New England Patriots fans — seldom victims of the moment — have their eyes set on a new signal-caller.
The Cam Newton experience has been tumultuous, and he doesn’t appear to be the team’s quarterback of the future. Jarrett Stidham still is unproven, and the Patriots might not be able to get the quarterback they want depending on where they pick in the draft.
Thus, they may have to get creative again this offseason.
Enter: Marcus Mariota.
After Derek Carr was injured in the Las Vegas Raiders’ eventual 30-27 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, Mariota took over. He impressed, completing 17 of his 28 passing attempts 226 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed nine times for 88 yards and a touchdown.
And as he continued to gash the Chargers, the cacophony of Pats fans saying Bill Belichick should trade for Mariota grew louder and louder.
Mariota has plenty of starting experience, all of which came during his five-year run with the Tennessee Titans. Plus, he’s just 27, and his deal for next season costs an affordable $10 million. You can understand why the Patriots might have their eye on him.
That said, Carr hasn’t proven to be the most reliable quarterback, and if the Raiders think they’re a legitimate playoff team, they probably aren’t moving Mariota unless they have a solid plan.
