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My son is a freshman at U Oregon and even as a lifelong Dawg fan, I have come to appreciate and root for Mariota. A good guy with all of the tools to do well in the NFL. There are holes in his game ( ie, his often off balance release) as with any qb coming out of college, and it is all too apparent that it is as important to which team a player goes; as much as their scheme, coaching, ol, teammates ect. I think that MM could become a great player in the right situation. Among the teams that suck, which is the best fit for the duck?

Ranked from best to worst of all the teams with 3 teams or fewer (minus the Jags) Also #2 I think is a distant second:

1. Tampa - Positives: best skill position players, a few pieces on defense. Negatives: Offensive line is bad.

2. Titans - Positives: Decent Offensive Line, couple of intriguing skill position players. Not the Raiders, Jets or Washington Professional Football Team (no I'm not being politically correct I just like how irrelevant it makes them sound). Negatives: Ken Whisenhunt looks somewhat clueless as a head coach and he has a really quick hook on his QBs.

3. Raiders (Surprise!) - Positives: Khalil Mack, Not the Jets or the Washington Professional Football Team. Negatives: They're the Raiders, nuff said. Also Derek Carr means a QB controversy just waiting to happen.

4. Jets - Positives: Jets actually have a few players, Not the Washington Professional Football Team. Negatives: I don't think Mariotta is made for the New York media spotlight.

5. The Washington Professional Football Team - Positives: None. Negatives: Dude I'm about to go to lunch there is no way I have time to type them all.

kalibane wrote:Ranked from best to worst of all the teams with 3 teams or fewer (minus the Jags) Also #2 I think is a distant second:

1. Tampa - Positives: best skill position players, a few pieces on defense. Negatives: Offensive line is bad.

2. Titans - Positives: Decent Offensive Line, couple of intriguing skill position players. Not the Raiders, Jets or Washington Professional Football Team (no I'm not being politically correct I just like how irrelevant it makes them sound). Negatives: Ken Whisenhunt looks somewhat clueless as a head coach and he has a really quick hook on his QBs.

3. Raiders (Surprise!) - Positives: Khalil Mack, Not the Jets or the Washington Professional Football Team. Negatives: They're the Raiders, nuff said. Also Derek Carr means a QB controversy just waiting to happen.

4. Jets - Positives: Jets actually have a few players, Not the Washington Professional Football Team. Negatives: I don't think Mariotta is made for the New York media spotlight.

5. The Washington Professional Football Team - Positives: None. Negatives: Dude I'm about to go to lunch there is no way I have time to type them all.

Great synopsis. I agree that Jets and Skins are bad situations for almost anyone. Much is being made of Mariota's quiet demeanor. Kid is a laid back hawaiian that may come across as lacking vocal leadership and media shy to those looking for the flaw, but he looks to be a model teammate.

The Raiders intrigue me as an option; WC, might be poised to move to LA, some nice pieces and intetesting names have been bandied about as future coaching candidates. But, I think that they like Carr "enough". "Two qbs equal no qb" potential there.

Tampa and Tenn. are best bets. I would prefer the AFC team.

I doubt the Raiders would be interested. Carr has proven to have the arm and savvy to make good plays.

The Bucs and Titans need a QB. If they are still drafting 1 and 2, I would think one of them would select him.
Washington currently is in the 5th position, but I think they stay with Griffen as Snyder has too much money tied up in him.
After that comes the Jets who would be in play for him. The Falcons, Giants and Bears are next.
It would be interesting if he fell past the Jets - I doubt he gets that far but if he got to the Bears, he would probably go there as Cutler seems to have worn out his welcome.

You're probably right that as of right now the Raiders are good with Carr but I included them because there will be a coaching change and usually the new coach wants to pick his QB.

If for instance they are able to land Harbaugh, and Harbaugh doesn't like Carr do you honestly think the following:

1. Either Harbaugh will take the job and just deal with a QB he doesn't want? Considering his beef with the front office in SF I doubt it. Harbaugh wants control.

2. Harbaugh is willing to coach the Raiders but the Raiders would rather hire another coach so they can keep Carr instead of landing the best coach on the open market by a country mile?

I don't see either of those scenarios taking place. Of course if the coach likes Carr it's all moot but depending on who they hire I do think the Raiders could be in play for a QB.

I'd like to see him at Tampa with Lovie Smith... stability with a head coach and staff can't be beat. Lovie has at least 2 years more.

Go Ducks... Go Crusaders... good Hawaiian Boy! Make us all proud, even if he didn't go to UH.

js

kalibane wrote:You're probably right that as of right now the Raiders are good with Carr but I included them because there will be a coaching change and usually the new coach wants to pick his QB.

If for instance they are able to land Harbaugh, and Harbaugh doesn't like Carr do you honestly think the following:

1. Either Harbaugh will take the job and just deal with a QB he doesn't want? Considering his beef with the front office in SF I doubt it. Harbaugh wants control.

2. Harbaugh is willing to coach the Raiders but the Raiders would rather hire another coach so they can keep Carr instead of landing the best coach on the open market by a country mile?

I don't see either of those scenarios taking place. Of course if the coach likes Carr it's all moot but depending on who they hire I do think the Raiders could be in play for a QB.

Coaches do like to put their own players in place, however with Carr, he has a very young QB who he can develop and not a veteran who has been coached differently for a number of years.
Like you said, though he has to like what he sees in Carr so that might be all the difference. That is, unless part of the agreement is that they unload Carr for a higher draft pick if he should like Mariota or Winston better. It might also depend on how much control he has of the personnel. He probably looks at Seattle and others and sees Carroll having final say over the roster and might want that control as well.

I understand that the Bears are benching Cutler this weekend in favor of Jimmy Clausen. I wonder if they could be in the mix? Bears are currently 5-9.

Also, although they'd have to trade up to get Mariotta, both the Rams and the Cards could be looking for a QB.

Derek Carr has had his struggles, but the kid is the real deal, IMO.

If Harbaugh ends up there, I think he'd at least let the kid have a 2nd full season to develop before possibly creating a controversy.

I also think his credibility as it concerns grooming QB's is a legit concern right now, so he'd be better off bringing in a solid QB coach who could groom DC the right way.

Carr's upside is considerable, I think. He has good composure and poise, and hasn't done anything out of the ordinary mistake wise this season. He's one of the few bright spots on a dog sh*t team and organization.

I think there's zero chance of Mariota coming to Oakland.

Tampa or Tennessee would make more sense. The Jets would be awful. That media market is such a zoo, it would take an exceptional, thick skinned quarterback to deal with the crap that goes on there. Same with Washington, maybe even a worse situation there at this point.