Why Marcus Mariota to Philadelphia Must Happen for the Eagles

As the 2015 NFL Draft draws closer, one of the biggest question marks that remains is what will the Philadelphia Eagles do in regards to trading up for former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota? The Eagles have made it known that they have interest in Mariota, but the question of them seriously pursuing the former Duck is what remains in doubt.

The Eagles hold the 20^th overall pick in this year’s draft and would have to make a massive jump up the draft board to acquire Mariota in the draft. The most likely scenario for the Eagles is to trade up to the number two overall spot, which is currently occupied by the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans are a bit of a mystery in this year’s draft as we currently sit. They have been involved in multiple trade rumors about that number two pick with a variety of different teams. There have been rumors of the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles all trying to make a trade to get up to that number two overall pick.

I feel the Eagles need to seriously pursue this opportunity to draft Mariota at all costs. Earlier in the offseason, the Eagles made a trade to acquire Sam Bradford from the Rams. I personally do not see a match with the Eagles and Bradford because of the offense Philadelphia likes to run.

The quarterback position is crucial in Chip Kelly’s offense and the ability to have mobility is a crucial element. Bradford is coming off a serious leg injury and does not have the mobility required to effectively operate the Eagles’ offense ran by Kelly.

The Eagles’ offense is the perfect fit for Mariota to operate and the quest to draft him becomes even more crucial because of that fact Bradford is not a perfect fit for the Eagles’ offense. I believe in the back of the mind of Kelly, he wants to go all out for Mariota on draft night to secure the future of the franchise.

Kelly and Mariota have been well documented for their time together at Oregon and the reunion between those two could be scary for the NFL in the coming years. The Oregon Ducks were on the verge of making the 2012 national title game in college football and their reunion in the NFL would bring that familiarity that is hard to find at the pro level.

The next couple weeks will be interesting for Mariota and the Eagles as the rumors continue to swirl about them becoming a match come draft night. The Eagles need him and personally I feel Mariota’s career will be better served in Philadelphia where he can operate an offense designed for him.

The Eagles wouldn’t have to reinvent their offense for Maritoa, whereas another team like the Titans, Jets or Browns, would have to remake their entire team to fit the skill set of Mariota.

The 2015 NFL Draft is right around the corner and despite the Buccaneers being on the clock, the Eagles are also squarely on the clock in regards to drafting Mariota. It’s a match made for each other and to make the future successful in Philly they need to make this happen sooner rather than later.