Earlier this week, it was reported by ESPN's John Clayton that the Washington Redskins would select Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota if he fell to them with the fifth overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
"And honestly, don't discount, he's not gonna fall to the Jets at six right now," Clayton said. "The Redskins will take him at [No.] five.
"At least Dan Snyder might not think there's quarterback issues, Jay Gruden and everybody else in front office thinks there's quarterback issues. And if Marcus Mariota falls to five, it's not a position where they're desperate enough to trade up to get him, but if he falls to five, I'm telling you this right now, they'll take him."
At the time, many thought the initial report was a smokescreen, disinformation released by the Redskins to improve their trade value. But the Mariota-to-Washington rumors grew stronger on Friday.
"In the last 24 hours I spoke with 3 #NFL sources and I was told by everyone that #Redskins will take Marcus Mariota if he gets to 5," Howard Eskin of Fox 29 TV tweeted."
If Washington's interest is real, the Tennessee Titans will have to pass on Mariota with the second pick for the Skins to have any shot at getting him. ESPN's Jason Reid does believe the team's interest is authentic and lays out an interesting case for the move.
"Here's what you should know about the chatter linking Marcus Mariota and the Washington Redskins: There's something to it," Reid wrote. "You can't win without a quarterback in a quarterback league, and some Redskins officials will tell you the franchise doesn't have one.
"Although misinformation is as much a part of the draft as scouting evaluations and medical reports, the truth is that Mariota potentially could fill a major area of need for the Redskins, who have many. People I trust say new Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan is great at his job. By exploring a possible fit with Mariota, McCloughan would merely be doing his due diligence....Ultimately, the Redskins may decide Mariota is not the answer. But they owe it to themselves to ask the question."
