There is so much drama surrounding which team is going to land Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the NFL Draft that it has become ridiculous.
Heck, we’re almost sick of covering it. The good news is that it will all come to an end Thursday night.
Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly—Mariota’s former college coach at Oregon—has been among the individual that’s been rumored to be interested in the quarterback.
Someone who could shed a bit of light on the wonders of Kelly’s mind is former Oregon Ducks defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti, who worked under Kelly for five seasons in Eugene. Aliotti had this to share about Kelly in an interview with 98.7 in Phoenix (via NFL.com).
If there’s a way that he can get Marcus Mariota without selling the farm, he’s still trying to do that. That’s my opinion. But I don’t think (he’d sell the farm). I don’t think so. That’s tough to lose that many picks and that many bodies.
Admitting that Chip Kelly probably has something up his sleeve, Aliotti continued his analysis of the coach in regards to Mariota and the draft.
I know Chip, and have a lot of respect for Chip. He has a plan. What that is, I’m not sure yet, but we’ll find out Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I really think if he can get a Marcus Mariota, then he’ll be able to do exactly what he wants to do with his offense.
While Kelly may have a mind-blowing move in mind, the Eagles are not the only ones with a strong desire to land Mariota. Kelly will have to offer a ransom better than that of the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and San Diego Chargers to have a shot at one of the most popular draft prospects.
Photo: USA Today Sports