Philadelphia Eagles should stay away from Marcus Mariota

Reports are coming in that the Philadelphia Eagles are going to at least try to move up and select Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. While Mariota is the dream quarterback for Chip Kelly (Kelly was Mariota’s college coach before he left for the pros), the Eagles shouldn’t even consider trading up to get him.

While it’s not exactly clear what the Eagles would have to give up to move from 20 to presumably the top six, the price is certainly lofty. One NFL personnel executive told NJ Advance Media (according to The Trenton Times) that he would ask for a first and second-round pick this year, a first-round pick next year and LeSean McCoy. Others have thrown out the possibility of a “Mike Ditka” deal, referring to the 1999 draft when Ditka, who was the then0-head coach of the New Orleans Saints, gave up away all the team’s draft picks that year to nab Heisman trophy winner Ricky Williams.

Ditka’s plan failed, which led to his firing.

For all the talk about Mariota, it’s hard to dismiss the fact that he is a system quarterback. System-quarterbacks typically need a great defense to succeed (Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson), and if the Eagles pull the trigger for Mariota, the defense won’t be addressed through the draft.

The Eagles high-octane offense has had its high points, but we all saw last year what happens when a quarterback isn’t performing well.

In fact, the only time we’ve really seen the offense perform at its highest was when Nick Foles was throwing 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. Speaking of Nick Foles, why has everyone in Philadelphia given up on him?

Last year, Foles was untouchable and he was the hottest thing in Philly not being served at Pat’s or Geno’s. But now, for some reason, he’s drawn the ire of the Philadelphia faithful. This is a guy that has led the Eagles to a 14-5 record (postseason included) in two years and essentially saved the Eagles last year after the team started 1-3.

Oct 12, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Foles, although not a top-tier quarterback, is still a guy that the Eagles can win with, and I think it’s way too early to give up on Foles already. The Eagles have proven they can be a playoff team with Foles, and an improved defense (particularly the secondary) will help turn them into a perennial playoff team. With that being said, I understand Eagles fans, and Philadelphians in general – myself included. I’m a Sixers, Flyers and Phillies fan, and I went to school there for a year – want to see results in the form of playoff victories, and based off of that argument, the outrage with Foles is somewhat justified.

Philadelphia should take a look at what happened with the Washington Redskins before they consider throwing away draft picks. Remember when Washington gave up a bevy of draft picks in order to secure its own Heisman winning, electrifying signal caller? The Redskins gave up three first-round picks and a second-round pick, and that was to move up from six to two.

What’s Robert Griffin III up to these days?

Ironically enough, RG3 and Mariota have very similar final-year stats. Griffin had 72.4 completion %, 4,293 yards, 10.7 yards per attempt, 37 touchdowns, six interceptions and a quarterback rating of 189.5. Mariota had a 68.3 completion %, 4,454 yards, 10.0 yards per attempt, 42 touchdowns, four interceptions and a quarterback rating of 181.7.

Griffin had 699 rushing yards in his last year at Baylor, while Mariota totaled 770, per College Football Reference. There’s really no way to tell if Mariota’s collegiate success will translate into the pros.

Some scouts have criticized Oregon’s offense for simplifying things for the quarterback, and they have said Mariota is far too reliant on his first read. That stuff worked in the Pac 12, but the NFL is a whole different animal.

Chip Kelly needs to do something drastic, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do everything in his power to make this deal happen. A move to acquire Mariota would show that Kelly wants to do everything he can to make sure the Eagles win now. Who knows, maybe it could work out, but history would argue against that. Giving up all those picks and LeSean McCoy, who is the focal point of the offense, is a whole lot for one player.

If the Eagles go through with this deal to acquire Mariota and he ends up flopping, it won’t be long until people are calling for Chip Kelly’s head.

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