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Marcus Mariota

East Notes: Fangio, Mariota, Dolphins, Jets

January 18th, 2015 at 4:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Vic Fangio will leave Washington’s headquarters today without an agreement in place to become the club’s defensive coordinator, sources tell Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Nothing official is expected to be announced today regarding Washington and the ex-49ers DC, but Fangio doesn’t have any other interviews lined up (Twitter links via John Keim of ESPN.com). Washington’s search for Jim Haslett’s replacement has been a bit murky, as previous reports had indicated Joe Barry was the favorite to land the job, but a resolution figures to be reached in the coming days. More from the East divisions…

  • Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota declared for the 2015 draft last week, and the Heisman winner admits he’s thought about playing for the Eagles and Chip Kelly, Mariota’s former college coach. “Obviously my relationship with Coach Kelly, it’d be a lot of fun to be a part of that offense and be a part of that team
,” said Mariota, via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. “But for me, any team that wants me to be part of their club, I’m all for it. Whatever happens, happens, and I’m looking forward to the process.”
  • Under head coach Joe Philbin, the Dolphins have developed a tendency to rid themselves of any player who either engages in off-the-field trouble or displays a lack of respect towards authority, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who adds that that line of thinking lead Miami to deal cornerback Vontae Davis before he became a top-notch DB. This offseason, the club will have to make decisions on players like Mike Wallace, Jared Odrick, and Rishard Matthews, all of whom have clashed with management.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPN.com runs down some Jets storylines, including why Todd Bowles entered into a QB-needy situation, whether running back Chris Ivory will fit with the club’s new offense, and the importance of Chan Gailey, who will reportedly be New York’s new offensive coordinator.

AFC Mailbags: Jets, Chiefs, Jags, Titans

January 17th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN’s NFC mailbags earlier today. Let’s now check out some notes from the AFC…

AFC Links: Bills, Jets, Titans, Chung

January 14th, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Rex Ryan was introduced earlier today as the Bills head coach, and the 52-year-old addressed some of the leftover whispers surrounding his signing. Ryan disputed claims that the Bills were his “third choice” behind the Falcons and 49ers (via John Kryk of the Toronto Sun)…

“No, that’s definitely false. Did I interview with the Falcons? Did I interview with the 49ers? Absolutely. There were plenty of opportunities.”

The coach also discussed the team’s search for a quarterback, including former Jets play-caller Mark Sanchez…

“Certainly, he’ll be a guy under consideration. We’ll explore every avenue. If we think there’s a free agent like Mark or somebody else out there that we think can help us, then we’ll absolutely explore it.”

Finally, the coach acknowledged that his opportunity in Buffalo may be his last shot as an NFL head coach…

“I (have) one more shot to be a head coach and I have to get it done. And I understand I won’t have another opportunity, and don’t want another opportunity. This is the shot I want.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC…

  • Like it or not, Steve Serby of the New York Post says Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will forever be connected to Jets head coach Todd Bowles. The writer opines that one day, the organization may regret rushing to sign Bowles instead of waiting for Quinn to finish his playoff run.
  • The Titans have a big quarterback decision on their hands as they’ll have to choose between Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, and incumbent Zach Mettenberger, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Wyatt runs down the pros and cons of each.
  • After inking a three-year extension with the Patriots, Patrick Chung is determined to show New England that he’s worth the money, writes Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “I’m happy,” he said. “I’m happy. But it’s over now, and I can’t keep talking about it. I’m happy I’m back. I just gotta hopefully show them why they kept me.“

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Marcus Mariota To Enter Draft

January 14th, 2015 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, in advance of tomorrow’s early entry deadline, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota announced today that he’ll enter the 2015 draft, according to the school’s website. Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com first reported (via Twitter) that the redshirt junior would announce his intentions to forgo his final year of college eligibility and turn pro.

Mariota, this season’s Heisman winner, has long been considered the top quarterback – and perhaps the top overall prospect – available, edging out Jameis Winston in the view of many draft experts. This past season at Oregon, Mariota established new career-highs by passing for 4,454 yards and 42 touchdowns, along with just four interceptions. The 21-year-old added another 770 yards and 15 TDs on the ground.

While he’s certainly not a lock to be selected first overall, particularly after a somewhat disappointing showing in this week’s championship game against Ohio State, Mariota figures to draw significant interest from the Buccaneers with that No. 1 pick. If Tampa Bay passes, the Titans, Washington, and the Jets are among the other teams near the top of the draft that should consider selecting a QB and figure to take a long look at Mariota.

NFC South Notes: Bucs, Trestman, Draft

January 1st, 2015 at 10:32am CST by Rob DiRe

The Buccaneers had a disastrous 2014, but with the New Year hope they will be able to turn things around quickly. Among their top priorities are landing an improvement at quarterback and finding an offensive coordinator to replace Jeff Tedford, who missed the season after having a heart procedure in August, according to the Associated Press in USA Today.

