My Two-Cents on Foles, Mariota, Oregon, and the Draft

So back when Chip Kelly was hired as the Eagles' coach, I questioned if he could win here. I got called crazy on Twitter several hundred times. That opinion is now open-debate. When the Eagles made Nick Foles the starting quarterback last season I expressed open doubts, and continued to express them into this season, on whether or not Foles was a franchise quarterback capable of winning a Super Bowl title in Philadelphia. That opinion got me blocked by blow-hard Philadelphia Writer Reuben Frank and lots of other football "know it alls" on Twitter. Now, half of those same people are calling into talk radio saying the Eagles need to get a new QB. Well, they were at least. The point is, I got most things right on this team in the Chip Kelly era, and that concerns me a bit. Why? Because I think Chip Kelly is about to try to do something huge this off-season, and I think we should all be a bit cautious about mortgaging the house like that.

My opinion on Nick Foles has only slightly changed since they got him. At that time, I felt he was a back-up quarterback in the NFL. Today, I feel he's a good back-up quarterback in the NFL, who can be a bottom-half to third of the league starter. After a record-setting 2013, Foles noticeably stepped back, particularly in not turning over the ball. The NFL adjusted to Foles, and his success slipped considerably. Now, as I say that, Foles did win games (albeit against a bunch of stiffs), again. If the Eagles have to go into next season with Foles, that doesn't mean they're ruined, or even that they can't contend (with other serious upgrades). It just means their season will go as far as Foles can return to not turning over the ball and getting the ball into playmakers hands, and out of his. Oh, and they have to be a run-first team again, but yeah.

All of this really leads to the big question- Should the Eagles stick with Foles? I think this is a relative question, one that depends on the other options. Inevitably, this leads to whether or not the Eagles should trade up and try to draft Heisman-winning Oregon Quarterback Marcus Mariota, or stick with Foles. Here's my basic thoughts on Mariota:

1. Do not judge Mariota entirely off of his Ohio State game, or for that matter his Florida State game. In one game he faced the best coach in college football. In the other he faced a defense that was wildly overrated. Judge him on the tools his clearly shows regularly. He has incredible speed for the position. He has a very strong throwing arm. He is also sometimes inaccurate in the short to medium game. He did not throw deep enough in college to translate his game to the pros. He has great talents and a high-ceiling, but also might not be a sure-thing.
2. With that said, Mariota is Eagles-ready. He played for Chip Kelly at Oregon, and knows his system already. He would be ready to play immediately if drafted.
3. I think he's both a better overall athlete and better player to run Chip Kelly's offense. In fact, he's the ideal for it. I'd probably take him over Foles in an even-money discussion almost every time.
4. He won't be on the board past sixth, at latest. There are too many teams with bad quarterbacks picking high.

With those thoughts in mind, the question is would you takes Mariota and the corresponding loss of assets to get him, over Nick Foles. If that is the question, i'm hitting the pause button now. If I have to trade Shady or Cox, or multiple first round picks, to get Mariota, I'm not sure i'm willing to. I wasn't 100% on board before, though I favored it. Watching his flaws once again exposed by a pro-style, tough defense, only reinforced the doubts. Sure, if I could deal Foles, a first, and a second to get Mariota, I might still consider it. Maybe. I don't think that gets it done, nor do I really know yet either.

All of this leads me to really a question of Mariota, Kelly, and Oregon's system in general. I'm not sure it works. It certainly hasn't yet won a national title in college, which means someone beats it in a big game every year. Through two years in the pros, it hasn't beaten a Seattle, a Green Bay, a San Francisco, or any team viewed as a Super Bowl contender. In fact, honestly, it didn't make the playoffs this year. Chip has a losing record against winning teams through two years. That should trouble you a bit. One has to wonder if "Chip-ball" is simply the most efficient way to insure you destroy inferior opponents.

Whether you believe in Chip, Foles, Mariota, or anyone else here, this is a big off-season for the Eagles. While I believe the Eagles need a franchise quarterback they don't have yet, I'm not sure it's the most pressing need. We all know about the secondary, obviously, which needs an overhaul. The thing is, upgrades at inside linebacker (Ryans age and injury worry me), offensive guard (Herremans age and injury, again, worry me), and wide receiver could all be in order. All that's after even addressing Shady and possibly Maclin (though I'd be fine letting him walk). I am not signing onto the pro-Foles team, and if there is a good way to replace him I would, but all of this collectively makes you wonder if you want to let Chip Kelly mortgage the entire home on getting Mariota.