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Marcus Mariota to New York Jets: 4 Reasons Gang Green can’t pass on him

By Matt Reed

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On Saturday night, Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota added his fourth, and most prestigious award of the week, after winning college football’s Heisman trophy. It wasn’t what he’s done on the field this season though that has impressed me, but instead his maturity and humble attitude when his name is thrown around. Mariota isn’t a diva. He won’t talk himself up. Sometimes he won’t even talk at all, as he’s been called very shy by both his family and teammates.

Mariota will now get right back to preparing for his New Year’s Day date with Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles. Before we witness the first ever College Football Playoff though, I am convinced thoroughly convinced that Marcus Mariota will be the face of an NFL franchise for a very long time. The New York Jets have long struggled in the quarterback department, and it’s time that this team establish consistency at the most important position in the sport.

I was always a fan of Chad Pennington and Vinny Testeverde, but Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith have soured me as of late. Yes, I realize that the Jets went to two consecutive AFC championship games under Sanchez, but let’s be realistic, how many wins did Sanchez really help those teams win? It’s time for a new Era in the Big Apple. A new GM, coach, and quarterback are in order, and Mariota can at least take care of one of those areas of need.

Marcus Mariota is the real deal, and I’ll tell you why:

1 Mobility

Everyone that has watched Marcus Mariota play knows this part of his game. When you’re talking about the Hawaiian, you’re referring to a player that is 6’4″, but has 4.4 speed. When the play breaks down, Mariota can torch a defense with his legs, and has done so many times in his collegiate career. He has scored 28 rushing touchdowns over his three seasons at Oregon.

2 Calm Nerves

The highlight of his season was in the Pac-12 Championship game against Arizona. Although Oregon had a 6-0 lead heading into the second quarter, neither team had really taken charge of the game. Both defenses looked strong, but Mariota took that game over midway through the second quarter. He rushed for two touchdowns, before adding three more in the air, in the third quarter. This was while going up against a very talented defense, who rank 28th in points allowed. It just always seem like nothing bothers Mariota, and his calm attitude rubs off on his teammates.

3 Arm Strength

Mariota resembles San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in many ways. Both players have unbelievably strong arms, in addition to their strong physical statures. Some scouts have said that they are afraid that Mariota will turn out to be inaccurate like Kaepernick has shown many times, but Mariota has completed over 66% of his passes in college. Obviously Oregon is a much more friendly offense than the Nevada offense that Kaepernick ran, but the former Wolf Pack signal caller only completed 58% of his passes while in school. From what I’ve seen, Mariota can make all the throws. He’s shown unbelievable touch over top of corners, and can zip the ball into tight seams as well.

4 Intelligence

On and off the field it is clear that Marcus Mariota has the tools necessary to have a long and prosperous career in the National Football League. Just listening to this man’s Heisman acceptance speech further embodies what this man stands for as a human being. When he’s out on the field, everything seems like it moves so slow to him because he almost always makes the correct decision. Naysayers will claim that Mariota is a product of the Oregon system, but I don’t buy that one bit. We’re talking about a player that has thrown 101 touchdown passes over the course of his career in Eugene, and only 12 interceptions.

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