Marcus Mariota Rumors: Latest Buzz on QB's NFL Draft Stock and Interested Teams
Marcus Mariota has declared for the 2015 NFL draft and will draw serious interest from NFL teams in dire need of an upgrade at the quarterback position following his Heisman Trophy-winning campaign at Oregon.
Continue for updates.
Mariota Won't Meet with Redskins
Thursday, April 9
Albert Breer of NFL.com reported that Mariota won't meet with the Redskins, as the two sides couldn't find a suitable date to meet.
Cole: Mariota Remains in Play for Top Pick
Wednesday, April 8
Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported that because of the Buccaneers' concerns regarding Jameis Winston, Mariota remains in play for the first pick:
Chris Simms of Bleacher Report weighed in on if Tampa Bay should use its selection on Mariota:
The Buccaneers' official Twitter feed reported that the team was sending a sizable scouting party to Eugene, Oregon, for Mariota to work out for the team and posted photos of the group on the team's charter jet:
Albert Breer of NFL.com reported that the group included general manager Jason Licht, head coach Lovie Smith, director of player personnel Jon Robinson, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian. Buccaneers.com reported that senior writer Scott Smith and senior video producer Josh Lane would also be attending.
Eagles Reportedly Talking to Browns Involving Potential Move for Mariota
Wednesday, April 8
Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole discussed the details involving rumored trade talks between the Eagles and Browns as it relates to Mariota:
On March 4, Kristian Dyer of Metro reported that the Jets were willing to trade with the Eagles if Mariota is available at pick No. 6.
Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Matt Miller weighed in at the time on whether the Eagles could still land Mariota after the team's reported trade of LeSean McCoy to Buffalo:
On March 3, Jeremy Maclin, who played with the Eagles last season, said he believes coach Chip Kelly will do whatever it takes to land Mariota in an interview on ESPN Radio’s SVP & Russillo show, per Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com: “Chip has the green light to do what he wants to do. So I think Chip will go out and get his guy.”
On Feb. 18, Adam Levitan of Rotoworld.com passed along comments from Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who said he expects the Eagles to do "whatever it takes" to land Mariota to bolster the quarterback position.
NFL Exec Chimes in on Mariota and Titans
Tuesday, April 7
Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com passed along a point made by an NFL executive on Mariota potentially going to Tennessee: "Drafting a rookie QB can buy a front office and coaching staff a few years."
On March 16, Albert Breer of NFL Network reported that the Titans would bring Mariota in to visit with the team prior to the draft.
On Feb. 18, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reported that Titans general manager Ruston Webster planned to meet "extensively" with Mariota.
Terry McCormick of 247Sports provided more comments from Webster, who spoke about Mariota and Jameis Winston:
"Those are two very good players, and we're in a good position that way, be it quarterback or somewhere else. We do like Zach Mettenberger as a player. He's a young quarterback and these two guys have unique skill sets.
[..]
It's always been difficult to find the right guy, the guy who can be out there for 16 games, that you can build your team around. There are a lot of things that play into it with a quarterback. I think, one, is what kind of team you have around him, continuity in staff, coaching staff and scheme.
I think those are all important things. And when teams are struggling, I think a lot of times they don't have those. I think the fit is important – what you're trying to do offensively, is this guy a fit? And then you have to build a good team around him. It's not just offensively, but defensively also, especially for a young quarterback, I think it's important to have a strong defense to help keep him in the game. But it's been difficult for a long time. That's why there's only a handful that you would say are probably elite players. We're all trying to get to that point. And that's really square one for everybody, is finding that quarterback.
"
Pro Player Comparison for Mariota
Monday, April 6
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report weighed in with the most comparable player to Mariota at the pro level:
Bears Reportedly Interested in Mariota
Monday, April 6
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report passed along what he was hearing regarding the Chicago Bears' interest in Mariota:
Will a Team Trade Up to Draft Mariota?
Monday, March 30
Chris Simms of Bleacher Report weighed in on whether a team will trade up to select Mariota during the 2015 NFL draft:
Jets, Buccaneers to Attend Private Workouts for Mariota in Oregon
Saturday, March 28
On March 27, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported the New York Jets will hold a private workout for Mariota:
"General manager Mike Maccagnan and five key team decision-makers will hold a private workout for Marcus Mariota on Saturday in Eugene, Ore., to further evaluate the Heisman Trophy winner a month before the NFL draft.
The Jets are either extremely intrigued by the former Oregon star signal caller or putting on one hell of a smokescreen.
"
Bryan Fischer of NFL.com reported that, according to NFL Media's Albert Breer, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will also attend a private workout, with the Chargers and Redskins looking to set up visits at a later date.
"The Jets aren't the only team to show enough interest to schedule a private workout with Mariota. NFL Media's Albert Breer reported Saturday that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will work out Mariota on April 7, the San Diego Chargers are set to work out Mariota on April 15, and the Washington Redskins are also setting up a visit for Mariota in Ashburn, Va.