  • Buccaneers current quarterback Josh McCown has pushed for the team to hire Marc Trestman as the offensive coordinator, reports Conor Orr of NFL.com. He mentioned his affinity for Trestman to the media, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. “I think Marc is an outstanding coach and an outstanding person and he has a great sense of offensive football, especially quarterback play,” said McCown. “I just know that, for me personally, I played my best football in my career under him. So obviously I have good things to say. But I’ve been around a bunch of different guys over the course of my career, and he was probably the most detailed with game plans and things like that. I really felt like he was on top of it.’’
  • Today the Oregon Ducks will play the Florida State Seminoles in the Rose Bowl, and the Buccaneers will be watching that game closely according to Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune. The Buccaneers top need is quarterback, and they are expected to draft one with the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Their options will likely be either Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Florida State’s Jameis Winston, the past two Heisman Trophy winners. General manager Jason Licht will be in attendance for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and will probably be watching his team’s franchise quarterback one way or the other.
  • The Falcons also have had a close eye on bowl games since missing the playoffs, with general manager Thomas Dimitroff and assistant general manager Scott Pioli in attendance for the Peach Bowl between TCU and Ole Miss on New Year’s Eve, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
  • The Saints have 11 players set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. Woodbery writes that none of the 11 will have huge markets for themselves, except maybe Mark Ingram if another NFL team is in desperate need of a starting running back.

Jets Notes: Harvin, Wilkerson, Mariota

December 13th, 2014 at 8:56am CST by Rob DiRe

When the Jets traded for Percy Harvin earlier this season, it was unclear whether the team planned to retain him going forward past 2014. In addition to a base salary of more then $10MM, the team would also owe Seattle a fourth-round pick if they decided to keep the playmaker on the roster in 2015, as opposed to a sixth-round pick if they decided to move on from him.

If Harvin gets a say in it, he would like to stay with the Jets, writes George Willis of the New York Post. “I feel at home here. I’m comfortable with all the players,” Harvin said Friday. “I like the vibe around here.”

Here are some other notes about the Jets as they ready themselves for what their fans would hope will be an active offseason:

  • Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson is still dealing with a toe injury that forced him to miss the last two games, but he shouldn’t try to rush back until he is fully healthy, according to Willis. With the team sitting at 2-11 with no chance of the playoffs, the best thing Wilkerson can do for himself and for the team is to be healthy and receive his extension to stay with the Jets long term.
  • The biggest move the Jets can make this offseason would be to find their franchise quarterback, and the best place to do that would be in the 2015 NFL Draft. If things break right that player could be tonight’s Heisman favorite, Marcus Mariota of Oregon, according to Burt Hubbuch of the Post. “If the Jets like me and it happens that they take me, I’ll be the best Jet I can be and play my heart out for them,” said Mariota. “I’ll do whatever it takes to win games. I would love to play for them.” Mariota is notlikely to officially decide to forego his senior season until after his season is over.
  • The Jets’ offseason will be an active one, and Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com addresses a number of issues in his mailbag this morning. He writes that while the Jets may be interested in Bill Cowher as a head coach, Cowher would be a better candidate for the Giants. He also states that he would be surprised of general manager John Idzik survives with the team after only two short years.

 

Jets Among Teams Interested In Drafting A QB

November 29th, 2014 at 4:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

Most teams have five games left on their schedule (unless they are one of the six that played on Thanksgiving), and as teams are jockeying for playoff position, fan bases of those already out of contention cannot help but look ahead to the 2015 NFL draft.

The best way to find a franchise quarterback is by drafting as high as possible, and the best way to ensure a high draft pick is with poor quarterback play. For that reason, one win can be the difference between having a chance to draft an elite prospective signal-caller or missing out on a passer entirely.

Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk put together a prospective list of the teams likely to be drafting in the top 10 and their quarterback needs. The draft order he uses is comprised of all the teams 4-7 or worse, except for the Falcons and Saints, who are still embarrassingly battling it out for the NFC South division crown.

The Raiders and Jaguars, the two clubs with only one win, look like good bets to be drafting right at the top of the first round. Of course, both teams took quarterbacks in the first two rounds of last year’s draft, and shouldn’t be in the market for replacing them this offseason. The next group is far more interesting, with the Jets, Buccaneers, and Titans all sitting on two wins and tremendous need at the position.

Unfortunately for one of those teams, there may only be two quarterbacks worth such a valuable draft selection. Marcus Mariota of Oregon and Jameis Winston of Florida State are both vying to be the first quarterback taken. With no third option, one of those three teams will come up empty in terms of fixing their quarterback situations.

The New York media is already calling for the Jets to chase one of these college stars, with Kevin Kernan of the New York Post openly calling for the team to draft Winston.

