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Washington Redskins won’t draft Marcus Mariota

By Andrew Long

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The Washington Redskins, after finishing 4-12 last season, possess the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. General manager Scot McCloughan has long stated that the team intends to utilize that selection to draft the best player available, a strategy that bodes well for a team with as many roster holes as the Redskins.

According to ESPN’s John Clayton, the Washington Redskins will select quarterback Marcus Mariota if he is available at number five. During an interview on ESPN Radio’s Freddie Coleman Show, Clayton stated, “The Redskins will take him at five. Dan Snyder may not think there’s quarterback issues; Jay Gruden and everybody else in the front office thinks there’s quarterback issues. And if Marcus Mariota falls to five – now 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.”

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That’s a strong statement issued by Clayton, and it seems like one that he is fairly certain of, too. With that being said, I completely disagree with Clayton’s statement for a number of reasons. First off, picking Mariota at number five would go against everything that McCloughan wants to do in the draft. The Redskins GM is firmly committed to selecting the best player available, and, in my opinion, Mariota is not that player – not at number five, at least.

I understand that every talent evaluator is different. Certain organizations value size more than speed, or football IQ over athleticism. Every team is different in their approach, meaning that every team’s draft board will look different. Is it possible that McCloughan values Mariota’s skill set more than I do? Definitely. But seeing as how Seattle, a team that McCloughan had a hand in building, waited until the third round to select a similar player in Russell Wilson, I just don’t see it happening.

At 6-4, 222 pounds, Mariota’s size is unquestionably superior to Wilson’s. But, at the core, Mariota plays the game with a similar mentality. He’s a physically gifted quarterback that relies on his legs to extend and create plays. While Wilson has stayed healthy throughout his tenure in Seattle, this type of play from the quarterback position typically ends in injury – having watched Robert Griffin III nurse several injuries since 2012, this is something that Washington is far too familiar with.

Which brings me to my second point, would McCloughan and Redskins management really add another mobile quarterback to Jay Gruden’s pass-heavy scheme? In 2014, Gruden proved to struggle adapting his offensive game plan to adequately feature RG3‘s strengths. Would he have the same problem incorporating Mariota? I don’t know, but it’s something to think about.

During his time as the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, Gruden proved that he could successfully run a potent offense. In 2013, Gruden’s last year in Cincinnati, the Bengals offense finished sixth in total points and tenth in total yards. The offense was being ran by a pocket quarterback in Andy Dalton, though.

After watching the Redskins perform last season, I don’t believe that a scrambling quarterback can succeed in a stock Jay Gruden offense. The second year head coach already attempted, and failed, to mold RG3 into a pocket passer; I don’t see that being a road that Gruden willingly explores again, meaning if Washington opts to draft a quarterback, it’d likely be a pocket passer as opposed to a scrambling quarterback.

On top of the two reasons I already mentioned, the Redskins also sport one of the NFL’s weakest offensive lines. In total, the unit surrendered 58 sacks on the year – only the Jaguars allowed their quarterbacks to get sacked more. As both the Redskins and Jaguars have proven, it is extremely difficult for young passers to succeed behind poor blocking.

In my opinion, it’d be very foolish of the Redskins to take this route. Their line isn’t good enough to protect a rookie quarterback while he makes the transition from college to the pros. Drafting Mariota and letting him sit for a year would be equally as foolish.

Spending a year on the bench would be good for Mariota’s development and understanding of the game, but the Redskins roster is simply too thin for them to take that approach. Due to a lack of cap and draft picks in recent years, Washington has glaring holes all over their roster.

The Redskins need help at almost every position on the field; they’re a very thin team and Scot McCloughan understands that. Adding Mariota won’t magically turn Washington into a contender. It just won’t. The Redskins aren’t one or two players away from being legitimate contenders, and Redskins fans shouldn’t think that they are, either.

If we’re being real, the Redskins likely won’t be truly competitive for at least another two or three years. But that two or three year window, in my opinion, will grow if Washington selects Mariota at number 5.

It’s possible that John Clayton, with his numerous NFL sources and connections, knows something that the general public does not. But, with everything that I’ve stated, I just don’t see how Washington can justify drafting a quarterback at number five. I’m not saying that Mariota won’t succeed at the next level, because he definitely can.

What I’m saying is this: Marcus Mariota would be a horrible fit with the Redskins, and I don’t believe that Washington is actually interested in drafting him. If anything, this is an attempt by the Redskins to inflate the value of the fifth overall pick in an effort to move down in the first round.

I don’t know who the Redskins will select at number five, but I’m fairly certain that it won’t be Mariota.

Next: Washington Redskins draft targets: Dante Fowler Jr.

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