Marcus Mariota - Pro Football Rumors

Whisenhunt Wants Reunion With Rivers?

April 13th, 2015 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Operating as the fulcrum in this year’s draft, the Titans are down to three options with their selection with one of them including a blockbuster trade for Philip Rivers, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (video link).

Currently housing 2014 sixth-round pick Zach Mettenberger as their starting quarterback, the Titans’ first two options at No. 2 look to be drafting Marcus Mariota or taking Leonard Williams, who Cole calls the best player available at that spot. The third plan features the Titans, whose most recognizable player from a national sense may be Brian Orakpo or Kendall Wright, attempting to re-establish relevance by trading the pick for a veteran quarterback.

Cole goes on to mention Ken Whisenhunt‘s fondness for Rivers during their time together in San Diego in 2013, and that the second-year Titans coach’s choice is “obvious”: trade for a veteran quarterback to attempt to rocket the Titans back to contention after missing the playoffs the past six years. Cole added Jay Cutler or Sam Bradford fit into this line of thinking, but that Rivers is Whisenhunt’s preferred choice in that event.

“Whisenhunt worked with Rivers two years ago, loves Rivers, would love to change the whole attitude of the franchise and thinks bringing in an established quarterback would do that,” Cole said. “Finally, Whisenhunt had so much success with Kurt Warner in Arizona at turning around that moribund franchise that he thinks he can do the same thing in Tennessee and make them an immediate competitive team.”

Although Warner’s best season didn’t come under Whisenhunt, the future Hall of Famer revived his career during Whisenhunt’s first head-coaching gig. Rivers’ best season probably came under Whisenhunt’s watch two years ago, when the former No. 4 overall pick completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and threw for 32 touchdowns.

The Chargers own pick No. 17 in Round 1 and have encountered mild turbulence amid what’s been a stable signal-calling situation for nearly a decade. Rivers’ hesitance to negotiate a new contract with his current deal expiring after 2015 and his potential reluctance to play in Los Angeles make the Chargers an interesting fringe contender in the Mariota sweepstakes. Although Sports Illustrated’s Peter King still considers a deal for the 33-year-old Rivers deal “highly unlikely.”

They are working out Mariota in Eugene, Ore., a day earlier than expected, with Chargers brass set to observe the Heisman Trophy winner Tuesday instead of Wednesday, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Gehlken adds that Mariota ordinarily wouldn’t be permitted by his camp to work out for a team that picks so far away from where he’s predicted to be selected, but several sources informed the San Diego-based writer they think Mike McCoy, OC Frank Reich and others are in Oregon with the possibility of a draft-day trade in mind.

The Titans, however, have many needs and may not be able to bypass a potential young star at No. 2 overall, writes ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky. Despite drafting offensive linemen the past two first rounds, the Titans still need a right tackle after releasing Michael Oher one year after signing him. Needs also exist at running back and wideout. Kuharsky adds the team could release last season’s opening day starter, Shonn Greene, before this year begins.

NFL analysts also believe the Titans should not hesitate to draft Jameis Winston, should Mariota go No. 1 as ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski now believes he will, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean.

“The latest I’m hearing now from my sources around the league, who are pretty wired in, is that he’s going to go No. 1 now to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” Jaworski said during an appearance on Philly Sports Talk.

“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.”

This obviously remains a fluid scenario between these two prospects and various would-be-affected veterans, but one that should continue to gain steam as the draft nears.

King’s Latest: Gordon, Cards, Gregory, WRs

April 13th, 2015 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Peter King of The MMQB.com leads off his Monday Morning Quarterback column this week by discussing Troy Polamalu‘s legacy, Hall-of-Fame-worthy safeties, and new referee Sarah Thomas, before he dives headfirst into the latest news and rumors on the draft. That section of King’s piece includes plenty of noteworthy tidbits, so let’s round up some of the highlights….

Melvin Gordon won’t get past the Ravens at No. 26, according to King. It would be a little surprising to see Baltimore nab a running back in the first round, with plenty of other holes on the roster, including a big one at wide receiver.
The Cardinals will “very seriously” consider a running back with the 24th overall pick.
Although Randy Gregory‘s failed drug test initially scared off some teams near the top of the draft, many of those clubs are feeling more comfortable with the Nebraska pass rusher after taking a closer look at him.
USC wideout Nelson Agholor, initially viewed as a late second-round pick, is moving up on draft boards, since teams think he can play inside or outside with equal effectiveness. Chip Kelly and the Eagles are known to like Agholor.
Multiple teams have Louisville receiver DeVante Parker as a top-10 player on their boards, says King.
According to King, UCF wideout Breshad Perriman is receiving serious consideration from at least two teams picking in the teens. Nearly all the teams with picks in that range – including the Saints, Dolphins, 49ers, and Browns – could use a wideout. In our first mock draft of the year, we had Perriman going to the Chiefs with the 18th overall pick.
The Rams and Chargers are both working out Marcus Mariota this week, and while King doesn’t expect St. Louis to trade up to land the Oregon quarterback, he isn’t 100% sure about San Diego. As King writes, the Chargers may simply be doing their due diligence in case Mariota slides down the first round, since it still seems “highly unlikely” that the team would trade Philip Rivers.

