National Football League

Better late than never: 'Money Manziel' gets business lesson at NFLPA Rookie Premiere

Published May. 31, 2014 11:42 a.m. ET

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Lindsey Foltin

Johnny Football is learning a lot more about being 'Money Manziel' this weekend.

The Browns quarterback, along with 29 of the best rookies in football, were in Los Angeles Friday for the annual NFL Players Association Rookie Premiere.

Players attending the event had the chance to meet with sponsors, partners and licensees in their first major marketing event, which is designed to give rookies a taste of the business side to professional football.

DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director and the NFLPA organized workshops and programs to help the players adjust to their new found status as NFL players.

Manziel missed the first day due to Browns Organized Team Activities, but many players were allowed special permission to miss OTAs to attend the event. Given Johnny Football's rock star status, it might have been wise for the Browns to follow suit, as he's surely the type of player that could really benefit from the event.

When asked about Manziel's absence, Smith offered an interesting take.

"This is an opportunity that we negotiated for players to learn how to maximize, not only their brand, but their role in the business of football," Smith told Pro Player Insiders. "The core part of it is that we teach not so much how to care about your marketable commodity as a brand, but issues such as personal responsibility. What we expect from you as a member of this union. What players have come before you and fought for you. I don't have a specific comment or care about whether [Manziel] is here or not, but those are the lessons that we try to instill in the guys that are here and we hope that they learn them."

If only this year's rookie premiere were held a week or two sooner, we might not have ever heard about Johnny Vegas.

Here are some of the event's best photos that surfaced on Twitter, including one of Manziel suited up in full Browns uniform and pads.

Now that's sure to get any Ohio football fan pumped for the upcoming season. And for those of you who bleed Scarlet and Gray, you'll notice that the big, bruising 49er next to Manziel is former Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde.

A.J. McCarron showed off his new Bengals uni:

Smile, group photo!

(H/T Pro Player Insiders)

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