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2015 NFL Draft: Jameis Winston Could Be Great Fit for Philadelphia Eagles

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In my never-ending quest to write about every possible wrinkle that could happen with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL draft, I’m sort of surprised I hadn’t thought of this possibility yet: What if the Eagles are looking to trade up for any quarterback, whether it’s Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston?

All the focus has been on Mariota, and for good reason.  After all, he’s Chip Kelly’s college quarterback. They have history and Mariota has a ton of production in Kelly’s schemes. But for all the good things Mariota has going for him, those things make him an attractive pick to every other team also. As much as the reports say the Tampa Bay Buccaneers like Winston, it’s very conceivable they could take Mariota and call it a day.

I’m sure the Eagles are prepared for that possibility. But could their backup plan be to move up anyway and get one of those quarterbacks, regardless of who it winds up being?

Honestly, I’m intrigued by Winston’s potential in this offense. One look at his scouting report and Winston would fit the bill of what Kelly would want in a quarterback. Winston can play under center or in shotgun, his decision-making skills are elite, his arm strength and accuracy are excellent, he’s athletic enough to scramble and extend plays — the list goes on. The argument against him comes from his off-the-field issues, and those concerns are understandable.

But if you’ve been reading the mock drafts like I have, many pundits are mocking cornerback Marcus Peters to the Eagles at No. 20. Peters’ off-the-field issues are pretty stark and, honestly, are more severe than Winston’s. So if they think Kelly can overlook Peters’ past for the sake of his talent, why wouldn’t he do it with Winston? Cornerback might be a more pressing need, but if the Eagles are willing to trade up for a quarterback, the desire might be great enough that drafting Winston would make sense.

A quarterback can make a dramatic impact on a team, especially in this new NFL, where scoring and the passing attack is more crucial than it has ever been. Whether Eagles fans want a new quarterback in town or not, you have to be at least mildly curious about what a player like Winston would do here. If the Eagles miss out on Mariota, Winston might be worth the price.

Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.  Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL

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