Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston put on their full range of talents in the 2015 Rose Bowl in front of a number of NFL team scouts who are eyeing quarterback upgrades in the upcoming season. Both players are projected to be the first two quarterbacks taken off the board in the spring with one of them likely going No. 1 overall. However, as both quarterbacks are underclassmen, neither have confirmed their early exit from college football. That is not stopping interest from growing around them.
Winston avoided all talk about the NFL draft following Florida State's loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl. The quarterback has been expected to forego his final year of eligibility and go professional, especially after the roller coaster year he had in Tallahassee. However, Winston made it clear that right now baseball is his focus and not his pending NFL career.
"I'm not focused on that at all," Winston said, via the Tampa Bay Times. "I'm looking forward to next season and playing baseball. I'm just trying to get better every day."
The clock is ticking for Winston. The quarterback has two weeks to make his decision regarding his draft status. Players must declare by January 15 if they plan on entering the NFL, so while Winston might not be thinking about it now, he needs to start. The same goes for Mariota who deflected all talk on the NFL as Oregon prepares to play for a national championship. However, interest is growing as both quarterbacks are believed to be NFL ready now.
According to NFL reporter Rick Stround, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sent general manager Jason Licht to attend the Rose Bowl and scout both Mariota and and Winston. The Buccaneers have the No. 1 overall draft pick to work and are in need of an upgrade after both Josh McCown and Mike Glennon failed to impress this season. Most mock drafts have the Buccaneers selecting a quarterback with the first pick and they will likely go for either Winston or Mariota.
The Cleveland Browns could try and make a run at either quarterback as well. Owner Ray Farmer told media that while the team has Johnny Manziel, they will not rule out taking a quarterback in the first round. The team has two picks in the first round they could package together in order to get the No. 1 overall selection. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports the Browns are serious about potentially making a move.
The Tennessee Titans are also eyeing a quarterback change after going through three different players. The Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears could also show interest, but both teams would have to make a serious jump in the draft order to do so.
