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Right up until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are officially on the clock, there are going to be numerous NFL Draft rumors and smokescreens leaked to the media. Many of those rumors will be about Oregon Ducks QB Marcus Mariota. Rumors placing the Heisman Trophy winner on the Philadelphia Eagles have been rampant for a couple of years, but now there’s a story going around involving another NFC East team.
According to John Clayton of ESPN, the Washington Redskins are prepared to draft Mariota with the fifth pick in the draft. Since making his original statement, Clayton has gone on local radio stations in the nation’s capital and reaffirmed his assertion. He may believe this to be true, but he’s fallen for a smokscreen. Whether the team leaked this rumor or not, it certainly benefits the Redskins if other teams believe the interest in Mariota is real.
The NFL Draft is all about leverage. Teams, players and agents all use leverage to get what they want. Bo Jackson, John Elway and Eli Manning are all examples of players using leverage to avoid playing for certain teams. Teams do the same thing. The popular belief at this point is that the New York Jets, who hold the sixth pick in the draft, are interested in either drafting Mariota or trading the pick to a team who is.
With the Jets open for business, the trade value of the Redskins’ fifth pick takes a serious hit.
The point is the Redskins want to trade the pick. New GM Scot McCloughan is a draft guru. He began his career as a scout and his ability to find talent is the reason why he’s worked his way up to GM. He helped build both the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks into contenders.
In order for the Redskins to have similar success, the team needs to accumulate picks. McCloughan will try to bring in as many players who fit his vision as possible. The best way to do that is by making other teams believe Mariota is the intended target.
Even if McCloughan does envision Mariota as a franchise QB, owner Dan Snyder won’t let it happen. Snyder and team president Bruce Allen mortgaged the future of the franchise on Robert Griffin III, and they aren’t about to give up on him now. During the Combine, Allen said Griffin still has a very high ceiling. McCloughan may be able to make all the roster moves he wants, but replacing Griffin is not an option.
Even with a full arsenal of picks for the first time since the 2012 trade with the St. Louis Rams, the Redskins have more needs than picks. Acquiring extra picks allows the team to draft the best player available early and fill needs late. This philosophy worked for McCloughan in the past, so there’s no reason to believe he’ll change.
With the ultimate goal being to trade down, the Redskins must convince someone their interest in Mariota is real. Whether it’s the Cleveland Browns or New Orleans Saints, who both have two first-round picks, or the Arizona Cardinals or Philadelphia Eagles, someone has to bite for the plan to work.
The Redskins could then move down and draft a top offensive lineman such as Brandon Scherff from Iowa or La’el Collins of LSU. Either one could slide inside to guard and immediately give Griffin better protection. Maybe Landon Collins, a safety from Alabama, is the target. Whoever the real target is, it’s not Mariota.
McCloughan and Clayton have known each other for a long time since their days in Seattle, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Washington GM may have casually said something about Mariota knowing Clayton would report it. Whatever the real story is, it’s safe to say Mariota won’t be playing his home games at FedEx Field anytime soon.
Shawn Spencer is an NFL Draft writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Spencer_NFL, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
Related:
Eagles Should Call Raiders If They Want Marcus Mariota
Redskins Drafting Mariota Would End Forgettable RGIII Era
