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Silverman: Maccagnan Must Not Allow Heisman Winner Mariota To Slip Through Jets' Grip

By Steve Silverman
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Jameis Winston is on track to be the No. 1 pick in this year' s draft.

Lovie Smith is not known for his subterfuge, and unless he has suddenly changed his ways, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will call the Florida State quarterback's name shortly after the commissioner declares the draft open.

That may be a very good thing for the Jets. Winston, who has brilliant physical talent, has a chance to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league some day. However, that will not be the case in 2015 or 2016. He has too much to learn about reading defenses, leading the huddle, and executing under pressure.

This has nothing to do with his lack of maturity and personal discipline, issues that cropped up frequently during his college career. Winston is sharp enough at this point to know what he has done to his reputation, and he has recognized the errors of his ways. That means he is saying and doing the right things, and he is making an attempt to grow up.

Whether he can complete the process is another story. But it is clear that he will not be available when the Jets use their pick at No. 6.

The big question is whether Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota will be available. Mariota was looked at as a superb NFL prospect until Oregon came up short in the national championship game against Ohio State.

Mariota's perceived flaws came to light when he went up against an elite defense like the one Ohio State featured. It exposed Mariota's flaws as a down-field passer. Ohio State was outstanding in coverage and had an excellent pass rush. And while Mariota (4,454 passing yards in 2014 with a 42-4 TD-interception ratio) had been able to do exactly what he wanted throughout his career at Oregon, he struggled against Ohio State's pro-style defense.

Let's take a closer look at the situation. While many scouts and some general managers tend to upgrade or downgrade players based on their performance at the Scouting Combine or in private workouts, some will do the same based on one particular game. When you have a quarterback like Mariota who has been so proficient throughout his career, judging him on one bad game is not prudent.

There's also one other piece of news to consider: Mariota's performance against Ohio State was not that bad.

Oregon's protection broke down regularly against Ohio State's front seven. The further the game went along the worse it got. Nevertheless, Mariota went 24-of-37 for 333 yards, with two TDs and just one interception. That's pretty sensational for a quarterback's "worst" game.

The book on Mariota is that his downfield passing lacks accuracy. While he was not at his best in the Ohio State game, when he has time or is moving in either direction out of the pocket without fearing for his well-being, his medium- and long-range passes are just fine.

Mariota passes the eye test, the maturity test and the preparation test. When you look at the Jets' quarterback situation with Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick, it's clear that neither one is going to take this team to a championship level.

Smith usually will take two steps backward after every step forward, while Fitzpatrick is good enough to be a competent backup, and nothing more. He can have two, or perhaps three good games before he starts to disintegrate as a result of poor decisions.

General manager Mike Maccagnan cannot count on Mariota landing at his doorstep just because the Jets have the No. 6 pick. Teams like the Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles have all shown an interest in Mariota. The Titans may very well go after him with the No. 2 pick, and there's very little the Jets could do about that.

Jets head coach Todd Bowles must also prepare for the possibilities of either the Rams or Eagles moving up in the draft. The Rams just acquired Nick Foles, and they may be interested in moving up so they can pick up a slew of draft picks for flipping the potential selection of Mariota, or head coach Jeff Fisher may just want him.

But the Titans also happen to like defensive tackle Leonard Williams, who may be the best player in this draft and has the ability to solidify any team's defensive line situation. The Titans are dreadful in that area and may not be able to pass on him.

Chip Kelly certainly has an interest in Mariota, and he has proven he will make any move that pops into his head at the moment if he thinks it will give him a stronger team. While the draft is filled with subterfuge, Kelly loves and covets Mariota.

Maccagnan's job at this point is to figure out what his competition is going to do. He must go right to the Titans and ascertain if they are going to pick Mariota. If they are willing to deal, he must make that move to give his team and its long-suffering fans a chance to have a legitimate young quarterback.

He cannot maintain his current position and hope that Mariota will be available. That would be foolish and short-sighted, and that's just how Maccagnan will be branded.

Huge moves were made with the signings of Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. The Jets must come up with their franchise quarterback in this draft.

Follow Steve on Twitter at @ProFootballBoy 

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