Free agency has died down and the NFL Draft is just over a month away. It's that time of year, then, when you get regular reports about what teams think or don't think of the various top prospects. The last couple of days we've gotten some stuff about Marcus Mariota.
A few weeks back, of course, came the reports that the Eagles were going to trade away their draft to move up and select Chip Kelly's college quarterbacks. Even Philadelphia's trade for Sam Bradford, which cost the team a 2nd-round pick in 2016, didn't kill that talk; then the story switched to Kelly planning to traded Bradford to the Browns, so he could use their pick to select Mariota.
In the last week alone, we've heard that Mariota figures to be the No. 2 pick in the draft, with Jameis Winston going No. 1. Maybe it will be the Titans, currently sitting at No. 2, selecting him, or maybe they are trying to drum up trade interest in the pick. Tennessee got some decent play out of Zach Mettenberger last year and might want to give him another year to develop before drafting somebody else.
Then Yahoo's Charles Robinson reported that some teams feel Mariota is lacking in emotion/charisma. That they're concerned he isn't a fiery enough leader. This might have come out of Mariota's recent quote that he didn't care if he was drafted No. 1 overall, which seems innocent enough. Unless it's a month before the draft and everything you say or do is being scrutinized and criticized by people with nothing better to do with their time.
I agree with the thought that Mariota will probably be drafted No. 2 overall, but not by Tennessee. Quarterbacks seem to rise as draft day approaches, and if only takes one team near the top of the draft to feel he's their future franchise quarterback to take the steps they need to take to select him. I don't think he's enough of a slam dunk that the Titans will select him, which would basically close the door on Mettenberger's future. You don't draft a quarterback at No. 2 unless you're certain you don't already have a starter.
They'll trade the pick, probably to a team currently sitting at 5 (Washington), 6 (the Jets) or 7 (Chicago). Or maybe there's a crazy trade involving the Eagles or Chargers, as has also been rumored in the last week.
Mariota didn't play in a pro style offense, and would benefit from sitting for a season, making a team like the Jets or another team with a veteran starting in 2015 a good landing spot. Of course, that was the plan with Blake Bortles in Jacksonville, and that went out the window in Week 3.
Bottom line, don't believe much of what you read about these prospects right now, at least when it comes from "team sources" or "an anonymous personnel man." Teams who like a player have ample reason to want him to slide in the draft. Teams who don't like a player want him to be selected higher, pushing a player they do want down to them. A lot of posturing going on right now.
By the way, the Jets are bringing Mariota in for a workout. All the evidence you need that they're either considering drafting him or want other teams to think they are.