I think it's pretty obvious that he doesn't want a distraction for the team going into the playoffs. I just don't see any reason for Marcus to come back. I said the same thing when LMJ was making up his mind after his junior season. As much as I would love to see him come back, I think he has to take this shot and go to the NFL. It's very likely he'll be the #1 pick, or at least top three. I want to see him succeed in the NFL.
He will go #1 to Tampa bay. Mariota is a smart guy. But he does seem loyal to a fault. He needs to enter the draft this year. He would be #1. He shouldnt risk an injury, or a fall. Locker was the consensus #1 pick and decided to go back one more year. He ended up being picked #11 and lost a lot of money. Tampa bay offers him sunny weather, mike Evans and vjax
He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who cares about money that much. I think he definitely could be considered loyal to a fault, and because of that I could see him going back for his senior season to spend one more year with his friends "living the college life" as he said. But I just don't think he can pass this up. Winning the Heisman. Breaking records. Hopefully winning a championship. I wish the best for the kid and he deserves to go #1.
If we trade for Amari Cooper do we get his bird rights? I want to make sure we can go over the salary cap to re-sign him.
If the teams that will take you are the Jets, Bucs or Raiders.... Hello 1st year of grad school. At Oregon he'll have a slew of weapons, a good O line and could easily repeat as Heisman favorite. Most importantly, non of the above mentioned teams have groomed a decent QB in 20 years. Marcus getting hurt playing for those lemons is far more likely than if he stayed in school!
Come on guys. You're being a little selfish if you want him going back to oregon. What more does he have to prove? The bucs are a good situation for a young qb. He has mike Evans and vjax. Doug Martin has had a bad year, but he has proven he can compete in the nfl. There isn't much better a situation for him to start out with.
Hey I would be happy if he came back, but I think he should go pro. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Would you rather have 1 horrible and potentially career ending season in the NFL on a rookie salary playing for tragically managed and poorly run team top down with zero O line protection? Or come back and at worst be a top 5 team in college with better facilities than the ones you'll be going to? As a young QB in the pros, being around for a while comes down to being on an NFL team that gets it. The Jets, Bucs and Raiders should teach seminars on how to lose and it's the management not the players who should be giving them. I see Peyton Manning having one good year left till he's to beaten up and they have an O line there. I see the same opportunity for Marcus with the Cardinals who need a QB now or the Eagles who will soon will accept that Sanchez is a stop gap QB at best. The Texans could also be an interesting get. For me and if I had the talent that MM has, I wouldn't leave Eugene without knowing that I was going to an NFL team that could protect me upfront and develop me. If that means doing an Eli Manning then fine. Eli is still playing. How's Jamarcus Russell, RG III, Mike Vick or Geno Smith doing today? They served those guys up with zero O line support and we can all see what has happened. The NFL big paydays for QB's are on the second contracts, you have to make it that far first. The teams in the draft this year haven't gotten a QB to a large second contract in decades cause their all carted off or traded. I don't want Marcus back because I'm selfish, I want him to go to a team that he'll have a fighting chance on. What I don't want to see is him carted off week 2 with a destroyed knee cause his O line were sweating off a hang overs because they're only showing up to get a paycheck. I say follow a strong O line not the money, cause if you have talent and protection the money will certainly find you soon enough!
So you'd rather he go back to Oregon and risk injury ? Or a fall from grace like locker? You're dreaming if you think a team like denver, the eagles or the cardinals will get to sniff mariota. They couldn't possibly trade enough to get him because they will all be picking in the 20's. The bucs have offensive talent surrounding him. And mariota doesn't strike me as a guy that would pull an Eli manning to force his way to a team. Wanting mariota back in Oregon is selfish. But hey, I would too with the backup qbs Oregon has right now. This is your year to win it. And I think you will
I think most of the Pac-12 next year is reloading except for USC and even then I think we'd win handedly if Marcus came back for sure. Luckily USC is a home game and the only major hurdle I see is MSU there. Now I weigh that thought with going to the Jets, who in all likelihood will have a new head coach, wouldn't you agree? The Bucs who don't and haven't developed any decent QB's, or the Raiders a place where careers go to die and I've got to think coming back to Oregon sounds good to me. This is a decision about longevity as an enormous talent in the NFL, rather than a quick pay day. If the NFL is your career not your need, I think you weigh those decisions out strongly. RGIII has been in the league now his third year and he's a mess, poor management, crappy line. No Duck alumni or fan would like to see that happen to Marcus. The Jets and the Raiders are worse than the Redskins and Tampa Bay still has a very long way to go. You are very right, Marcus has nothing left to prove on the college level, but the teams mentioned for him are pretty tragic rewards!
Getting injured is not like a death sentence to his career. He's already proven himself, and players get injured and heal all the time. I don't think the Raiders would take him either because they have Derek Carr. And falling in the NFL draft isn't necessarily such a bad deal. Many top QBs flame out after their first go round on the terrible team that drafted them, while guys that go lower, to better teams, develop, and succeed on the better team and get big contracts. Look at the top paid QBs in the league right now, and the majority of them were not top 10 picks, but there is a very long list of top 10 busts.
I think he will go, Tampa is good spot for him, weak conference for now and he would have a lot of weapons to throw/hand off to, also the offensive line isn't that bad when they're healthy.
Let's say, for the sake of argument, that Tampa decides to go with Winston (bigger, stronger, better arm, more experience throwing into tight windows in a crappy scheme...)--is the assumption that Tennessee would take Marcus at 2? How do you guys think he would fare there? I've been severely unimpressed with their recent drafts, and they (unlike Tampa) don't have much in the way of offensive weaponry. I would fear for Marcus' life the first time he started against Houston.