NFC Notes: Wilson, Rams, Bears, Draft

April 11th, 2015 at 7:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Seahawks are preparing to give Russell Wilson a contract extension that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. However, Wilson hasn’t yet given up the dream of someday playing professional baseball, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

Wilson told Bryant Gumbel of HBO Real Sports that he hasn’t closed the door on his baseball career just yet, and holds out hope of being a two-sport athlete like Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson. Of course, if Wilson receives a yearly salary topping the $22MM that Aaron Rodgers negotiated on his last contract, Condotta believes the Seattle signal-caller can kiss his baseball career goodbye.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

The Rams are not expected to have a chance to draft a quarterback at No.10, but the team will have both of the draft’s top passers in for a visit just in case, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). They will send a member of their front office to both Florida State and Oregon to meet with the prospects. Jameis Winston is projected to be off the board first overall, but some could see Marcus Mariota slipping past the Titans and Jets and possibly being available for St. Louis.
While the Rams are trying to find a way to stay in St. Louis, the city is fighting a lawsuit that could jeopardize the team’s future in Missouri, should St. Louis win, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The suit aims to avoid a public vote on using taxpayer money to help finance a new stadium for the Rams. If the city loses its battle against the lawsuit, it could actually help the team stay in St. Louis. “We’re going to defend the ordinance,” said Jeff Rainford, who is in charge of the city’s effort to build a new stadium. “It’s not going to be a pretend defense. The city will defend the ordinance, and we’ll live with the result.”
The Bears have a new coach and are looking to bounce back after a dismal season that sees them picking seventh in the NFL draft. While many have connected them to wide receivers with that selection, former coach and player Mike Ditka believes the best way to turn the team around would be to add some talent on the defensive side of the ball, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Twitter).
In preparation for the 2015 NFL draft, the staff at CSNChicago.com is preparing draft profiles of a number prospects that could interest the Bears’ front office. Last night they took a look at defensive tackle Carl Davis of Iowa and safety Jermaine Whiteside of Auburn. Today they followed up with Miami offensive tackle Ereck Flowers and Towson defensive end Ryan Delaire.

Draft Notes: Rams, Jets, 49ers

April 11th, 2015 at 10:25am CST by Ben Levine

When the Rams swapped quarterback Sam Bradford for Nick Foles, it was expected that the former Eagles signal-caller wouldn’t be the organization’s longterm answer at the position. So, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Rams will work out both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota next week, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (on Twitter).

Of course, the workouts aren’t a guarantee that the organization will select a quarterback. As Breer points out, the Rams brought in Johnny Manziel twice last year, but they ultimately decided against drafting the rookie.

Let’s take a look at where more of the draft’s top prospects will be visiting…

Besides the top two prospects, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says (via Twitter) the Rams have “shown varying degrees of interest” in quarterbacks Garrett Grayson, Brett Hundley, and Sean Mannion.
Despite canceling their private workout with the quarterback, the Jets will bring in Jameis Winston for a visit, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Following the prospects impressive Pro Day, the organization decided they didn’t need to see much more.
The Jets will bring in Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty for a pre-draft visit, reports Mehta (via Twitter). The former Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year won a pair of Big 12 Championships during his tenure with the Bears.
Virginia outside linebacker Eli Harold will visit the Jets, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post. Harold, who finished last season with seven sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss, is project to be a late-first/early-second round pick.
LSU cornerback Jalen Collins will pay a visit to the 49ers next week, according to Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). The reporter notes that Collins has about ten pre-draft visits scheduled, including workouts with the Vikings and Panthers.

Extra Points: Hardy, Winston, Eagles, Saints

April 10th, 2015 at 10:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Some tidbits from around the NFL as Friday evening comes to a close…

The Cowboys and newly signed defensive end Greg Hardy continue to await the NFL’s decision regarding the star pass rusher’s forthcoming suspension for domestic violence issues. Hardy will likely sit four to six games with the possibility of the amount being cut in half after appeal, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw.
Despite his overwhelming success on the field, Florida State quarterback and potential No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston had some concerning moments away from the gridiron during his time with the Seminoles. Because of that, David Cornwell – one of Winston’s advisors – cautions that Winston doesn’t yet have everything it takes to be an NFL player. “Jameis is ready to be an NFL player on the field. He’s not ready to be an NFL player off the field,” Cornwell said Friday, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “The idea that, standing alone, he’s ready to get into this shark-invested pool, it’s crazy.”
Although the Eagles acquired quarterback Sam Bradford earlier this offseason, they continue to be linked to one of the draft’s top two QBs, Marcus Mariota, largely because of his time at Oregon with Chip Kelly. The Eagles won’t be able to land Mariota with the 20th overall pick, and ESPN’s Ron Jaworski believes Mariota is a prospect for whom moving up in the draft is justifiable. “You have to mortage your future,” Jaworski said on Philly Sports Talk, according to CSNPhilly.com. “I know [Kelly] says he’s not going to, but what mortgage means is you get something now and you pay later.” If Kelly ultimately does trade up for Mariota, it would likely mean moving into the top five – which would carry a steep cost for the Eagles.
Larry Holder of NOLA.com took a look at some under-the-radar Saints issues heading into the 2015 season, with the status of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan being one area of interest. After overseeing the second-worst defense in the league in 2014, Ryan’s job is far from secure going forward, according to Holder – who believes newly hired assistant Dennis Allen could take over if head coach Sean Payton elects to make an in-season change.

Draft Notes: Bucs, Fowler, Mariota, Bears

April 10th, 2015 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

As previously reported, Dante Fowler Jr. visited the Buccaneers, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht “really likes” the Florida pass rusher. However, Fowler himself seems to recognize that he’s unlikely to land with the Bucs, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times details.

“They’re going with a quarterback,” Fowler said. “I feel like there’s no need for them to talk to me and waste my time unless something happens with Jameis [Winston] or Marcus [Mariota] or something like that. They know where they’re going. I understand that.”

While the Bucs cover all their bases, Mariota appears to be doing the same thing — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com said Thursday on ESPN 1000 in Chicago that the Oregon signal-caller recently paid a visit to the Bears. Mariota is considered the favorite to come off the board at No. 2, and may not be available when Chicago’s No. 7 overall pick rolls around, but as our Rob DiRe laid out this morning in PFR’s first 2015 mock draft, there are scenarios in which Mariota is still in play at that point. It sounds like both he and the Bears are doing their due diligence.

Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and the Baltimore Sun has updates on several more draft prospects for us this morning, so let’s round those up….

Cameron Artis-Payne (RB, Auburn): Met with the Patriots and Browns (link).
Adrian Coxson (WR, Stony Brook): The Giants were “very impressed’ with him at their local prospect day (Twitter link).
Tyler Murphy (QB, Boston College): Visiting the Steelers today (link).
Nick Perry (S, Alabama): Had private workouts for the Patriots and Colts (link).
Tray Walker (CB, Texas Southern): Visits with the Ravens, Chiefs, Packers, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Falcons, plus private workouts with the Cardinals and Texans (link). Had a previously-reported visit with the Raiders.

Draft Updates: Mariota, White, Falcons, Jags

April 9th, 2015 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The previously-reported visits for top draft prospects Marcus Mariota, Leonard Williams, and Dante Fowler Jr. are all happening today for the Titans, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Although the Titans are getting a closer look at Mariota, another team in the top five apparently won’t get an opportunity to do so. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Washington had planned to bring in Mariota for a visit, but the two sides couldn’t work out a time, so that trip is now off.

The news may not mean anything significant, but Charles Robinson notes in his latest piece for Yahoo! Sports that sources around the league are skeptical that Washington is truly interested in selecting Mariota with the No. 5 overall pick. “They’re trying to create leverage to get someone to [trade] up,” said one AFC personnel source.

With a report today suggesting that the Browns have real interest in moving up for Mariota, the Oregon quarterback is certainly generating the most draft buzz this week, but we have plenty of updates on other prospects as well. Here’s the latest:

Within Robinson’s previously-linked piece, he notes that Buccaneers ownership will ultimately make the final call on whether or not to draft Jameis Winston, adding that there have been some internal questions about the community relations impact of selecting Winston.
Kevin White, arguably the top receiving prospect in this year’s class, said today that he’s setting up visits with the Jets, Bears, Rams, and Giants, per Ross Tucker of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
The Falcons are hosting a pair of top-tier pass rushers today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Clemson’s Vic Beasley and Kentucky’s Bud Dupree are in town.
Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union provides a full list of the 20 prospects that visited the Jaguars this week. While we’ve passed along many of those names already, there are also plenty of new ones: Javorius “Buck” Allen (RB, USC), T.J. Yeldon (RB, Alabama), Amari Cooper (WR, Alabama), Rashad Greene (WR, FSU), DeAndre Smelter (WR, Georgia Tech), Cedric Ogbuehi (T, Texas A&M), Andrus Peat (T, Stanford), Eli Harold (DE, Virginia), Arik Armstead (DL, Oregon), Landon Collins (S, Alabama), and Trae Waynes (CB, Michigan State).
In addition to visiting the Eagles, UCF wide receiver Breshad Perriman met with the Raiders, Colts, and Steelers this week, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Washington cornerback Marcus Peters, Stanford cornerback Alex Carter, and Virginia linebacker Max Valles made visits to Pittsburgh to meet with the Steelers today, tweets Scott Brown of ESPN.com.
The Giants, Steelers, and Texans have hosted visits for Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant, who has also worked out for the Cowboys, Raiders, and Buccaneers, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.