Of course, a lot can happen in the last five games, and wins and losses still to come can shake up the order, as can an offseason trade or signing that suddenly changes the need at the position. If any of the three teams do manage to win a game or two down the stretch, Washington and St. Louis could crawl up to a higher selection, and each could consider a quarterback according to Smith.

An even more volatile situation is among the college quarterbacks. Both Mariota and Winston still have time to fall out of favor with NFL teams, and both could decide to remain in college another year, pushing back the draft process one more year. Or maybe one of the two impresses so much it convinces another team to trade its future to move up into the top two to take their coveted quarterback.

AFC East Links: Goodwin, Jets, Solder

November 29th, 2014 at 9:29am CST by Ben Levine

It hasn’t been the easiest season for Bills wideout Marquise Goodwin. Following a rookie season where he caught 17 passes for 283 yards and three scores, the former third-rounder only has a single catch in 2014. Making matters worse is the team’s recent acquisition of return man Marcus Thigpen, making Goodwin’s role on the team even more unclear.

“I don’t like being inactive,” Goodwin said (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). “I don’t practice hard just to be an inactive. But it is what it is. If I don’t fit the game plan, I just don’t. I just do what I’m told, work hard and just try to help the team win in any way that I can.”

“It has been a humbling experience this whole year, coming from scoring a few touchdowns last season to having one reception right now and not really being able to help my team be victorious.”

Let’s see what else is going on in the AFC East…

  • ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini believes Robert Griffin III would be a Percy Harvin-like fit for the Jets, and the writer suggests the team could take a flyer on the embattled quarterback. Cimini also looks at other quarterbacks the team could pursue, including Jay Cutler, Sam Bradford and Brian Hoyer.
  • Meanwhile, Cimini writes that the Jets may have to trade up in the draft to get one of Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. The team will have to hope they finish ahead of other quarterback-needing squads, particularly the Titans and Buccaneers.
  • Cimini thinks Percy Harvin could be back with the Jets next season, but not for the $10.5MM he’s owed. The writer says a renegotiation makes the most sense for both sides.
  • Mike Girardi of CSNNE.com sees the Patriots drafting a pass rusher in next year’s draft. They could also anticipate Nate Solder‘s expiring contract and draft an offensive tackle.

NFC Mailbags: Panthers, Bears, Washington

November 15th, 2014 at 10:22am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s check out some notes from the NFC…

  • Considering the lack of quality on the offensive line and the inconsistency from the running game, David Newton believes it’s safe to say that Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman didn’t have the best offseason. Newton also suggests that the team could have found a way to keep defensive backs Michael Mitchell and Captain Munnerlyn.
  • When asked about Cam Newton‘s desire to stay with the Panthers, Newton ensures that the quarterback wants to stick around.
  • Michael C. Wright surveys the quarterbacks in the 2015 draft, and suggests that the Bears could select one of the top prospects. However, the writer isn’t convinced the team will be in position to draft either Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston.
  • John Keim also looks forward to the draft for Washington, citing pass-rush, secondary, and linebacker as the team’s biggest needs. On offense, Keim believes the team should focus on the offensive line.

Extra Points: Goldson, Cowboys, Draft, Titans

November 14th, 2014 at 9:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

As free agency and cap management is becoming more notable in teambuilding, Kevin Seifert of ESPN takes a closer look at six of the league’s most inflated contracts and the effects they are having on their team’s roster. He dissects the contracts of Jay Cutler, Ndamukong Suh, Joe Flacco, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Tony Romo, and how each team will likely deal with the large cap numbers going forward.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

  • The Buccaneers put together one of the most high profile secondaries out of nowhere before the 2013 season, signing Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson and drafting Mark Barron at the top of the first round. Not long after, Revis was released and Barron was traded, leaving only Goldson on the roster, and he may be the next to go, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Goldson has played less as the season goes on, and with large money attached to his contract, the team may choose to go younger and cheaper at the safety position.
  • Much has been made of the Cowboys as they approach their decision on what to do with offensive stars Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, with many pundits and fans expecting long-term extensions for both. Murray also seems like an obvious franchise tag candidate, but Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News could see the Cowboys surprising us and rewarding Murray with the long-term deal while franchising Bryant at the higher tag price.
  • Although the 2015 NFL draft order has not even been set, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay of ESPN are already working hard to evaluate both the prospects available as well as the needs of NFL teams. They look at the possibility teams like the Raiders, Jets, Buccaneers, and Titans would take a quarterback such as Marcus Mariota of Oregon or Jameis Winston of Florida State at the top of the draft, and look at other questions surrounding the draft.
  • The Titans may be in position to draft high at the top of the first round, but in no way will that be on purpose, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “It is ludicrous to me. Fans don’t understand the situation we go through as players,” said tight end Delanie Walker. “No one wants to lose games for better picks. It just doesn’t happen. It would never happen. Just the thought is ludicrous.”
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