The Washington Redskins could look at Marcus Mariota as a draft option despite the trade for Robert Griffin III a few years ago, as Jay Gruden may want Mariota as his starter over RG3 and if GM Scot McCloughan agrees, the team could look at not picking up the fifth year option for Griffin or trading Kirk Cousins down the line.
The Redskins are coming off of another disappointing season and they have a top five draft pick for the event this year. According to John Clayton at ESPN.com, the Redskins will consider drafting Mariota if he falls to them at number five despite already having Griffin. Last season Griffin struggled at times and he was criticized openly by head coach Jay Gruden. While Gruden has supported Griffin and said that he will be the starter in 2015, there is a chance the team could look at Mariota as the future.
Jameis Winston is expected to go number one overall to the Buccaneers and if that happens, teams could start calling the Titans about the number two pick. With Tennessee having Zach Mettenberger and both Jacksonville and Oakland pleased with their young QBs, there is a chance that Mariota could fall to number four. Pro Football Talk quoted on GM saying that Mariota would likely go second to the Titans or another team that trades up, but if that doesn't happen, expect the Redskins to consider.
Charles Robinson at Yahoo Sports writes that the Redskins interest in Mariota is to help generate trade interest in the number five pick if the QB falls there. Gruden could make a move for Mariota, as the life of an NFL coach can live and die by the quarterback and if Gruden doesn't feel that Griffin is the guy, he could try and bring in Mariota. Griffin is in an interesting place in his career, a sort of crossroads, as he has a fifth year option that has not yet been picked up.
Griffin's future in Washington is still up for debate and this comes as his peers in Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck are basically secure with their teams after early success. In 2012 it looked like Griffin might outshine both players or at least be comparable to them, but injuries and inconsistent play have pushed him a bit into unknown territory. Griffin had serious surgery and since that procedure he has not been as explosive as he was in his rookie season.
According to CSN Washington, the team has not yet decided on the fifth year option for Griffin and that would be a non-guaranteed, $16 million option for the Redskins. The team has until May 6 to decide and that would be after the draft is over.
The team could work out an extension with Griffin, but right now it appears that the team will consider the option and decide how to move forward from there without a contract extension. Last season the Browns had interest in Cousins and while that may have waned now, there is a chance the team could make a move. The Browns are reportedly also interested in Mariota and Pro Football Talk reports that the team still considers Sam Bradford a potential trade target.
