Peter King: The Truth About Marcus Mariota

Pretty good article here. I know some here disagree but I think (and it might take a year or two) that he's going to be a great NFL QB.

But though he won’t say he’s confident, and though he’ll say the safe things a soon-to-be-drafted quarterback must say, Mariota is brutally confident. He reminds me of a quieter Russell Wilson—sure of himself, but not motivated to tell anyone. Sort of like the way Derek Jeter used to lead by example. Jeter once told Cowboys coach Jason Garrett that he never tried to get his message across by being loud. Being good, and working hard, was good enough. That’s the kind of manner Wilson adopted. I can see it in Mariota.

Click to expand...

http://mmqb.si.com/2015/03/04/2015-draf ... ott-frost/

Honestly I care very little about colleges and teams. But I think you are unable to approach this subjectively being a duck homer.

Its a 50/50 chance hes a flop.

I think he is a product of the system myself, his best chance is to sit for a year or 2 IMO but it wont happen.

The proof will be in the pudding.

titan3131":2eakiom9 said:

I think he is a product of the system myself, his best chance is to sit for a year or 2 IMO but it wont happen.

Click to expand...

Depends on where he ends up obviously. If he ends up in Philly he'll be ready to go from day 1 of training camp. I've heard rumors about Kansas City possibly wanting to trade up for him, that would be ideal because he could sit for a year or two behind Alex Smith. I'm really hoping its not the Jets (where most mocks seem to have him going), tough environment for a QB to succeed and I think he'd be thrown to the wolves right away.

I agree with the Duck homerness here, but I will say (as a non-Duck) that any QB coming out has a pretty high percentage chance of being a flop. A lot more than 50%, I'd say, so I would put Mariota's odds of flopping probably closer to 75%. That said, I'd put Winston's around 90%, if not higher.

He needs to go somewhere they'll be patient and let him develop as a pro-set passer. Unfortunately, unless he slides to later in the first round, he's probably not going to get that.

My only worries for Mariota are system fit and mental toughness. He is not as prepared for the NFL as Matt Ryan was, but his tools and upside are much better. Of course, Matt Ryan's lack of mental toughness has held him back in the NFL a bit. He wins all the games he should, but rarely wins the games he shouldn't. Struggles against physical teams, etc.

I'm fine with Mariota being drafted behind Winston. But if Mariota slides all the way to the Eagles, that's just craziness IMO.

sc85sis":39t2kn53 said:

He needs to go somewhere they'll be patient and let him develop as a pro-set passer. Unfortunately, unless he slides to later in the first round, he's probably not going to get that.

Click to expand...

I'm just curious what you mean by this? Passing from under center? You know Oregon WR run the same routes as "pro set" wr, and the concept is a lot more similar than people know, or care to admit. Do you really think its that tough to take a 3 step drop aand throw?

CPHawk":35xorueg said:

sc85sis":35xorueg said:

He needs to go somewhere they'll be patient and let him develop as a pro-set passer. Unfortunately, unless he slides to later in the first round, he's probably not going to get that.

Click to expand...

I'm just curious what you mean by this? Passing from under center? You know Oregon WR run the same routes as "pro set" wr, and the concept is a lot more similar than people know, or care to admit. Do you really think its that tough to take a 3 step drop aand throw?

Click to expand...

Mariota has taken 5 snaps from under center. And yes, it is very tough to read a defense and take snaps from under center when you've never done it before. Everything happens much faster.

Mariota's not going to fail. He's got the talent and the personality to make it in the NFL. I course I could be wrong, but I just don't see it.

Yes taking snaps from under center is what I was referring to. He has hardly ever done that. That doesn't mean he can't, but he will need time to develop that skill and it will be harder to do so in the NFL where everyone is that much bigger, stronger and faster. My hope for Marcus is the team that selects him is willing to give him whatever time he needs, but if he gets drafted higher to a QB-needy team, that's less likely.

His accuracy concerns me as I saw him miss open receivers too often for my taste this past year. His mental makeup does not concern me one iota.

Show me a Ducks QB who has panned out in the NFL in the last 20 years.

Scottemojo":3ofeeihh said:

Show me a Ducks QB who has panned out in the NFL in the last 20 years.

Click to expand...

The great Kellen Clemens.

Not the NFL but Tony Graziani... Arena league MVP. That's some pedigree right there!

Scottemojo":1teogcxt said:

Show me a Ducks QB who has panned out in the NFL in the last 20 years.

Click to expand...

I heard Darron Thomas pans out a pretty good quesadilla at Taco Bell.

kearly":1k7pfppq said:

Scottemojo":1k7pfppq said:

Show me a Ducks QB who has panned out in the NFL in the last 20 years.

Click to expand...

I heard Darron Thomas pans out a pretty good quesadilla at Taco Bell.

Click to expand...

Your sources are way off. He's starting QB for THE Portland Thunder.

Kearly meant Harrington. Turns out a mexican pizza while playing Beethovens 5th.

http://youtu.be/TCcm2Vl4TNs

He has scouting videos of max Williams and Melvin Gordon too that were fun to watch.

What a great breakdown of Mariota, who I haven't really watched before. Gotta say, the first few plays he was running some of the same stuff Russell Wilson runs here, especially including that read-option play, and immediately it was like, I've watched Russell Wilson do that same play, same read, 100 times! Mariota's accuracy looked very suspect in that game.

The other thought, watching the goal line series where Oregon ran the same play 3x in a row at fast tempo, and then scores on a run up the gut on the 3rd play, was that that's what we needed in the playbook at the end of SB49. Of course, Bevell would find a way to screw the screens up. Or maybe that concept just won't work at the NFL level, though I suppose the Eagles are the test case.

Based on the info in the video, I sure wouldn't use a 1st rounder on Mariota, and a Chip Kelly team would be where he'd have the most value in the NFL. Looks like Mariota would need at least 1-2 seasons as an understudy to have a shot at being decent at the NFL level.

All of which makes me appreciate what Russell Wilson has done, all the more.