Marcus Mariota: Latest News, Rumors and Speculation on QB's NFL Draft Stock
Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is among the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 NFL draft, and there is no shortage of teams linked to the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
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Eagles Still Pushing in Mariota Sweepstakes
Thursday, April 30
ESPN's Ed Werder reported that the Eagles have reached out to the Buccaneers about the No. 1 pick, most likely seeking Mariota. Werder also added that sources believe Eagles offense can only be great with Mariota under center.
Earlier on Thursday, Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported on the buzz surrounding the hunt to land Mariota:
Browns Reportedly Not Interested in Giving Up 2016 Pick for Mariota
Thursday, April 30
Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer reported that the Browns aren't interested in giving up their 2016 first-round pick for Mariota.
Pat McManamon of ESPN.com (via SportsCenter) reported the Browns are prepared to offer the Titans two first-round picks to move up to the No. 2 overall pick in Thursday's draft, with the intention of selecting Mariota.
However, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com reported that no such offer has been made.
Last week, Mike Pettine was asked if there was interest in potentially trading up for Mariota, telling Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer: "Sure, why not?"
Cabot later talked to Stephen Nelson of Bleacher Report about the possibility of the Browns making the move:
Tony Pauline of TFY Draft Insider had reported earlier last week that the Cleveland Browns were emerging as the front-runners to trade up for Mariota:
"From all accounts I'm hearing the Cleveland Browns are the front runners and working hardest in the hopes of acquiring the quarterback. Early last week I was told the asking price from the Tennessee Titans was both of the Browns first round picks as well as their choice in the second round, to which Cleveland replied no. Understandable Tennessee would have a high asking price at this point and even more understandable the Browns would say no. I’m told the Browns may be willing to part with both first round picks for Mariota but want to hold on to the second round choice to draft a much needed receiver.
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The Browns haven't had a franchise signal-caller since returning to the NFL in 1999, and they may be willing to make a blockbuster move to change that.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on April 9 that the Browns were entertaining the idea of trading the 12th and the 19th overall selections in the 2015 NFL draft to position themselves to select Mariota.
This came on the heels of Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole reporting that there had been talk between the Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles regarding a trade that would send quarterback Sam Bradford to Cleveland:
Cleveland's starting options under center currently include veteran Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel, who was a first-round pick just last year. With so much uncertainty at the position, the Browns may be looking to roll the dice.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston at No. 1 and the Tennessee Titans decide against selecting Mariota at No. 2, then that would potentially open the door for a trade-up.
Cleveland would likely have to sacrifice more than just their first-round picks to get into the top five, but it may be deemed a necessary evil for a team that could be a quarterback away from contending.
There is no guarantee Mariota will be a star in the NFL, but if the Browns truly feel as though he will, then a trade-up may be worth pursuing.
TSN: Analyzing Winston vs. Mariota
Thursday, April 30
Bleacher Report's NFL experts broke down and analyzed the debate between Mariota and Jameis Winston:
Eagles Reportedly Want to Move Up for Mariota
Wednesday, April 29
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the Philadelphia Eagles "want to" trade up in the draft to select Mariota. He added, "Per a league source, the Eagles are 'doing all they can' to make the move from No. 20."
Earlier on Wednesday, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report reported that head coach Chip Kelly and the Eagles could attempt a three-way trade with the Tennessee Titans to land Mariota:
Chargers Reportedly in Pursuit of Mariota
Wednesday, April 29
Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk passed along a report from ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, who said the Chargers and Eagles are both in the mix to try to trade up to draft Mariota.
This conflicts with what Titans general manager Ruston Webster, who said the Chargers hadn't contacted the team about trading up for the second overall pick, told reporters, per the Titans' official Twitter feed.
Tennessee Praises Mariota
Wednesday, April 29
Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean reported comments from Tennessee general manager Ruston Webster regarding Mariota:
"They praised Oregon's Marcus Mariota, talking up his athletic ability and smarts. They did the same when discussing Florida State's Jameis Winston.
When asked directly whether they'll take the one left standing after the Buccaneers get their guy with the No. 1 pick, however, they held back. At least for now.
