Recent reports have indicated the Washington Redskins might be looking at Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the 2015 NFL draft as a replacement for Robert Griffin III. The latest report seemed to suggest the Redskins were serious enough about Mariota that they'd likely host a workout for the signal caller before draft day.
Mariota is expected to be the second quarterback off the board, with ESPN expert Todd McShay projecting him to go as early as No. 2 to the Tennessee Titans. With Redskins coach Jay Gruden seemingly uncertain if Griffin is the franchise quarterback he needs, a handful of reports have linked Washington to Mariota.
The most recent report, one from Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report, suggested Mariota will work out for Washington.
"The Redskins are hosting a Mariota workout," Tanier wrote Tuesday. "General Manager Scot McCloughan was hired to restore sanity to the depth chart. And Gruden doesn't want to keep reciting the Griffin Oath every morning. Griffin may well get one more chance to compete for a starting job, but it won't be against Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy."
"The Griffin oath" mentioned by Tanier refers to Gruden's company line that Griffin is the team's starter for now, although Gruden didn't rule out making a change down the road.
That change could come on draft day. According to NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah, Gruden and McCloughan may be too tempted to pass up on the reigning Heisman winner if Mariota is still on the board when Washington picks fifth.
"Let's assume Mariota is there at No. 5 -- there's a lot of buzz about him going even higher than that -- I think it's part of their discussion," Jeremiah said. "He'll be in those one, two, three players that they are going to debate and kick around. The fact that you have a new decision maker (in GM Scot McCloughan) maybe helps the fact that you go get a new quarterback."
It seems unlikely Mariota will fall outside of the top three picks, however. There've been rumors the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets may even try to trade up for him, and it'd be difficult for Washington to justify giving up picks for another first-round quarterback when its roster has so many glaring holes.
