With ESPN’s Pat McManamon reporting Wednesday that the Cleveland Browns have offered their two first-round picks for Marcus Mariota, I feel that the Browns fandom and organization is at a proverbial crossroads.
As I stated on my Facebook, I feel Mariota has the potential to be a good QB, as a Browns fan, I honestly feel that we need to stop making the same mistake—over and over, i.e.; the proper definition of insanity—in draft QB’s in the first round and build in key areas such as OL, DL, WR and OLB.
Unless Mariota turns out to become the second coming of this era’s best quarterback—and mine—in Aaron Rodgers, I would not do this trade. Giving up two first rounders for a spread system quarterback is not only franchise suicide, but also akin to getting hijacked.
In doing such a move, the Browns are only empowering the Titans sense of arrogance and leverage, as they feel that they can drive the bidding up towards getting a RG3-type of haul, they know that a team such as Cleveland, desperate to find it’s savior, is the perfect mark—er, sucker.
In going all in on Mariota, Cleveland is admitting that they missed on Johnny Manziel, and their fourth quarterback since 1999. Which brings me to Manziel.
For all of those clamoring for the ouster—and trade—for the 2014 Heisman winner, I feel they are nothing more than bitter and pissed-off Hoyer fanboys upset that Manizel is still here, while their “hero” is now in Houston, let’s keep it real here, as these are the same ones saying that Manziel—the 2012 Heisman Winner—only player SIX quarters of NFL football.
Yet these same individuals feel that they can properly evaluate a rookie quarterback, who played behind a patchwork offensive line, and elite playmakers(yes, I know we had Gordon and “China Doll” Cameron) but not an ELITE player that scares opposing teams, let alone no Alex Mack on the line and a turnstile in Mitchell Schwartz doing his matador impression every Sunday.
It didn’t help that now-former offensive coordinator in Kyle Shanahan didn’t call plays best suited towards him in bootlegs, play-action and quick 3-step passes, so why would Mariota be better?
Is it because he put up Madden-like numbers in such a glorified flag football conference such as the PAC-12? Funny what happened when he went up against a NFL-caliber defense from the “slower” Big 10 in the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Heck, look at the game tape from his losses to Arizona and Stanford!
THOSE are the types of defenses that Mariota will be subjected to every Sunday, to which the same fanboys who cried for Mariota will now cry for the ultimate Ohio-born savior in Cardale “12-Gage—Jones.
Instead of clamoring for the new hot toy as many fans do in Cleveland, Cleveland needs go more low-tech in get a run-stuff to fix our 32nd-ranked run defense in Washington’s Danny Shelton, an OLB such as Virginia’s Eli Harold on Miami’s Denzel Perryman to address the loss of Jabaal Sheard, a WR who can be our No.1 such as UCF’s Breshad Perriman, Louisville’s DeVante Parker or Miami’s burner in Phillip Dorsett in the second round, and an OG/T such as Penn State’s Donovan Smith to kick out to right tackle and shuffle Schwartz inside.
How much you wanna bet that Manziel 2.0—hopefully– would look and play SO much better with playmakers such as these and a fully healthy line.
I think I speak for many in Dawg Pound Nation in saying that, while he may become the next big thing, I’ll pass on Mariota, and let the Titans strong-arm some other sucker instead.