Eagles — #DontDoTheDeal for Mariota

I’m sure everyone in America — and the world — has had the kind of day where they believe they are the only one in their universe using any shred of common sense. If you work in retail, this kind of thought happens every second of every day.

The same feeling comes over me when the discussion of the Philadelphia Eagles offseason plan comes up. It’s a feeling caused by one specific thought process that makes me double facepalm AND bang my head up against the nearest hard surface — the possibility of the Eagles trading up to get coveted (by Chip Kelly, anyway) Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota.

All of this “Mariota to the Eagles” crazy talk probably got started by Philadelphia radio station 97.5 The Fanatic and their ridiculous #DoTheDeal Twitter hashtag. It was a hashtag that suggests that the Eagles do whatever is necessary to land the former Duck and Heisman Trophy winner.

Since then, my Twitter feed and most of my work conversations have something to do with this laughable probability. All of my frustrations culminated yesterday morning when a New York Daily News column — which is just the pinnacle of good journalism (sarcasm implied) — suggested that the New York Jets were in a good position to trade with the Eagles so the Birds could draft Mariota with the sixth overall pick in this upcoming draft.

(Facepalm.)

*BANG!*

Cue the foaming fervor from Eagles fans, and cue my self-inflicted headaches.

Allow me to clear something up right now and get it out of the way. I love Marcus Mariota. I think he will be a great NFL quarterback for whatever team drafts him. I do not believe certain “experts” who believe that Mariota won’t be simply because he did not play in a NFL-style offense at Oregon. Colin Kaepernick did not do it at Nevada, and he’s doing quite well in San Francisco. Let’s stop that narrative right now, okay guys?

The price for the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire Mariota would be astronomical. Manish Mehta, the author of the Daily News column, suggests that trading current quarterback Nick Foles plus two first round picks and two second round picks would be sufficient to get the Eagles from #20 to #6 and take Mariota.

Here’s the snag(s) with that scenario. Firstly, Mariota would have to be available at number six to even make the trade viable. The only reason that’s a possibility is because several draft “experts” have suggested Mariota will slip past Tennessee at #2 and then get passed by the Jaguars (fair since they drafted Bortles last year), Oakland (who likes Derek Carr), and Washington (who may or may not be moving on from Robert Griffin III).

A report by Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean suggests the Titans are going to give Zach Mettenberger a shot to win the job. (Good luck with that, by the way.) That decision, true or not, would lead to the domino effect that Mehta is referring to.

For anyone else that would like to run head first and screaming in joy to a Mariota deal, consider the other snag with this scenario. Ask the Washington Professional Football Team about trading away multiple draft picks in future drafts for one quarterback. Ask them how that worked out.

In 2012, the Washington traded three first round picks (2012-2014) and their 2012 second round pick just to move up FOUR SPOTS. Moving up to grab Mariota is FOURTEEN spots. Do not even dare to think about what else the Eagles would have to give up.

The St. Louis Rams turned their RG3 haul into the following:

DT Michael Brockers
LB Alec Ogletree
OT Greg Robinson
CB Janoris Jenkins
WR Steadman Bailey
RBs Zac Stacy and Isaiah Pead

Washington had one good year with Robert Griffin III, his first. Every season subsequent has been injury filled between an ACL tear and most recently, a broken ankle. Meanwhile in the midwest, the Rams are staying competitive in the toughest division in football.

With all of the other holes in need for the Eagles (i.e. young pass rusher, depth at offensive line, depth at inside linebacker, a whole new secondary minus Malcolm Jenkins), you really want to trade future draft picks on the possibility that Mariota will lead the team to the Super Bowl.

That’s the reality of the situation for the Philadelphia Eagles. They aren’t “one Marcus Mariota” away from a Super Bowl. They’re much more than that. Besides, the Eagles have a decent enough quarterback to win with.

It boggles my mind how quickly people are ready to move on from incumbent quarterback Nick Foles. I get it. His 2014 season was a far step down from his historic 27 TD, 2 INT performance two years ago. It was an aberration. That, I grant, but every young player has a sophomore slump — and yes, that’s what it was. Foles was in year two of a new system that he had never played in and one the NFL kinda caught up with.

We’ve seen that head coach Chip Kelly doesn’t NEED a mobile quarterback to make his system work. Does it help? Absolutely, but it isn’t NEEDED. If it’s needed, then there’s no reason to mortgage a hefty bevy of picks to get Mariota. Baylor’s Bryce Petty will be available and UCLA’s Brett Hundley will be available. Either of those two quarterbacks will give Kelly the dimension that so many like to say he’s missing from his offense.

That’s the deal you make. Then draft a backup for middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans — because he isn’t getting any younger — a new cornerback to replace Bradley Fletcher/Cary Williams, and maybe a backup offensive lineman.

Do THAT deal.

We here at Total Sports Live are the founders of the #DontDoTheDeal for Mariota movement. It’s not that we don’t believe Mariota won’t be a great quarterback in the NFL, but at the price necessary to get him, he won’t be a great quarterback for the Eagles.