Giglio: Mariota Is Philly's Ideal QB
By Joe Giglio
After months and months of Marcus Mariota talk, rumors and discussion, Eagles fans will finally have some closure on Thursday night. When the Tennessee Titans are on the clock with the No. 2 pick, the most dramatic ten minutes in recent Philadelphia sports history will unfold.
If Chip Kelly does what it takes to move up from No. 20 to No. 2 to land his Oregon star, a combination of excitement, relief and worry will hover over football fans in Philadelphia.
When it comes to the trepidation over moving so much to select one player, it's natural and understandable to debate the cost and whatever "mortgaging the future" actually means. If you believe in building through the draft and the future potential of players like Fletcher Cox and Mychal Kendricks, there's real reason to fear overpaying for a young quarterback.
However, if you're reluctance to part ways with a haul of assets stems from worry about Marcus Mariota's status as a prospect, don't waste another second before pre-ordering a No. 8 Mariota jersey in midnight green.
No, Mariota isn't Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck. Those types of sure-fire quarterback prospects arrive once every 15 years. If this conversation were taking place in Chicago or Washington or New York, the Heisman Trophy winner's ability to play in a pro-style offense would rightfully be under siege.
That's not the case in Philadelphia.
For this Eagles team and this Eagles coach, Mariota is literally the perfect quarterback. His game, personality, size and ability would translate seamlessly into an offense that he mastered in college.
Does Mariota have the ability to throw a perfect ball into tight windows like, say, Aaron Rodgers? No. Does he have the brain of Peyton Manning? Probably not, unless you ask Kelly. Does have the arm strength of Joe Flacco? No way. Does he have the speed of a young Michael Vick? Not quite.
Despite the lack of the ultimate skill set, Mariota does come equip with special ability, a personality that coaches rave about and is dedicated to football. In other words, he fits all the boxes, including the culture attribute, that the Eagles look for.
On the field, he accounted for 57 touchdowns last year. Yes, scoring and offense in college football can be wacky, but 57 touchdowns is nothing to gloss over. During his time at Oregon, Mariota posted a mind-boggling 105-to-14 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
At worst, Mariota has been compared to a young Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick with a weaker, yet more accurate, arm. If that's the low end of what he can be as a prospect, the high end projects to one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Mariota isn't the best quarterback prospect for every team, but there isn't a flaw to his profile when you look at his stock through the eyes of the Eagles and Kelly's scheme. If this coach can generate a 64 percent completion percentage out of Mark Sanchez and a 27-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio out of Nick Foles, turning Mariota into a facsimile of his Oregon self isn't hard to imagine.
Moving multiple players and picks for any quarterback prospect is nerve-racking, but when the NFL Draft arrives, don't bother questioning the player in the Eagles' grasp. You won't find a real reason to worry about Mariota as a future star in Philadelphia.
Joe Giglio is a host on WIP. Find him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Catch Joe's next show on WIP Thursday night right after our NFL Draft coverage.
