I know it's just Mel, but he's not wrong. http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/03/mel_kiper_jr_on_the_jets_and_marcus_mariota.html Mel Kiper Jr. on the Jets and Marcus Mariota: 'I don't know how you'd pass him up' If they can, the Jets are going to select Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota with the sixth pick in next month's draft. Or at least that's what the ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. thinks they ought to do. Kiper, who has twice recently projected the Jets to draft Mariota, believes there is no way they should pass on him if he is available to them at No. 6. "And then you say, 'OK, let's forget the projections. Would they take him?'" Kiper said on a conference call with reporters Thursday. "I mean, Geno Smith has shown flashes. You bring in the veteran [Ryan] Fitzpatrick. But all right, is that enough to close that gap with Tom Brady? You're in a division with [Ryan] Tannehill -- still a work in progress. The Buffalo Bills are trying to figure out their quarterback position. I would say, the Jets, it would be hard to pass [Mariota] up." Jets brass, including head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan, will be in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday to put Mariota through a private workout. Mariota has been a popular pick for the Jets in various mock drafts. Kiper mentioned how the Jets could opt for an edge rusher in the first round, which is what they seem likely to do if Mariota has already been picked. But Kiper doesn't envision them passing on Mariota in order to select an edge rusher. While speaking about top-prospect edge rushers, Kiper alluded to Randy Gregory's recent admission of a failed drug test at the NFL Combine. "I understand that [the Jets] could use an outside linebacker at that point, but now there's concerns about Gregory," Kiper said. He also mentioned that Shane Ray's draft stock "has dropped just a little bit," and that "there's a lot of mixed opinion on" Vic Beasley. This all brought Kiper back to Mariota, and the Jets' decision at No. 6. "So I would think that, at that point, I don't know how you'd pass him up," Kiper said. "You're going against Tom Brady. Tom Brady has probably got another five years in him. And Mariota needs a little bit of time. So Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith would give you time to develop Mariota, who in another two or three years, could be really good." Kiper is assuming here that the Jets could resist the temptation to start Mariota immediately, considering how much they will have invested in him, and how uncertain their current quarterback situation already is. Mariota, of course, wouldn't raise a stink about sitting on the bench and learning. He's known for his laid-back personality. • Darrelle Revis says he left New England Patriots to help deliver a Super Bowl title to the Jets • Players connected to the Jets in 2015 mock drafts "People always want to harp on: Well, he's not this great take-charge leader," Kiper said. "You don't have to be a take-charge leader to be a respected team leader. You don't have to be a take-charge, gung-ho, rah-rah guy to be a really good quarterback and win Super Bowls. Look at Eli Manning. He's got two Super Bowl rings. Joe Flacco has got a Super Bowl ring. "So you can look at those guys, and you can spin it either way. When they're winning, they're calm, cool and collected. When they're not, they don't have enough 'take charge' in them. Mariota is a great kid, great character. I'm not concerned at all about the fact that you're not this rah-rah guy out there. He's got a ton of skills, a ton of ability, and if you give him time, I think the Jets would be a perfect team to afford him that opportunity." _
Didn't he say a few days ago that he wouldn't pick Mariota in the first round? Edit: Nevermind, I think that was Skip Bayless.
I personally think the guy will be a bust and if he falls down to #6, I'd trade with whoever offers the best draft pick package.
Agreed. I think at best, he has to sit out 2 seasons to develop. Not interested. I honestly, not for the sake of argument, honestly prefer having Geno to Mariota. And with that said, I still prefer the Amish Rifle as our starter.
"The legend" has spoken wrongly and is sadly mistaken this time The Jets are taking Mariota and he's going to be the QB we've all been looking for for a long time.
Well since he says in his first sentence that he has been waiting 3 years for Mariota to declare for the NFL draft he is obviously a very objective judge of talent I'm not down on MM past being on the fence thinking he will need at least a couple years to develop but dang, this geek is probably already waiting for the Todd McFarlane collectors edition figurine of Mariota
Well with us working out mariota Saturday I think it said they will know after Saturday if the want him or not Of course we won't know what they will be thinking but maybe they'll let something little slip out so we can speculate if they like him or not
As per Daily News they will be testing him on his "sports acumen" and how he can fit into Chan Gailey offense. In other words, definitely on the radar for draft. Winston gets same chance Tuesday. So my guess is nothing is undeliberate for Mac and Bowles. They will have packages put together for either MM or Jamais by Draft Day. This BS will Geno is coming to an end.
I've also been waiting 3 years for him to declare, at about the same time I became enamored of both Teddy and Carr. That's the point for me. There is no QB I'm sitting here today looking out 1 or 2 or 3 years from now that I view as anywhere near the prospect as those 3. And if we pick him, yes, I will buy a McFarlane action figure (us geeks do not prefer the term "figurine", too pejorative). _
Five options that are not today's reality. Who is waiting 2 years for a maybe? Biggest rumors are Brees and Rivers right now. I am sure Mac would be all over getting either one of them if they declared FA. Till then who knows? Even if we got one of them, I bet the Jets still draft a QB for the future. We wasted our picks last year with Idiotzik and could have had Garappolo, Carr or Bridgewater. Passing up a good QB prospect is something the FO will never do this year.