Breer also added that the Redskins don't feel they need to work out Mariota after going over his tape and workouts, which is why they are bringing him to the facility for an interview/physical.
"
Teams Reportedly Will Need to Trade Up to No. 2 Overall for Mariota
Thursday, March 26
CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported that teams interested in trading up for Mariota will need to get to No. 2 overall to do so. La Canfora offered more details:
"Other teams view the Titans as legit trading partners with that pick. Of course, if Tennessee's asking price is too high, then maybe nothing develops and the Titans just end up picking him. But the price-point is developing at second overall as the idea of trading with the Redskins (at five) or the Jets (at six) doesn't hold water as a real possibility to get the Oregon quarterback with the people I was talking to.
"
"He's going second overall," said one of the general managers who is paying particular attention to the Mariota market. "I don't know to which team, but he's going second overall."
Could Redskins Be Interested in Mariota?
Wednesday, March 18
Cole reported on the Washington Redskins' potential interest in Mariota:
On March 18, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported that there was a belief that Washington was trying to stimulate a trade ahead of it in the draft order by expressing interest in the Oregon quarterback.
On March 11, ESPN analyst John Clayton joined ESPN's The Freddie Coleman Show (h/t Jamie Oakes of 247Sports) and spoke about the possibility of the Redskins drafting Mariota:
"And honestly, don’t discount, he’s not going to fall to the Jets at six right now, the Redskins will take him at five. At least Dan Snyder might not think there’s quarterback issues, Jay Gruden and everyone else in the front office thinks there’s quarterback issues.
And if Marcus Mariota falls to five, it’s not a position where they’re desperate enough to trade up to get him, but if he falls to five, I’m telling you this right now, they’ll take him.
"
Simms weighed in on if Washington should select the Oregon quarterback:
Simms: Mariota a Good Fit for Browns
Tuesday, March 17
Simms explained why there's a realistic chance Mariota will be available for the Cleveland Browns in the draft and why he'd be a good fit for the team:
Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer reported on Feb. 21 that Mariota would "love" to play for the Browns in the following video:
On Feb. 10, NFL Network's Albert Breer reported that Mariota will work with Kevin O'Connell, who would be joining the Browns staff later in the offseason.
Breer also pointed out how O'Connell would be a boon for the Browns, who have an interest in drafting the Oregon QB:
That work has caused consternation around the league; according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, other teams aren't happy that the Browns are exploiting a loophole in the rules to gain an advantage with Mariota:
"Since the Browns haven’t officially hired O’Connell yet, the eventual employee can do things that he couldn’t do if he weren’t currently an employee.
"So let me get this straight," a high-level executive with another team told PFT on Wednesday morning. "The Browns can have their quarterbacks coach in waiting work with a player, teach him the entire offense, etc., but we can’t even talk to any potential draft pick until the Combine per league rules? Something is wrong here."
"
The league isn't investigating the Browns for exploiting this loophole, but it certainly won't garner the team any fans around the league.
Mariota Meets with Buccaneers, Eagles, Titans at Pro Day
Thursday, March 12
NFL Network provided a quote from Mariota at his pro day: "I sat down with the Buccaneers as well as the Eagles. Today I will be finishing up with the Titans."
Should the Jets Draft Mariota?
Thursday, March 12
Miller discussed whether the Jets should draft Mariota after filling their holes in the secondary via free agency:
Simms: 'Major Concerns' Make Mariota Draft Evaluation Nearly Impossible
Thursday, Feb. 26
Simms weighed in on what factors go into evaluating Mariota for the NFL draft:
McShay Weighs In on Mariota
Monday, Feb. 23
ESPN's Todd McShay spoke on Mariota's football intelligence, saying the Oregon prospect is "off the charts," via Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times.
Mariota Goes 13-of-15 Throwing Passes at Combine
Saturday, Feb. 21
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported on how Mariota fared during the passing drill at the combine:
Stroud also offered Mariota's take on his day at the combine:
Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle had Mike Mayock's take on how Mariota looked:
Mariota Reportedly Needs to Work on Play-Calling
Saturday, Feb. 21
Justin Pawlowski of Scout.com reported that Mariota told Rich Eisen that he needs to work on calling plays. The quarterback noted that the last time he had to call plays "was in high school."
Mariota Will Throw at Combine
Friday, Feb. 20
Mariota confirmed that he will throw for scouts during the combine, via Albert Breer of NFL.com. He also said that he's been working with Philip Rivers as he prepares for the process, via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.
On Feb. 17, ESPN.com reported that Mariota "has informed teams he will throw Saturday at the National Scouting Combine when his position group takes the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, league sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen."
Mariota Reportedly 'Aces' Combine Interviews
Thursday, Feb. 19
ESPN's Louis Riddick reported that Mariota was "acing" his interviews at the combine and said the quarterback was "as/more impressive than [Russell] Wilson was, which is significant."
