It appeared that everyone was getting used to the idea of Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
However, that may not be the case — at least if you ask ESPN’s Ron Jaworski.
Jaworski was discussing the Marcus Mariota vs. Winston quarterback battle during an interview with CSN Philly Sports Talk, when he said his sources in the league believe the Bucs will actually select the former Oregon standout.
“The latest I’m hearing now from my sources around the league, who are pretty wired in, is that he’s going to go number one now to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” Jaworski said, via PhillyMag.com.
“Mariota’s stock, remember it was quiet for a while? And there’s a reason for that. There’s a lull every year until about 30 days before the draft. Now the coaches get involved. Prior to that, it’s the scouts, it’s the roadies that are filling out the paper work. Now the coaches get involved. Now team owners get involved. Now General Managers get involved. So you’re starting to see, in my opinion, Winston’s stock starting to slide a little bit and Mariota’s stock starting to go up a little bit.”
Jaworski also says that Marcus Mariota’s former college coach, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, has been tooting his former quarterback’s horn.
“I’ll give you a little bit of information on how much Chip Kelly loves Marcus Mariota,” Jaworski said. “This is the time of year when everyone talks, and I talk to General Managers, I’ve talked to player personnel directors, and I’ve heard it from a couple or three people that have had conversations with Chip Kelly, and Chip Kelly said, ‘Marcus Mariota will win multiple Super Bowls in the National Football League.'”
It will be interesting to see how things play out in the final weeks leading up to the draft, but for now everyone should keep an eye on the Buccaneers as they try to finalize their decision.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports