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New Jersey – It’s time for a heaping helping of Website Whispers. Today we look into a couple of matters including an unlikely player who could fall into the Jets’ laps . . .
As we have said many times, don’t read too much into team visits by draft prospect.
Just because a player visits a particular team, that doesn’t mean the team is enamored of the player, or the team is angling to pick the prospect. Each team is allowed to bring in 30 players before the draft.
All visits mean is the team is doing their due diligence.
Case-in-point on how overrated these visits can be – the Cleveland Browns aren’t bringing in Marcus Mariota for a visit before the draft.
Does that mean they aren’t interested in Mariota?
Heck no.
They just aren’t bringing him in for a visit.
Like the Jets didn’t bring in James Farrior for a visit in 1997, and proceeded to take him in the first round.
So while so many reporters make a big deal about these visits, take them with a grain of salt.
And remember there is something else going on during these visits.
Not only are the teams trying to learn about the visiting prospect during these visits, but are also picking the player’s brain about other prospects on his team.
For instance the Jets had Miami offensive tackle Ereck Flowers in for a visit. While in the building, they can also try to get some information from him about Hurricane WR Phillip Dorsett, tight end Clive Walford, running back Duke Johnson and linebacker Denzel Perryman.
It’s very common for teams to use these interviews for information beyond the particular prospect brought in for a visit . . .
Ron Jaworski thinks the Tampa Bay are going to pick Marcus Mariota with the first pick in the draft.
“The latest I’m hearing now from my sources around the league, who are pretty wired in, is that he (Mariota) is going to go number one to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,’’ Jaworski said on CSN Philly.
Part of this is related to Tampa Bay having a female co-owner, Darcie Glazer-Kassewitz, who is reportedly uneasy with J. Winston due to rape allegations.
And let’s say Leonard Williams goes #2 overall to Tennessee – then you have Jacksonville on the board, and they aren’t looking for a quarterback, and will likely pick Dante Fowler.
Up next are the Oakland Raiders, another team not looking for a quarterback, and they will likely pick Amari Cooper or Kevin White.
At five, it’s hard to figure what the Washington Redskins will do. It’s hard to see them picking another quarterback this high after picking RG III a few years ago, so they might trade out of the spot, or perhaps go with Cooper or White, an offensive lineman or Vic Beasley.
So you see where this is going. Winston could be there at six, if “Jaws” prediction is right.
But while the Jets need to stick to their board, do they also need to worry about fire-breathing media that will have a field day with this pick. Winston was accused of sexual assault in 2012.
And you know ESPN W will be all over this.
Now I’m not condoning anything, but as far as we know, Winston hasn’t been charged with anything.
Prosecutors declined to file charges against him in late 2013. He also was cleared by the university following a two-day student conduct hearing last year.
If Winston somehow slips to six, he might be too good to pass up.
And if Jaws is right, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Winston could fall to the Jets.
April 17, 2015
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