Smith Discusses Mariota
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Tampa Bay head coach Lovie Smith spoke about Mariota and his ability ahead of the combine, via Troy Renck of The Denver Post:
Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com passed along more comments from Smith on Mariota as a prospect:
"He's big, he's strong, he's got a strong arm, all of the throws that a quarterback is to make, we've seen him make those throws. He's athletic, he can buy time with his feet. The amount of interceptions he's thrown, I know a lot of the passes he's thrown are screens. But you can't blame him for the system. That's where he is and they won a lot of games with that system. But a part of that system is throwing the ball also.
"
[...]
I've heard a lot about this pro-style system in college. But I think if you look at a quarterback, yeah, I think there are some offenses you can run in college that maybe will get you more ready to make that transition. But it's a transition for any college player coming into the NFL.
In Marcus' case, yeah, he ran an offense that most teams in the league don't run. But I see him scrambling around, I see him making decisions, I see him -- for the most part -- making most of the throws that he'll be making in the league. If you look in our league right now, there are different quarterbacks. There are some mobile quarterbacks. There are some more drop-back pocket quarterbacks. There are guys having success doing it a lot of different ways.
Smith also said, "I'm looking forward to getting to know not only Jameis but Marcus, too," via College Football 24/7.
On Feb. 11, Yasinskas reported Jameis Winston is the favorite to be selected No. 1 overall because Smith prefers Winston over Mariota:
"It's very early in the process and much will depend on what happens at the scouting combine, pro days and individual interviews. But the early indicators are that Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is the favorite -- for now.
"
I've heard that coach Lovie Smith prefers Winston over Oregon's Marcus Mariota. From what I have gathered, Smith chose Dirk Koetter as his offensive coordinator over Marc Trestman. The logic was simple. Although Smith and Trestman had similar philosophies about how to run an offense, they disagreed on the quarterbacks. Trestman preferred Mariota.
Smith favors Winston and Smith is the boss. There is lots of logic behind Smith's preference.
Cole Discusses Mariota's Landing Spot
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report weighed in on what he was hearing regarding Mariota and the draft:
Mariota Hires Agent
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal reported that Mariota has signed to be represented by Rep 1 Sports' Ryan and Bruce Tollner and Chase Callahan.
Buccaneers Reportedly Very Interested in Mariota
Friday, Jan. 30
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are interested in drafting Marcus Mariota: "Plus, there's a real sense that Tampa Bay has its sights set on Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. So for now, Mariota shapes up as the most likely No. 1 pick. But there are still three months of combine work, pro days, interviews and investigations to go."
NFL Scouts "Scared" of Winston, Favor Mariota
Thursday, Jan. 15
Cole shared what he was hearing from NFL scouts following Marcus Mariota's decision to enter the NFL draft:
Mariota Enters 2015 Draft
Wednesday, Jan. 14
Following Oregon's loss to Ohio State, Marcus Mariota made it official, leaving the Ducks to enter the pro ranks in a statement on the program's website:
"After meeting with my family I have decided to forego my final year of eligibility and apply for the 2015 NFL Draft. My four years at the University of Oregon have been an awesome experience. I cannot thank Coach Kelly, Coach Helfrich, Coach Frost, the rest of the Oregon coaches and the support staff enough for molding me as a person, player and student-athlete.
The support I received from the University, the city of Eugene and Duck fans has been tremendous. I will always remember the great times and support I received. Once a Duck always a Duck
I will miss being with my teammates. Being a part of this team was something special that I will always treasure.
"
Browns Reportedly Interested in Mariota
Sunday, Dec. 21
Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota is drawing serious interest from teams as the 2015 NFL draft approaches, and one of the most surprising franchises kicking the tires on the Oregon Ducks quarterback is the Cleveland Browns.
Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer is reporting the extent of Cleveland’s interest and how the franchise would handle Johnny Manziel:
"Since last year, league sources have been telling cleveland.com that Farmer is enamored with Mariota, the 6-4, 215 phenom from Oregon. Mariota cemented his status as the top quarterback in the draft -- and likely No. 1 overall pick -- with another terrific season for the high-flying Ducks.
If the Browns reach the conclusion after Manziel's three starts that he's not their quarterback of the future, they'll consider every possibility for an upgrade at the position, including making a pitch for the premier quarterback in the draft.
"
Manziel struggled in his first start for the Browns vs. Cincinnati, but Cleveland will be far from the only team interested in Mariota.
Eagles and former Ducks head coach Chip Kelly spoke to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer about Mariota's skill set, saying, “He's a special player, and he's just got a gift for playing football. He's everything you want. He can throw the ball. He can run. He's the most talented kid I coached in college.”
On the other hand, ESPN’s Todd McShay has him landing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his latest mock draft, via NFL on ESPN’s Twitter account:
Mariota won the Heisman in 2014, and there is no question he was the correct winner.
With 3,783 passing yards, 669 rushing yards and 52 combined touchdowns (only two interceptions) this season, there is no doubt that the Oregon quarterback deserves to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2015.
Stats via ESPN.com.
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