Earlier this week, Chris Landry asked for questions on Twitter so I submitted one. Today, he answered that question and others at: http://landryfootball.com/fans-mailbag-questions-answered-free "Joe Murgia asks, 'Is there any inside information on what Dirk Koetter or any other Bucs coach's think of Marcus Mariota?'"Well, in particular, Dirk Koetter, who is the QBs coach and offensive coordinator. He's very good friends with Mark Helfrich, the head coach at Oregon. I can tell you that Dirk likes Marcus Mariota a lot. He certainly likes all the intangibles. Having spent some time with both Mariota and Winston at the Combine, in some of the coaching meetings, there is no doubt that Mariota is the type of guy that loves the game, lives the game, and is ideally, the type of guy that a coach wants to take - in terms of teaching him the ability, for him to learn and understand the game. To put the time in, to learn and adjust...there's absolutely some adjustments that he would need to make from the college to the pro game."Now, I can tell you that what Dirk believes is that he can take some of the things that he does, in the form of a spread system, some of the things that we're seeing: up tempo, no huddle...those things, he would absolutely embrace with Mariota and create a little bit of a different look to the offense that would tailor to some of the things that Mariota can do right now, while developing as a pocket passer. I do know that Marcus has spent a lot of time working under center and making those adjustments, working out of a huddle… he is completely understanding and on board as to what needs to be done to kind of make more of an adjustment to the pro game."Here's the thing… we always look for transferable skills from the college game to the pro game. The kid has to play his college system. That's what he's coached to do. That's his responsibility. What we look for is how good a player is in his system and does he have the transferable skills to move to analternative system. And there is no doubt that Mariota runs his system better than any quarterback in college football AND I think has the best transferable skills to do whatever you would need him to do at the pro game: throw into tight windows, work under center, work out of a huddle...he absolutely can do it and do it, I think, exceedingly well, in time. Is it gonna happen overnight? No. But I think that's where you look at it and say, this guy could be really effective and help bring you some dynamics into the game that's maybe a little a bit of an alternative way. And I think Dirk's willing to do that."I think he likes him. I think he likes him a lot. And I think he'd have a strong interest in him if that's the direction that the Bucs wanna go. I think the Bucs certainly are looking hard at Jameis Winston. Everybody's got them taking him. I don't think...I know it's not universal in the Bucs organization, where to go...but I do think that they feel like that Winston has a lot of skill set as well. I can't tell you who Koetter would prefer if it was strictly his decision. But to answer your question specifically and directly, I think he would be thrilled to have Marcus Mariota."Hope that answers it."
