Ball Played: Carrasco dominates, Santana goes yard in win
April 9, 2015Listen to Indians player-manager Frank Robinson’s 1975 debut
April 9, 2015Though Johnny Manziel is expected to be in Cleveland on April 20, and the Browns lobbed a nice pay day in the direction of one Josh McCown, reports continue to swirl surrounding the team’s interest in Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. By all indications, the Heisman Trophy winner will be selected with the No. 2 pick, but the Browns are one of just a handful of teams with the ammunition to trade up. According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, there’s some fire looming underneath all of this smoke, and its the product of desperation.
The NFL has two types of teams: Those with franchise quarterbacks, and those trying to find a franchise quarterback.
Within the latter characterization is a subcategory: Those so desperate to find a franchise quarterback that they’ll do anything to get one however they can and whatever it takes.
The Browns sit atop that subcategory. After burning a first-round pick in 2012 on Brandon Weeden and a first-round pick in 2014 on Johnny Manziel, the Browns are truly interested in using their two first-round picks in 2015 to move up and get Marcus Mariota, per multiple league sources.
Cleveland has selections No. 12 and No. 19. They acquired the 19th pick from Buffalo after trading down only five spots last year, from No. 4 to No. 9, so that the Bills could get receiver Sammy Watkins. Given that the price to jump from No. 9 to No. 4 in 2014 was a future first-round pick and a future fourth-round pick, it’s hard to know whether the No. 12 and No. 19 picks would be enough to get Mariota.
There’s no denying that the Browns have been a graveyard of failed quarterbacks—that quick look at history is only the outer layer of that onion. Adding Mariota would provide the team with what is arguably their best chance at moving themselves from one category of NFL teams to the other. The link to quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell is very real as it was O’Connell who worked with the Oregon product until the day he was announced by the Browns. It was also O’Connell who represented the Browns at Mariota’s Pro Day, helping the quarterback run his drills.
The real question becomes whether or not Mariota has the make-up of being the franchise’s quarterback, or if he would merely join the list of what-could-have-beens that came before him.
24 Comments
In my experience, the words “Cleveland Browns” and “desperate” rarely turn out well for anyone. Well anyone who likes the team, anyway. Mariota is the best of the bunch this year, but I don’t want him badly enough to do what Washington did for RG3. BESIDES. CARDALE IS COMING SOON TO SAVE US ALL
Blah, blah, blah…
http://blog.chron.com/tubular/files/2014/02/cersei-wine-game-of-thrones.gif
Miller will be coming out for the supplemental draft. Should we get him with a 2016 second rounder? He could get nabbed for the Advocare promotion and then declare after the draft
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9d/4a/1f/9d4a1ff9decb1da4490a5fbaac0f239e.jpg
DRAFT ALL TEH BUCKEYEZ!
Yes, because if there’s anything we’ve seen from this Browns’ regime, it’s making desperate moves. If only they’d be absurdly patient to the point that everyone complains how they aren’t doing anything, maybe they wouldn’t make these types of trades.
/sarcasm
https://media.giphy.com/media/10xZU9b7JBx14s/giphy.gif
I have my doubts about Braxton Miller, NFL Quarterback. Though I do like that idea better than John Pigskin, NFL Quarterback.
https://youtu.be/E2GiUzQBkAs
The only thing worse would be to draft Johnny Manziel, oh wait…
…I wouldn’t want any part of Mariota he’s just a bigger Manziel with no off field issues (that we know of at least).
Just thinking through this comment. Wouldn’t a bigger Manziel with no off field issues be a pretty good prospect? I’d just hope that they wouldn’t rush him into the lineup.
Multiple league sources!!! Well then, that proves it.
Not when he hasn’t taken a snap under center since HS.
Peter King had some disturbing numbers regarding Mariota’s % of play action passes in college. It was really high. And then some numbers on his sack % on non-play action passes. That was really high too. And now, I feel like I should make a Josh Gordon joke….
So yeah, he throws a football but it sure seems like he has never played quarterback.
At least it would satisfy the masses for a week or two.
Which is longer than the Browns usually satisfy anyone
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpdwyzACFL1qjys7d.gif
It makes zero sense coming off of the Manziel debacle alone to even be entertaining Mariota but lets face it with this organization sense went out the window a long time ago. That being said there is part of me that hopes it’s all true and they trade to get him just so the clown show has another act.
Here we go again, every year: 1) Why would anyone who has actual knowledge from inside Berea that the Browns are “desperate” for Mariota tell this to Mike Florio, and risk their job? 2) Who are “multiple league sources”? Answer to #1 is nobody. Answer to #2 is, as always, agents.
This, like every draft rumor, may be ultimately true, but that doesn’t mean Florio has reliable info that it is. It is against the interest of a front office to reveal its intentions. Florio is under pressure to put out content every day, so he uses agent puffing. Can’t wait for the day when those who repeat rumors based on anonymous “league sources” (not even “team sources”) at least note that, without the source being placed in any manner, the rumor cannot be given any more credibility than straight spitballing by a writer with a deadline.
[Promise to repeat this rant only twice more before draft day].
I don’t want us to trade up for him. If he somehow falls to us, then maybe.
AH, OK.
When will Florio’s Punch-me-face be punched in the face?
I agree if Mariota somehow lasts until #12 I don’t see how he isn’t chosen. Not that I’ll like it just can’t avoid it.
So what you’re saying is we are being used as a pawn to drive up the price, then way later reports will come out that we actually made an even better offer but were rebuked while the QB looks great for 1/2 a season and everyone will whine and moan the whole time. Then said QB gets hurt and the situation is never mentioned again.
The Browns need a quarterback. They may or may not make some kind of move on draft day to select a quarterback. Why does that make any action they may take “desperate”?