Browns Have Real Interest In Marcus Mariota

April 9th, 2015 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

When they traded up in the first round last year to snag Johnny Manziel, the Browns probably anticipated being able to use their two 2015 first-round picks on non-quarterbacks. However, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Cleveland has “real interest” in the possibility of trading up to draft Oregon signal-caller Marcus Mariota.

The Browns currently hold the 12th and 19th overall picks in this year’s draft, but according to Florio, it’s not clear if those selections alone would be enough to move high enough to land Mariota. As a point of reference, when the Bills moved up from No. 9 to No. 4 last year to nab Sammy Watkins, the Browns secured a fourth-rounder from Buffalo in addition to a pair of first-round picks.

Recent chatter has suggested that Mariota is a good bet to be drafted second overall, either by the Titans or by a team trading up to land him. If Cleveland has to move up that high, I think it would require more than just the 12th and 19th overall selections. It’s also worth considering that this year’s draft class is considered to have about nine or 10 top-tier players, with a drop-off coming after that. So teams in the top 10 may not be inclined to move too far down.

We’re still three weeks away from draft night, so a deal is unlikely to happen anytime soon, but it sounds like it’s worth keeping an eye on the Browns as a potential trade partner for teams in the top 10. Cleveland has already reportedly offered a first-round pick to both the Rams and the Eagles in exchange for quarterback Sam Bradford, suggesting the team may not be satisfied to head into the 2015 season with Josh McCown and Manziel atop its depth chart.

Draft Notes: Patriots, Browns, Titans

April 8th, 2015 at 9:20pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve already passed along plenty of news pertaining to prospect workouts today, including those visiting the Buccaneers and Ravens. There have been some additional rookie visits reported throughout the evening, and you can find that information below…

Following his meeting with the Buccaneers, Marcus Mariota is in Tennessee to presumably meet with the Titans this evening, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The reporter adds that the quarterback is set to meet with the Chargers a week from tonight.
Samford safety Jaquiski Tartt worked out for the Patriots today at South Alabama, sources tell Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Tartt is considered a probable mid-round pick.
Defensive end/linebacker Andrew Hudson has scheduled a visit with the Browns, reports agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). We learned earlier this evening that the former Washington Husky was also meeting with the Buccaneers.
Louisville outside linebacker Deiontrez Mount is set to meet with the Titans on Thursday and Friday, according to Terry McCormick of 247sports.com. As the writer notes, Mount was a versatile member of the Cardinals defense, playing outside linebacker, inside linebacker, defensive tackle and defensive end.
Miami offensive tackle Ereck Flowers will meet next week with the Browns, Panthers and Washington, according to Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (on Twitter). There’s been speculation that Flowers could be the first tackle off the board during this year’s draft.

Buccaneers Notes: Mariota, Winston, Draft

April 8th, 2015 at 5:27pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers have been busy the past couple of days, as they traveled to Oregon on Tuesday to work out quarterback Marcus Mariota before flying to Tallahassee, Florida to meet with Jameis Winston this afternoon. Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole provided some insight into the organization’s thinking, and he suggests an explanation for why the team may ultimately pass on Winston for Mariota:

“What the Buccaneers are attempting to do in this situation is to get as close a live look as they possibly can… to make sure that they have it as fresh in their minds what these two players look like, how they handle themselves, [and] how they conduct themselves. While the Buccaneers are still overwhelmingly expected to take Jameis Winston with the number one overall pick, there is some thinking and consideration about Marcus Mariota, and ultimately, whether off-field issues regarding Winston will eventually push the Buccaneers to take Mariota instead of Winston.”

Let’s take a look at some more draft notes out of Tampa…

Albert Breer of the NFL Network believes there’s a sense of support for Mariota within the Buccaneers organization (Twitter link).
Defensive end/linebacker Nate Orchard will meet with the Buccaneers, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The former Utah standout, who recorded 18.5 sacks this past season, previously met with the Bills and Steelers.
Defensive end Andrew Hudson will also meet with the Bucs, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The former Washington Husky recorded 12.5 sacks as a senior.