We are exactly two weeks away from the NFL Draft, which means we are about to be inundated with rumors regarding trades, draft picks, and the like. It is hard to separate fact from fiction, as teams and players' agents leak information to the media in an effort to obtain a competitive advantage.
One of the biggest trade rumors leading up to the draft is which team will move up to draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. For those of you that have been living under a rock for the last six months, the Eagles are interested in trading up for him, despite Chip Kelly's best efforts to convince you otherwise.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports has the latest rumor:
"The real question is what happens at No. 2. That's where things get interesting. Again, I and others have reported for weeks there is a robust trade market for Mariota. TheRams, Eagles, Browns and Chargers have at least some interest in nabbing him (I wonder if the Saints wade in as well). Determining which club would go to the greatest length is difficult if not impossible. In fact, the best offer may not come in until the Titans actually are on the clock — so sussing out the team that covets him most is not easy. But if any of them land the former Oregon star it would be no surprise in the scouting community.
No one believes Kelly is married to Sam Bradford and won't do anything within reason to land Mariota. The Browns and Saints are loaded with picks. The Chargers can't get Philip Rivers to entertain contract-extension talks, which leaves them little choice but to look into dealing their longtime QB. And the Rams are seen by many clubs as a very strong suitor, too."
La Canfora goes on to suggest that you should not believe the rumors that Mariota is going to drop in the draft or jump Winston as the number one overall pick. Instead, he believes Winston will go first and Mariota will go second. The only question remains who will be the team that drafts Mariota.
I've made no secret that I am against the Eagles mortgaging the future for any one player, even someone as good as Marcus Mariota. Past draft trades dictate that it is going to cost the Eagles a fortune to move up from 20th overall to the second pick in the draft. In addition to Sam Bradford, it will likely cost three first round picks and two second round picks.
They might be able to substitute some players for picks, such as Fletcher Cox, Mychael Kendricks and/or Brandon Boykin.But even then, that is a ridiculous price for someone who has never even played in the league before.
It remains to be seen whether Chip Kelly agrees. What is clear is that there is only two weeks left of this madness before the speculation ends. And for yours truly, that can't come soon enough.
