Marcus Mariota: 5 reasons the Buccaneers should select QB by Evan Massey 1h ago 
What five reasons can be given to show that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should select Marcus Mariota ahead of Jameis Winston with the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft?There are two options for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who currently hold the number one overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. One option is Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, while their other possibility is Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.At this point in time, all signs have been point to the Buccaneers taking Winston with the first pick. He has been the lead candidate for the majority of the year, but that could and should change. Mariota is a much better and safer option than Winston, and there are quite a few different ways to prove that.Tampa Bay cannot afford to mess this selection up, and it will dictate the long-term future of their franchise.Both quarterbacks have the type of potential that it will take to become legitimate franchise leaders. There are still quite a few question marks surrounding both prospects, but the Buccaneers have to choose the player that gives them the best chance to succeed.During his two-year career with the Seminoles, Winston ended up throwing for 7,964 yards, 65 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. Mariota ended up throwing for 10,796 yards, 105 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his three years at Oregon. They are very comparable quarterbacks in quite a few areas, but there are still plenty of ways to prove that Mariota should be the Buccaneers’ guy.What five reasons can be given to prove that the Buccaneers should take Mariota over Winston with the first overall pick this year?
1. No Major Character ConcernsFirst and foremost, the character concerns should freak the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out as the draft continues to draw closer. Jameis Winston has had his share of negative media, and that is always an issue for young players poised to take a major step forward and will have plenty more money and time to get in more trouble.Winston has had quite a few issues away from the football field, and they are a major concern moving forward. He has been watched very closely of late, which has been both good and bad for him. At just 21 years of age, Winston is still trying to figure out how to grow up and it hasn’t been easy for him with all of the media coverage that he has had on top of him.That being said, making the mistakes that he has made is serious and age cannot be given as an excuse. Tampa Bay cannot afford to bring a player with the character issues that Winston has back to a city like Tampa and expect him to be just fine with all of the new money that he is about to have.Mariota, on the other hand, has had no negative press surrounding him. He has come off as a very mature quarterback and a very smart individual. That makes him a much more attractive selection in and of itself, and he will be much more likely to handle the scrutiny that the media will throw his way.
2. Poise in the PocketAs both of these quarterbacks look ahead to making the next step in their careers, there are quite a few things that will be changing at the NFL level. Both players will have to get used to a much stronger, faster and more pressure packed game.Jameis Winston has had some turnover issues throughout his college career with the Seminoles. He hasn’t dealt with pressure too terribly well when it got through Florida State’s impressive offensive line, and rushed quite a few plays and ended up throwing interceptions due to rushing things. That is a concern for an NFL team with the increase of talent that NFL defenses have.Marcus Mariota has shown the ability to take care of the football extremely well, throwing just 14 interceptions in three years at Oregon. He has been a very strong leader and has not allowed himself to get flustered by defenses. If it comes down to poise and taking care of the football, then there is no question that Mariota is the guy for the Buccaneers to draft.Whether or not they will come to that conclusion or not as well is another story, but it is certainly the case looking at the tape and numbers.
3. Team LeadershipLeadership is quite possibly the most important aspect of a quarterbacks game, and there is a big difference between the two top quarterback prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft. Both players have different ways of leading, but one has shown that he can unravel and explode on his teammates, while the other has stayed strong and in control of himself.During the college football playoffs, there were two excellent examples of Marcus Mariota and Jamies Winston in crunch time and tough losses. Winston didn’t handle his loss well and actually started yelling at teammates and coaches after one of his turnovers. Mariota on the other hand stayed calm and played the game with class all the way to the whistle.That alone shows that Mariota is more capable of living up to the type of pressure that he will receive in the NFL than Winston. Obviously that doesn’t mean that Winston won’t improve his leadership and maturity, but it is just another concern surrounding him. Mariota is without question the better pick at this point in time, and this point is just another proof of that.
4. AthleticismAnother extremely underrated area of Marcus Mariota’s game is his athletic ability. Jameis Winston is a very physically intimidating quarterback, but he doesn’t have the same type of ability to make plays with his legs and evade pressure that Mariota possesses.Throughout his three years with the Oregon Ducks, Mariota ended up running for 2,237 yards and 29 touchdowns. Winston only ran for 284 yards and seven touchdowns. Obviously Mariota is the quarterback more dangerous on his feet, and that will end up being big for him looking into the long-term future.Athleticism is a big key for quarterbacks in the NFL, and Mariota’s ability to make plays with his legs will help him be even more successful.Needless to say, this isn’t something that should single-handedly make the Buccaneers decide to take Mariota. Winston is still going to have a great career and has a very talented arm, but Mariota will be able to play a very similar game to Aaron Rodgers when defenses lock down on the passing game. His speed and athleticism will allow him to pick up key first downs with his legs when defenses open that option up to him.
5. Making the Best Pick for the FutureThis isn’t necessarily a single point or a single reason that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should make Marcus Mariota their franchise quarterback of the future, but it will tie in quite a few smaller things. Jameis Winston has the same potential to become a future superstar that Mariota has, but there are a few small differences that are much bigger when tied together.Everything that has been listed over the previous four points are extremely valid, and they speak volumes about each player.That being said, other things go unnoticed about both players that need to come out. First of all, Mariota showed more talent and poise in an offense that forced him under more pressure. Being able to lead an offense that moves as fast as the Ducks’ offense moved with Mariota is extremely difficult, but he was able to make it look easy.Winston played more of a traditional NFL style offense under Jimbo Fisher, but there were times when he looked completely overwhelmed. That isn’t saying that Mariota never looked overwhelmed, but he didn’t make key mistakes because he was flustered. His turnover numbers speak for themselves in that regard.After everything is added together, the decision has to come down to which player will be the franchise leader for the future that the Buccaneers are looking for. It is obvious after looking at every single part of each players game and the issues off-the-field that Mariota is the right guy and should be the number one overall pick.link
