PHI: Eagles To Trade Up To No.6 If Mariota Is Available

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The Philadelphia Eagles will trade up to the sixth overall pick if Marcus Mariota falls, according to Kristian Dyer of Metro Sports NY.

The New York Jets currently own the pick and it was assumed, if Mariota fell to the team at six, he would be wearing green and white for the upcoming season. However, it seems that they have received an offer they cannot refuse from Philadelphia, who are adamant on trading up for a quarterback.

“Philadelphia would make that move and pay that price. We’re taking multiple picks and a player,” a source told Dyer. “The Jets would be open to moving the pick and the Eagles have internally prepared to move up in the draft. There are contingencies in place and they know that Marcus is that perfect fit.”

Though nothing is official, the player in that deal will likely be Nick Foles, the quarterback who the Eagles would like to replace. The Jets are expected to get a quarterback in the draft unless a replacement is offered to them (Foles). New York has many needs to fill in the upcoming draft/free agency period and acquiring more draft picks to the equation will only help the team. Positions to improve upon are: cornerback, wide receiver, offensive line, and quarterback among others.

If the trade goes through, the Jets will likely acquire Philadelphia’s 20 overall pick among others. At 20, the Jets can go a lot of ways. They can take a troubled wide receiver in Dorian Green-Beckham, who is regarded as one of the best wide outs in the draft. If it weren’t for him struggling to stay out of trouble, he could very well be one of the highest ranked wide outs in the draft. If they decide to wait on wide receiver, they could go cornerback, selecting Jalen Collins, Trae Waynes (if available), or Marcus Peters. The Jets struggled at finding reliable cornerbacks in 2014 and will definitely try to draft another back for competition/the job.

Chip Kelly, the coach of the Eagles, has been taking control of the Eagles’ front office, acquiring many of his former Oregon players. Just last night, they traded the Buffalo Bills for former Duck Kiko Alonso, a talented linebacker prospect who, after a dominant rookie year, suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Adding Mariota will be the team’s 10 Duck.

Many argue that the Eagles are ruining the team by listening to Kelly, who is basically gutting the Philadelphia team to assemble his Oregon ‘Avengers’. Mariota does fit the system well, but the price may result in overpaying for an unproven quarterback.

Mariota is a very mobile quarterback, evading defenders left and right. He ran a 4.52 40-yard dash in the NFL scouting combine. Pair up his speed with his decision making, and you have a great quarterback. In his last season with Oregon, the Heisman winner threw just two interceptions in the regular season (four including the NCAA playoffs). However, with good skills come weak ones. His arm is not nearly as strong as it should be and his accuracy still needs work. Even with his insane four interception season, Mariota still overthrew and underthrew receivers, as seen in Oregon’s BCS Championship loss to Ohio State. If Coach Kelly can work and improve his arm and accuracy, Mariota could be a deadly quarterback. He does have a high ceiling, but did the Eagles front office give up too much to acquire the 21-year-old quarterback?

The winner of this trade will be the New York Jets. Saying they acquire Nick Foles and draft picks, they are addressing their need at quarterback and adding more prospects in the process. Foles has been a solid quarterback in his three-year career, but struggled last season. In just eight games he threw for 2,163 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. His season was cut short due to a broken collarbone. Even if Mariota is the younger prospect, Foles is more experienced and may be more talented (though Mariota has more potential). Remember, he had an astounding year in 2013, throwing for 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions – all in just 13 games! Add that to multiple draft picks and you got yourself a big win in favor of the Jets.