J.R. Smith: “We all know who the real MVP is.”
April 14, 2015LeBron’s jersey top seller, Kyrie’s ranks sixth; Cavs sell second-most merch
April 14, 2015I don’t know if the Cleveland Browns should select Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, but he’s far and away my first choice of quarterbacks in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft. I get the sense that a lot of the similar sentiment surrounding Mariota that I read and hear is more of a take-down of Jameis Winston. While I think Winston has left himself open to that criticism, I’m not sure it’s necessary to tear down Winston to make the argument for Mariota. I have no idea if it’s “worth it” for the Browns to try and trade up to grab Mariota. In order to decide it’s worth it, I need far more information and access to the rest of the Browns’ rankings, plans and goals. All that being said, there are lots of reasons to bet on Mariota.
The first thing to acknowledge when talking about NFL quarterbacks in the NFL draft is what you don’t know. Johnny Manziel is a perfect lesson. Even if you knew that he was a party animal, there’s no way all those who compared Manziel to Broadway Joe Namath could have known that he was going to find himself in rehab after his first season in the league. I still stand by my pre-draft excitement for Johnny based on his tape where he was competitive as all hell, used his athleticism to allow receivers to get open on secondary routes and showed enough arm strength to get the ball to them. Johnny Manziel appears to be something of a failure — at least so far — but that doesn’t make all those who were wrong about him failures too. Well, maybe Ray Farmer, but even that’s probably not totally fair. Nobody can guarantee an end result from drafting and those using picks just need to hope they hit on enough so they can keep their jobs long enough to prove they can hit on fifty percent of them.
What I’m getting at is that all you can do is guarantee your process in drafting is going to be sound. The same gambler’s blood that spiked in temperature when the Browns traded up to grab Manziel will be at play if they go after Mariota. If they go after Mariota, however, it stands to reason that the gamble might even be richer if you presume it will cost them at least two first-round draft picks in order to secure him. Pick your poison, though. The Browns were able to grab Johnny Manziel at No. 22 with some red flags surrounding his prospects. There are red flags surrounding Mariota too, but it’s hard to figure out why you wouldn’t bet on him.
Concerns about Mariota being a “system quarterback” are real, of course, but he’s also known to be extremely coachable and would be joining a staff that is already familiar with his tendencies. With Mariota, what you lack in readiness on day one, you think you might be able to get back in time assuming his work ethic and coachability are as advertised. Then it’s largely up to the organization that drafts Mariota to make him a success.
Should the Browns draft Mariota? Will Mariota be a success? No clue. Here’s what I do think: If you’re going to bet on any quarterback in the first round, I’m betting on Mariota. It’s more about what the Browns believe and what they’re prepared to do to commit to him. This speaks to what Bernie Kosar was talking about last season. The Browns need to not just show the gambler’s spirit to make a decision, then they need to go all-in on that decision. They need to support Mariota and commit to making him the best version of himself that he can be.
That’s the ultimate failure of the Browns and their quarterbacks over the years. It’s not just about bad bets. That would presume that all quarterbacks futures are pre-determined by what they bring with them into the NFL. By now, in Cleveland, we should know better.
55 Comments
He got the spelling right. That’s statistically correct.
One other thing I want the Browns to do is actually do a good job of developing the QB. I’m not saying their scouting/drafting has been flawless, but to be this inept for this long, it has to be a team effort. I agree on Couch – if he were developed properly and had a foundation in place, I think he could have been successful. I kind of feel the same way about JFF, and I hope he hasn’t been ruined already.
This is what Bernie was getting at last year when they threw JFF in there (too soon). In my mind I was thinking “Hoyer is stinking up the joint, get JFF in there and see what he has! We can still make the playoffs, and that one drive in Buffalo was electric.” I think I might have even had a torch and pitchfork in my hand while I was saying it. In hindsight, it was clearly the wrong move and we’re paying for it with more QB draft speculation.
I’m highly intrigued by Hundley, but not at #19. Second round pick at most. I haven’t seen him play a ton, but I’ve read enough to have concerns about his lack of accuracy and ability to handle pressure. He has some nice tools though, AND with proper development I think he could be something. However, I would NOT want to see him anywhere near the field in 2015 (and maybe not 2016).
I just really think we need to keep taking chances in the draft, but also making a serious commitment to developing QBs. This is more true now than ever, with more and more QBs coming out of college that don’t know how to call plays in a huddle or take a snap under center. Those things can be learned, but with everything else a rookie QB has to deal with, you can’t rush it.
Loggains was the WORST. I hated that dude pretty much the whole way (telling the draft story to some random Arkansas radio host?). I love that Pett made him wear the idiot hat, and was then fired. What an idiot.
I love Rivers’ talent, but the guy just seems like a douche. Living in Denver, I get my fair share of exposure to Rivers hate and I have to admit it’s justified (and I hate agreeing with Bronco fans). Seems like one of those guys that is even hated by his teammates. No thank you.
I think a big part of the scouting overhaul is Farmer getting “his guys” in there. Remember, Farmer was hired not too far ahead of the draft last year. I think it was way too late to get new guys in there, and the old guys had spent the whole year on their analysis. Hopefully the scouting is 100% what Farmer wants right now. We’ll see.