Washington Appears To Be ‘Extremely Interested’ In Marcus Mariota

Marcus Mariota was expected to be a franchise quarterback when the Tennessee Titans drafted him No. 2 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, that didn’t pan out in his first attempt. His second, however, might yield different results.

Apparently, that second attempt may come in Washington.

According to a report from Michael Lombardi with The Athletic, the Football Team is “extremely interested” in acquiring Mariota. Lombardi shared that news during an appearance on The Rap with Patrick Meagher.

“There’s a lot of conversations about Mariota being traded. I know there’s one team in the NFC East, the Washington Football Team, that’s extremely interested in Mariota,” said Lombardi, via NBC Sports.

Will the Raiders be a playoff team in 2021?
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We have to remember that Mariota is only 27 years old. His chances of being a long-term option are slim, but it’s worth taking a gamble if you’re Washington. The team currently holds the No. 19 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but will any of the following quarterbacks be available?

• Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
• Zach Wilson, BYU
• Justin Fields, Ohio State
• Trey Lance, North Dakota State
• Mac Jones, Alabama

It would be unwise to rely on one of those five guys falling to the late teens, but a trade up is also possible. Other options such as Kyle Trask, Jamie Newman or Kellen Mond wouldn’t provide any sort of value there, either.

The other option, of course, would be to make a move for Mariota. That would add some flexibility for that first-round pick, including adding another weapon or more protection up front. If Mariota didn’t work out, the next quarterback would be in better shape with more available talent.

Washington already has a couple of quarterbacks on the roster, including Alex Smith and Taylor Heinicke. Smith is the reigning Comeback Player of the Year (rightfully so), but there is still concern about his future.

Mariota is one year into a two-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. The deal was for $17.6 million, but incentives could have his $10 million cap hit for 2021 crawl to $20 million-plus. That could be restructured, however.

In limited action, the Oregon product looked solid while replacing starter Derek Carr.

Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.