The Denver Broncos have been predicted to poach a Las Vegas Raiders quarterback this coming offseason — but his name is not Derek Carr.
In his 2021 Broncos outlook, Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr suggested signing Raiders second-stringer Marcus Mariota as an “outside-the-box idea” to “fix” a franchise that hasn’t sniffed the postseason in a half-decade.
“Sign Marcus Mariota and leave your options open at quarterback,” Orr wrote. “I think Mariota’s performance on Thursday Night Football a week ago signaled that the modern NFL has finally aligned to the skillsets he brought to the draft in 2015. While he may get a starting opportunity elsewhere, I love the idea of Mariota legitimately pressing Lock in camp. This isn’t to say Lock needs to be challenged à la Mitch Trubisky, but Fangio will need to buttress the position given that Year 3 could turn into a make-or-break proposition for him.”
Most are familiar with Mariota’s resume. The former Oregon star and Heisman Trophy winner famously flamed out in Tennessee, where he spent his first five professional seasons, before taking his talents to Vegas. Mariota inked a two-year, $17.6 million free-agent deal this past March to serve as Carr’s backup.
Buried in obscurity, Mariota resurged to (temporary?) relevance in Week 15, when he replaced an injured Carr against the Chargers. Mariota was brilliant, completing 17-of-28 passes for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception, adding 88 rushing yards and a score on nine carries. On full display was the dual-threat ability he hasn’t shown since college, the ability that made him the No. 2 overall draft pick.
A flash in the pan? Perhaps. However, the performance certainly if incrementally boosted Mariota’s stock, and assuming the Raiders opt out of his deal — otherwise only available via trade — the 27-year-old may be greeted by a warmer market than many anticipate.
Whether that market extends to the Centennial State is another story. It’s a question not even the Broncos can answer yet as they remain in Lock evaluation mode over the final two games.
But it’s also a question that Lock has gotten, and will continue to get, unless or until he steps up as The Guy.
“The quarterback is the most important position on the field, and everyone wants to talk about it,” Lock said Wednesday. “Everyone thinks they can play it better than what they’re seeing on the TV, so it’s just an easy position for people to talk about and gossip about. It is what it is when you play this position. I’m looking forward to going out and making another claim this week that I should be the guy here and keep winning. Try to win these last two and then just show what I can do. I do believe I’m the guy here. With progressing over time with this offense and hopefully getting another year in the same offense, the sky is the limit for us as a young team. We learned a lot this year. We’re going to keep learning and keep making plays, and hopefully win these last two and look forward to going into the next season.”
Mariota is under contract in Vegas in 2021 so it would take a trade between two AFC West rivals to get him in Denver.
Follow Zack on Twitter @KelbermanNFL and @MileHighHuddle
