Former CFL general manager and head coach Danny Macioicia said he would not have made the trade for Johnny Manziel the day it happened and the Grey Cup champion is holding true to that statement.
The Montreal Alouettes were directed by the CFL to release Manziel after it was found that he contravened the agreement which made him eligible to play in the league. The CFL informed all of its member clubs that the league will not register a contract for Manziel should any franchise attempt to sign him.
“Knowing what we all know today as far as some of that language that was in that contract when that transaction was made – more reasons why I wouldn’t have made the trade. Just because there are so many red flags in the language of that contract,” Maciocia, the current University of Montreal head coach, said on TSN radio in Montreal.
In December, 2017, the league issued a statement which said it engaged in a thorough process to determine the eligibility of Manziel, whose CFL rights were held by Hamilton at the time. That process included an assessment by an independent expert on domestic violence (the CFL has a formal policy on violence against women), a review by legal counsel, and an in-person discussion conducted by the commissioner.
The league was prepared to approve a contract for Manziel provided one was negotiated and he continued to meet a number of conditions set by the league. Those stipulations were confidential, out of respect for laws governing personal privacy, but extensive and exacting.
“More importantly, is there any additional language in the contract that I need to be made aware of? As far as – I’m just going to throw it out there – drug testing, medical health and if there’s a lot of language in there as far as all these obligations that he needs to respect in order for that contract to be valid moving forward, those are all red flags,” Macioca said.
Manziel was banned from the CFL after missing required meetings with people tasked to help him stay on the straight and narrow – a violation of the agreement set out by the league, according to 3DownNation insider Justin Dunk.
Manziel was acquired in a blockbuster in-season trade last year when the Alouettes sent Canadian defensive end Jamaal Westerman, receiver Chris Williams and two first round draft picks to the Ticats for the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner.
“These are all things that I need to take into consideration before I’m going to go out there and acquire his services. It’s so important that you know the terms and the conditions of the contract that you’re going to inherit through a transaction – it’s critical,” Macocia said.
“You can’t move just on the length of the contract and on the dollar figures, there is other language that you have to factor in before you make a transaction.”
