The Philadelphia Eagles Aren’t The Only Fit For Marcus Mariota

By Max Zelenko on January 24, 2015

Let me start by letting everyone know that this is not a piece discussing whether or not the Philadelphia Eagles should trade up in the NFL Draft to acquire Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota.

If you follow the trending topics on twitter and facebook, you will know that Chip Kelly and the Eagles reportedly have interest in Oregon’s superstar, with some reports going as far to declare that “Kelly will trade up for Mariota.”

I would love to know who those inside sources are.

Do those sources realize the Eagles are not the only team the NFL?

Do those sources realize that other teams need to agree to trade with Philadelphia, so they can move up and draft their guy?

There is no denying that Mariota is likely best suited to start his career with Kelly and the Eagles, as he essentially ran the same offense over his past three collegiate seasons. Yet, with the quarterback position the most important position in football, and arguably all of sports, there is simply no guarantee that the teams at the top of the draft will trade down with Philadelphia.

On top of that, there is a chance another team can trade up to select Mariota as well.

Not only is having a good quarterback essential to winning in this league, but whomever is under center becomes the face of the franchise. While winning a Super Bowl is the ultimate goal for every NFL team, each organization has a business to run and must do right by their fans.

So, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans sitting atop the draft board, without a franchise signal-caller (no Zach Mettenberger is not a franchise quarterback), why in the world would they give up an opportunity to draft a guy who could potentially become the face of their organization for the next 15 or so years?

Appeasing the fan base is a must for every team, and selling jerseys of a reputable player helps achieve that.

Now, there is a definitely a chance Mariota does not go within the top two picks of the draft, and Florida State‘s Jameis Winston is selected before him. However, even if Winston has better attributes heading into the draft, I would think teams would consider each player’s off-field personality as well.

I don’t know about you, but I am not sure it is the best thing to trust a guy who was accused of rape and stole crab legs. That is not a shot at Winston, it is just stating the facts. But, lets say Winston figures his stuff out, and he goes in the top-two, and Mariota falls.

Problem solved for Philadelphia right?

They can just trade up with the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 3 or the Oakland Raiders at No. 4, who both selected quarterbacks a year ago (Blake Bortles, Derek Carr).

Not so fast.

Forget about the fact that trading up from No. 20 to No. 3 or 4 in the first round will take a massive package, but take notice that there are other NFL teams who absolutely need a franchise quarterback.

The New York Jets sit at No. 6 and need a signal-caller. The Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams, who both draft before Philadelphia could potentially be looking at Mariota as well.

There is absolutely no doubt that Kelly is intrigued in reuniting with Mariota. However, Eagles’ fans and the media really need to take everything into account.

Even if the Eagles offer five future first-rounders, LeSean McCoy, and Fletcher Cox, there is still no guarantee they can find a trade partner who will want to select at No. 20 this year. That is a big drop from inside the top-five.

It is entirely possible that Philadelphia is able to figure out a way and get Mariota on their roster for next season, but it also really needs to be known that it not be easy. There are many obstacles in the way, and on top of that, the move could completely backfire.

Kelly could have the perfect trade in mind, but another team could have a better offer, or Mariota could easily go first or second overall.

Max Zelenko is a Philadelphia Eagles/NFL writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @maxzelenko, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.