Could Oregon Ducks quarterback and 2015 NFL Draft prospect Marcus Mariota replace Robert Griffin III as the staring quarterback of the Washington Redskins?
The Washington Redskins are coming off of yet another disappointing season in 2014, and there are questions beginning to arise about whether or not Robert Griffin III truly is the quarterback of the future for them. His constant run-ins with his head coaches in his short career have crushed his value, and add into that the injuries he’s suffered in his first three seasons in the NFL.
All of this has signs pointing towards the Redskins using another high draft pick on a mobile quarterback with Marcus Mariota rumors starting to heat up like never before.
According to Tarik El-Bashir, the Redskins could look to replace RGIII with Marcus Mariota — at least, that’s what their visit with the prospects seems to suggest.
Needless to say, that is a very intriguing possibility for the Redskins to consider. They likely wouldn’t be able to wait until the fifth pick to get him, but it wouldn’t be too terribly difficult to trade their fifth pick and another piece or two up for the second overall pick that the Tennessee Titans currently hold.
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Mariota finished his career at Oregon with extremely impressive numbers, and is incredibly smart as well. He threw for 10,796 yards, 105 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions in his three years with the Ducks. The number of interceptions that Mariota threw definitely turns a lot of heads, but his leadership ability and NFL arm haven’t been talked about enough.
Part of what made Griffin such an intriguing draft prospect when he was coming out of Baylor was his athleticism and ability to make plays with his legs. That is unfortunately what got him hurt in his rookie confidence, and his confidence has appeared to be shaken since then.
Washington would still be getting a very athletic quarterback in Mariota, but he plays it a lot safer than RGIII has been known to. He has excellent accuracy and arm strength, and knows how to take care of the football first and foremost.
Despite all of the concerns, Mariota is still a very intriguing prospect and his potential is through the roof. If the Redskins can get him at the right price, they need to do whatever it takes to bring him on board. Griffin still has some trade value around the league, and they could go ahead and make a move and continue on with Mariota as their starter.
No matter what ends up happening, something has to change in Washington for the Redskins to become a playoff team once again, whether that be improving with RGIII or replacing him altogether.
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