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Marcus Mariota to Browns? Media Noise Grows

By Jared Mueller

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Shortly after the college football and NFL seasons ended we predicted that Marcus Mariota could fall in the upcoming NFL Draft. We hoped the Cleveland Browns would be the benefactors of that fall but based that prediction on the simple histories of Geno Smith and Teddy Bridgewater, while mentioning Aaron Rodgers, Brady Quinn and Johnny Manziel.

Here is what some were saying at that time (New Window):

Todd McShay – “Bottom line: By April 30, Mariota could be seen by teams as a bigger risk than Winston. But ultimately, teams could very well decide that Mariota’s on-field issues (he has outstanding intangibles) are a bigger concern. I think he absolutely has the tools and potential to develop into a very good NFL quarterback, but teams are going to have to gamble on him being able to get better in a lot of areas in which he hasn’t had much experience or great success to this point.”

Mel Kiper via 247 Sports – “Throwing into tight windows, being more precise and more accurate. It’s easy to hit the wide open receivers, we’re looking for the tight throws. I think he’s top ten but I think Winston has the edge as being more NFL-ready.”

Fansided – “Marcus Mariota’s last pass of his college career may have very well been an interception. It was just the final disappointment in his lackluster national championship game performance which raised more questions than answers. Does Mariota have the anticipation to succeed in the NFL? Can he ever shake his red zone woes?”

Rob Rang – “Mariota faces legitimate questions about how he’ll fare against tighter windows in the NFL, but he shows good awareness in the pocket, a live arm and, of course, great mobility.”

Some of that noise continues as this week as media has posted some interesting articles and thoughts based on information that they are hearing from teams:

Which led to Kyle Crabbs noting that people were going to take that and run with it, which they did. It is very similar to what happened to “soft spoken” Bridgewater last year:

Last year Teddy was too small, too soft spoken and needed gloves to throw. This year Mariota is too thin, isn’t driven and comes from a spread system. If Bridgewater’s rookie year is what we could get out of Mariota, I think most Browns fans would be happy. We also have this little note comparing Mariota to little known, developmental QB Sean Mannion:

Yet, even though many in the media are talking about Mariota falling, others are starting to push the idea that the Browns could trade up to get the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback. In the span of 24 hours there were 4 articles written by prominent networks that included the idea of the Browns trading up for Marcus Mariota:

CBS Sports – “Cleveland Browns: They are picking No. 12 and clearly needy for a quarterback and a stable citizen at the helm. Josh McCown is a great caretaker but he’s not the future. And Johnny Manziel had about as much of a lost rookie season as one could imagine. His future is already in doubt. The Browns have been peddling their 19th overall pick for Bradford – in both St. Louis and now Philadelphia – and owner Jimmy Haslam has been very intrigued by Mariota for quite some time. And make no mistake, his fingerprints were all over the Manziel selection. You can’t rule the Browns out by any stretch here, with the draft picks and willingness to do it. Haslam likes splash moves.”

NFL.com – “”When Chip Kelly said he’d been offered a first-round pick, it seems like that was the Cleveland Browns, for Sam Bradford,” NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “That tells me Cleveland is not happy with their current quarterback situation. To me, that makes them the team most in need of an upgrade at the position. That’s why I would say they have the most need for someone like Marcus Mariota.””

ESPN (Pat) – “Then again, maybe the Browns are laying low for a major move — a trade up to acquire Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. With Bowe on the roster, the trade makes more sense than it did without him. Without Bowe, the Browns were in dire need of a receiver. With him (and with Brian Hartline), they can get by for a year or two, assuming all goes as planned. Other moves on paper seem to complement adding a young quarterback. The only glaring need is quarterback, but the Browns have those two first-round picks and are better positioned to offer them plus another in 2016 to move up for Mariota.”

ESPN (Fowler) – “Mariota probably won’t command an RG3-sized haul, but the Titans exchanging 12/19 for 2 would be buying an Igloo in Daytona Beach. A team must looooove Mariota to do that. I’m not convinced the Browns are there, though a private workout can always change that. Ray Farmer is enticed by trades but would be hard-pressed to give up three or more valuable picks for a player who’s not considered the best at his position in this draft.

That’s why the Browns have at least four options that seem more sensible than an all-in aggressive play on Mariota.

1, See if Mariota falls past the Jets at 6 then consider a move up.

2. Let Mariota fall to you at 12.

3. Dangle that No. 19 overall pick to Chip Kelly for Sam Bradford.

4. Do the best you can with Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, and possibly Bryce Petty while loading up for 2016.”

The media noise is getting stronger on both sides. First that Mariota could fall and second that the Browns could be the ones to catch him. The Browns will be focused on how they value Mariota. Using the Best Grade Available (BGA) instead of Best Player Available (BPA) could either push Mariota up the board or down. BGA includes how a team values a position in general as well as their need level at that position.

The New York Jets seem like a perfect trade candidate for the Browns. They have a new regime coming in, they just spent a ton of money in free agency and need to balance out their cap with some young talent and, if they pass on Mariota, may be willing to deal. In the commonly used NFL Trade Chart the 6th pick is valued at 1,600 points while the Browns 12th and 19th picks combine for 2.075. The 400 extra, equivalent to a late 2nd round pick, is a normal “QB Bonus Cost.”

If the Browns can move up to 6 without giving up anything more than their 2 first round picks, it would seem like a great move. Yet they would then however have to ask themselves whether they need to move up at all. The Chicago Bears could take Mariota but they are tied to Jay Cutler for 2 years, unless they can trade him. The Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants are set at QB and the St. Louis Rams just acquired Nick Foles, instead of the 19th pick reportedly, and like him. The Minnesota Vikings drafted Bridgewater so they are also good. The Browns only worry is someone, the Eagles or Saints for example, jumping over them to steal Mariota.

More from Dawg Pound Daily

Marcus Mariota may end up going #2 overall, either to the Tennessee Titans or a team, unlikely the Browns, trading up to that spot. He could also fall down to 12 or beyond but the Browns decide to address needs elsewhere. Anything is possible but the noise right now seems to suggest there is a little smoke coming from Berea and a little slide in Mariota’s future. One thing is for sure, as noted in the same NFL.com piece, the Browns are still trying to replace Bernie Kosar:

"“They’re going to draft a quarterback until they get it right,” fellow analyst Brian Baldinger said. “They’re still trying to replace Bernie Kosar 20 years later.”"

What do you think about the current media noise related to Marcus Mariota and the Cleveland Browns?

Next: Ranking Top Options for Browns Top Pick

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