"Well," Webster said with a smile, "we'll just have to wait and see."
Call it a smokescreen if you wish, but all signs point to the Titans drafting a quarterback with the second overall pick when the draft begins Thursday. If they remain in that spot, that is. ...
... "There are calls, and there's activity. But there typically is at this time in the process," he said. "We are open to listening, but we like the No. 2 spot. We are real happy where we are."
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NFL Network's Jeff Darlington noted that the Titans were still in the process of shopping the pick and were making calls as well as taking them. Darlington reported that the Titans wanted to stay inside the top 16 or 17 picks and noted that while there hadn't been a lot of activity, it figured to heat up.
On April 27, Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole reported that it's looking more and more likely that the Titans will use the No. 2 overall pick on Mariota, should he be available:
Cole explained on April 16 why the San Diego Chargers were reportedly aiming to move up to the No. 2 pick in the draft to select Mariota:
On April 13, Cole passed along what he was hearing in regard to the Titans and potentially trading out of the second pick:
Jets Hosted Mariota for Visit After Working Him Out
Thursday, April 23
NFL Network's Albert Breer revealed that the New York Jets "quietly" hosted Mariota for a visit on April 2 following his private workout with the team in Eugene, Oregon. Breer provided additional context on the visit:
On April 13, Bleacher Report NFL insider Jason Cole reported on the Jets' thought process as they evaluated the quarterbacks in the draft:
Gruden Speaks on Mariota
Tuesday, April 21
Liz Clarke of The Washington Post passed along comments from Jon Gruden, who called Mariota a "rare prospect" and said he'd be surprised if any team passed on drafting him.
Is Mariota In Play as Top Overall Pick?
Monday, April 13
Chris Simms of Bleacher Report weighed in on the potential of Mariota going first overall to Tampa Bay:
On April 10, Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com passed along comments that ESPN's Ron Jaworski made on Comcast SportsNet's Philly Sports Talk regarding the possibility of Mariota being the pick for the Buccaneers:
"The latest I'm hearing now from my sources around the league, who are pretty wired in, is that he's going to go number one now to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mariota's stock, remember it was quiet for a while? And there's a reason for that. There's a lull every year until about 30 days before the draft. Now the coaches get involved. Prior to that, it's the scouts, it's the roadies that are filling out the paper work. Now the coaches get involved. Now team owners get involved. Now general managers get involved. So you're starting to see, in my opinion, Winston's stock starting to slide a little bit and Mariota's stock starting to go up a little bit.
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Scouts, NFL Execs Weigh in on Mariota
Monday, April 13
Mark Eckel of NJ Advance Media talked to four anonymous scouts and NFL executives who spoke on what they see in Mariota as a pro prospect:
""In a word, great. He's the best I've seen since (Andrew) Luck. He's everything you want." ..."He has it all. If we had the first pick, he'd be ours. But we don't." ..."The only knock we have on him, is he's a thrower, not a passer. But he'll work on that. He'll be real good." ..."What I like best about him is he's a hard worker. He'll put in the time. That's more important than people realize."
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Could Mariota See Draft-Day Fall?
Thursday, April 9
According to "a highly respected NFL personnel man," via Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, Mariota could potentially have an Aaron Rodgers-like slide if he isn't selected in the top six picks.
"If he gets past the top six, it could be out of the top 10 to whatever point the Eagles trade up for him," the personnel man added.
Robinson went on to write on the rumored interest from the Washington Redskins:
"The scenarios linked to Mariota seem endless. In a way, he's a perfect illustration of the misinformation and leverage that is such a huge part of the draft process. The Redskins, for example, have been leaking for weeks that they will seriously consider taking him at No. 5 overall, and also let it be known that there are plans to host him in the run-up to the draft. But that has also drawn a collective eye-roll from multiple league sources.
"They're trying to create leverage to get someone to [trade] up" one AFC personnel source said.
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With so many teams potentially interested in making a move to land Mariota, where he ultimately lands figures to have a major impact on the rest of Round 1.
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