profile quarterbacks that have found major success at the highest level, however, leading the other eight polled execs to worry less about his size than others.

Ultimately, 12 out of 20 is a majority, but it’s also close to a split decision. That’s the expected take on Manziel, who even despite his size limitations can be a frustrating player to grade thanks to both his whimsical play-making, as well as his annoying bad habits.

It’s certainly worth noting what NFL executives say and think on both sides of the Johnny Football debate. Then again, it might not matter at all in the end. After all, a litany of scouts loved guys like JaMarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf and Blaine Gabbert. Those three alone were three of the biggest busts at the quarterback position in the draft’s history.

On the flip-side, many were down on guys like Drew Brees, Russell Wilson and Cam Newton. Whether it was size, accuracy, consistency or decision-making, those guys were labeled busts prematurely by many and two of the three went on to win Super Bowls. And all three have turned into extremely successful quarterbacks.

The future isn’t yet written for Manziel, as May 8th’s draft is still about a week away. All we know for sure is that, just like his play on the field, we’re not quite sure what to expect next.