Experience is young QB’s best education 
On April 30, Jameis Winston, left, and Marcus Mariota are expected to be drafted quickly. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE By Ira Kaufman | Tribune Staff Published: March 8, 2015 TAMPA — If leaving the college ranks early is a red flag for NFL executives, they had a funny way of showing their displeasure a year ago.All three quarterbacks chosen in the first round of the 2014 draft — Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater and Johnny Manziel — were underclassmen. And on April 30, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are expected to be off the board quickly as quarterbacks who had college eligibility remaining with Florida State and Oregon, respectively.“Concern is a strong word, but experience is a big factor with college quarterbacks,’’ Bucs general manager Jason Licht said. “You want guys who have been raked through the coals. But in this particular draft class, you have two guys at the top of the stack who are battle-tested in big games. These two guys are very unique ... they buck the trend.’’Tampa Bay owns the No. 1 pick by virtue of a 2-14 record in Lovie Smith’s first season as head coach.Winston played only two seasons for the Seminoles, winning the Heisman Trophy as a freshman while leading FSU to a national championship. Mariota, who won the Heisman this season, graduated early in December and finished all of his core requirements in only three years.There was speculation Mariota would declare for the 2014 draft, but he returned to the Ducks and guided them to the national championship game.“No. 1, I think graduating shows you the intelligence factor,’’ said Eagles coach Chip Kelly, who coached Mariota one season at Oregon. “And No. 2, it shows that the player has committed to establishing goals and following through.’’Although NFL executives prefer more game tape when it comes to judging the game’s most critical position, 15 of the 27 quarterbacks drafted in the opening round in the past decade have been underclassmen.And those 15 players under center have racked up 14 Pro Bowl berths, as opposed to only four Pro Bowls for the remaining 12 quarterbacks on the list; Atlanta’s Matt Ryan accounts for three of the four.There have been some notable recent flops among quarterbacks who declared early.In 2007, the Raiders selected JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick after a stellar career at LSU. Russell promptly staged a holdout that set him back and when Oakland cut him in 2010, he had a 7-18 record as an NFL starter and a career passer rating of 65.2.Blaine Gabbert left Missouri early and was chosen by Jacksonville with the 10th pick of the 2011 draft. Four years later, he is a backup with the 49ers, saddled with a 5-22 career record.“Quarterback is the No. 1 position where more things can happen unrehearsed on the field,’’ former Bears GM Jerry Angelo said. “A quarterback has to improvise more than any other player. The experience he gains before he comes to you gives him the ability to do that better.“It’s not like a baseball pitcher, where you’re worried about his arm, or a running back who can take only so many hits. Percentage-wise, the quarterbacks who have the best chance of playing to their ceiling are the ones with the most snaps.’’Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, could have returned to Texas A&M a year ago after his redshirt sophomore season.“The decision is such a tough one for me,’’ he said, “because of how much I wanted to be back with all these guys that I love playing with. But I felt like this is what’s best for me now. I’m ready to become a professional and dedicate myself to making my dream a reality and becoming the best quarterback I can be.’’Manziel’s rookie season in Cleveland was a disaster, He has checked himself into a rehab facility and the Browns just signed former Bucs quarterback Josh McCown to compete for the starting job this fall.With two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones could have declared for the 2015 draft. Instead, he decided to return to college after starting the final three games and leading the Buckeyes to a stunning national championship.“It was very simple for me,’’ said Jones, a 22-year-old redshirt sophomore. “A first-round draft pick means nothing to me without my education.’’Licht salutes Jones for a wise decision.“My advice is to be patient,’’ Licht said. “The only thing it hurts is you don’t get the money right away. But in the end, you make it up on a second contract. And maybe you have a better chance of getting that second contract if you stay an extra year.’’[email protected](813) 259-7833Twitter: @IKaufmanTBO
