Vindication? Bucs GM Licht – Bucs Would Have Drafted Mariota If…Published on May 9, 2015 in News by Joe MurgiaI was 100% convinced the Bucs would take Marcus Mariota with the first pick in the draft. I gave lots of reasons but for me, there was one specific thing that sealed the deal. Mariota will be a Buc! I guarantee it! I took a lot of grief for my proclamations. And rightfully so. Opinions are one thing. Guarantees (and wagering on Mariota to the Bucs) are just plain stupid. But how close was I to the truth? Did the Bucs really consider Mariota a top prospect? Was there any chance he would be their guy?What Convinced Me?In my extensive article, posted on May 3rd, I explained why I felt the Bucs waited until the last minute to draft Jameis Winston. A 2nd rape accuser had been mentioned in Erica Kinsman’s lawsuit vs. FSU and then again in the lawsuit vs. Winston. If the Bucs had announced their intention to draft Winston, and the 2nd accuser went public, they would have been in a difficult situation.On March 25th, WDAE host, Steve Duemig, said a private investigator had found the 2nd accuser and learned that she would cooperate and join Kinsman’s lawsuit. Then, on April 3rd, Jason Cole of “Bleacher Report,” reported there were expectations from multiple sources that she may come forward and testify in Kinsman’s lawsuit or file one of her own. A few weeks later, Duemig went back on the air, upped the ante and said the 2nd woman would come forward “right before the draft.” Either way, I didn’t think the Bucs would risk it and I went all in on Mariota.It didn’t happen. As we all now know, Winston was the pick. And Duemig said, via Twitter, that his source for the “right before the draft” part was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So, the Bucs obviously knew of the possibility of a 2nd rape accuser coming forward. After the draft, some members of the media were still suggesting that the Bucs waited until the last minute on Winston because they wanted to entertain trade offers. But as I wrote on May 3rd, Jason Licht and Lovie Smith both said a trade was not going to happen. They wanted a quarterback.If you listened to certain blog writers, Mariota just didn’t have what the Bucs wanted. Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds reported what the Bucs thought of Mariota in his Fab 5 article on May 1st.From Pewter Report:“…don’t be surprised if Winston, who has a superior football I.Q., quickly absorbs Dirk Koetter’s playbook and has success right out of the gate. That wouldn’t happen with Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, who is viewed as a project at the next level and that’s why he wasn’t drafted by Tampa Bay.”“Winston was clearly the pick. The team was only doing its due diligence on Mariota.”“It’s time for me to address some rumors that have gotten out of control on the Internet regarding Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston and the Bucs’ perceived interest in Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.”…(Mariota) doesn’t have that outward burning desire to be great that can visually stimulate and elevate the play of his teammates. His docile personality was a stark contrast to Winston’s boldness and confidence that inspired Florida State to a national championship and a 26-1 record…* * * * *I guess the Bucs really had Mariota rated so far behind Winston as a QB, there really was no chance they would draft him. Why draft a project QB with the first overall pick? They obviously had no interest in him. Perceptions were wrong. Just due diligence. Hell, did the Bucs even have a first round grade on him? I had a local reporter tell me the Bucs just weren’t sold on Mariota and would look to trade out if something happened with Winston, off-the-field. Trade out? I thought if the 2nd accuser came forward, Mariota was a lock to be a Buc. How could I have been so wrong?From the May 8th Pewter Report: Fab 5 by Scott Reynolds:“Winston won over the entire building during that visit, and he solidified his status as Tampa Bay’s leader in the clubhouse during the 2015 offseason. But Mariota made a favorable impression, too, and Licht revealed that he would have been Tampa Bay’s pick had another off-field incident popped up and negatively affected Winston’s draft grade.”* * * * *Wait, what?And after the Titans drafted Mariota with the number 2 pick, head coach Ken Whisenhunt spoke about Mariota and his chances of starting. Maybe he might not be that much of a project after all? We shall see.From the Tennessean:Coach Ken Whisenhunt has been saying for months that Mariota probably would be the team’s starter if the Titans picked him second overall, and he didn’t back away from that stance Thursday.“That’s the plan. That’s what we anticipate being the case,” Whisenhunt said. “We have to work hard and push him to try to get him prepared.”Mariota has the qualities to jump-start an entire team. His former teammates and coaches at Oregon have said it, and if you look around the NFL, it’s easy to identify the teams that rally around their quarterback and the ones that don’t.Mariota, in time, is capable of being a leader of men.* * * * *In the end, I was still wrong. But what happens if something “pops up” tomorrow? Or, the next day? Or, right before the season starts? And what if it’s a 2nd rape accusation? Today, Winston filed counterclaims against Erica Kinsman. Michael McCann, legal analyst for Sports Illustrated, says that opened the door for relevant character evidence to be used against him. If it gets to a trial, the jury is going to hear all about his “prior bad acts.” That could include testimony from any other alleged, sexual assault victims. That probably wouldn’t have been the case if Winston hadn’t filed his own suit and claimed harm to his reputation.Will the Bucs be wondering what’s lurking around Jameis Winston’s corner his entire career? Will Lovie Smith and Jason Licht keep their ringers on at night, just in case? I guess the only thing to fix that is a few months, or years, without another incident or news that could cause a suspension. If Lovie or Licht have any problem sleeping at night, they can always borrow some sleeping pills from Whisenhunt. I don’t think he’ll be needing those any more.
