Draft - Football Wiretap

Marcus Mariota To Skip NFL Draft Ceremony

Mar 31, 2015 7:56 PM

Marcus Mariota plans to skip the NFL Draft ceremony.

Mariota will instead watch the draft from Hawaii with his family. It is important to Mariota culturally and personally to be in Hawaii for the NFL Draft.

Mariota is expected to be the second quarterback selected.

Jameis Winston will also skip the draft ceremony.

Adam Schefter/ESPN

Tags: Draft, Draft Misc

Discuss
Jameis Winston Declares Himself Best Player In Draft

Mar 31, 2015 5:47 PM

Jameis Winston declared himself the best player in the draft and that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should take him with the top overall selection.

"Because I'm the best player in the draft," Winston said.

Tampa Bay was well-represented at the workout with coach Lovie Smith, general manager Jason Licht, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian among those in attendance.

Winston threw 102 passes, completing all but 10 of them. Most pro days feature quarterbacks making 50 or 60 throws.

"He had a great day," Licht said. "He threw a full nine innings."

Pat Yasinskas/ESPN

Tags: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Draft, Draft Misc

Discuss
Jets, Chargers, Buccaneers To Work Out Marcus Mariota

Mar 30, 2015 12:11 PM

The New York Jets, San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers plan on working out Marcus Mariota.

Mariota has a wide draft range from No. 1 to No. 10.

Jameis Winston is expected to be the first quarterback selected.

Bryan Fischer/NFL.com

Tags: New York Jets, San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Draft, Draft Misc, Misc Rumor

Discuss
Rams Expected To Pick Quarterback In Draft

Mar 28, 2015 2:19 PM

The St. Louis Rams may see Nick Foles as a temporary solution at quarterback as they intend to draft one.

"It's our intention to draft one," Jeff Fisher said this week at the NFL Annual Meeting, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "The Nick trade has no bearing over what we do in the draft."

Both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are likely to be off the board when the Rams pick at No. 10.

Marc Sessler/NFL.com

Tags: Los Angeles Rams, Draft, Draft Misc, Misc Rumor

Discuss
Potential Top-10 Pick Randy Gregory Tests Positive For Marijuana

Mar 26, 2015 12:28 PM

Randy Gregory tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine in February.

Gregory is a potential top-10 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft at outside linebacker.

Gregory, who starred at defensive end for Nebraska the past two seasons, admitted he has a lengthy history with marijuana, saying he began smoking after graduating from high school. He tested positive for the drug in January 2014 and April 2014 at Nebraska, according to the NFL.com report, and faced being kicked off the team had he failed a third test.

The positive test could send Gregory down draft charts. In their latest mock drafts, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had Gregory going seventh overall to the Chicago Bears, while ESPN's Todd McShay had him going fifth to the Washington Redskins. McShay also ranked Gregory as the top outside linebacker in the draft.

ESPN

Tags: Draft, Draft Misc

Discuss
Buccaneers' Ownership Approves Drafting Winston Or Mariota

Mar 26, 2015 12:55 PM

Joel Glazer, co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has approved drafting Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota with the No. 1 overall selection.

Glazer is confident Lovie Smith and Jason Licht will make the right selection come April 30 in Chicago.

"With anybody we're looking to draft, we do an extensive amount of work on their background, history and all that," Glazer told the newspaper. "We spent time with Jameis and Marcus and went into everything into their background. After everything we've done and where we're at right now, we're comfortable where Jameis is at, we're comfortable with Marcus or whoever else it could be."

Winston is widely expected to be the Buccaneers' selection.

 

ESPN

Tags: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Draft, Draft Misc, Misc Rumor

Discuss
Washington Could Take Marcus Mariota At No. 5

Mar 24, 2015 10:12 PM

Washington is open to selecting a quarterback with the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Robert Griffin III has already been named the starter for 2015 and he cost Washington multiple picks in 2012.

John Clayton reported earlier this offseason that Scot McCloughan would take Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota if he fell to No. 5. While Mariota might not get that far, McCloughan said his only goal is selecting the best player, regardless of position.

Washington also has Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy on their roster.

"No one will be handed a job from my standpoint," McCloughan said. "You have to earn it. That's what the NFL is about. I don't have any ties with any of the players. I didn't draft them. So I'm coming in -- prove it to me. Prove to me you deserve to be on the field. That's the way it should be in the NFL."

 

If Washington were to draft Mariota, a quarterback controversy would immediately emerge.

John Keim/ESPN

Tags: Washington Football Team, Draft, Draft Misc, Misc Rumor

Discuss
Whisenhunt: Marcus Mariota Would Be Day 1 Starter If Selected At No. 2

Mar 24, 2015 12:00 PM

Ken Whisenhunt believes Marcus Mariota is ready to start from Day 1 in the NFL.

“If he comes to us at No. 2, he’s definitely going to be the Day 1 starter,” Whisenhunt said, via Jim Corbett of USA Today. “I’m very impressed by Marcus.”

Whisenhunt later clarified that the Tennessee Titans would only draft a quarterback second overall with that type of expectation since it is such a big investment. The Titans currently have Zach Mettenberger and Charlie Whitehurst on the roster.

Darin Gantt/Pro Football Talk

Tags: Tennessee Titans, Draft, Draft Misc, Misc Rumor

Discuss
Titans To Host Workout, Visit From Jameis Winston

Mar 20, 2015 9:47 PM

The Tennessee Titans will host Jameis Winston for a workout and visit.

Winston has already visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who own the No. 1 overall pick.

The Titans will also host Marcus Mariota for a similar workout.

Winston would help fill the Titans' need for a quarterback should he not go first overall to the Buccaneers.

Chase Goodbread/NFL.com

Tags: Tennessee Titans, Draft, Draft Misc, Misc Rumor

Discuss
Jameis Winston Plans On Skipping Draft Ceremony

Mar 16, 2015 12:34 PM

Jameis Winston will not attend the 2015 NFL Draft even though he's expected to be one of the top picks.

Smith plans to spend the draft with his family.

The draft will be held in Chicago this season.

Peter King/Sports Illustrated

Tags: Draft, Draft Misc

Discuss
Jameis Winston Meets With Roger Goodell
Jameis Winston requested the meeting, which lasted five to six hours.

ESPN

Jameis Winston Spending Three Days Meeting With Buccaneers
Jameis Winston's meetings are largely with Buccaneers' ownership.

Adam Schefter/ESPN