By Harry Allison
Eagles coach Chip Kelly is in Indy for the NFL Combine, but there is nary a photo of nor a quote from him.
And he saw what everyone else did as Oregon QB Marcus Mariota threw for the appreciation of the scouts and execs on hand as the rest of us watched on the NFL Network.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-combine/0ap3000000472997/Who-threw-better-Mariota-or-Winston
And overall, Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Mariota both appeared to fare well-enough in the on-field drills.
From NFL Network footage of the workouts, Winston’s arm strength and touch were on display on deep throws. And Mariota’s talent was also quite apparent as he went through his paces.
Afterwards, Mariota told NFLN he had been trying to refine his footwork.
“It’s still an ongoing process for me,” Mariota said of honing his craft.
Complemented about his shorter release in workouts Saturday, Winston said moonlighting as a baseball player in the football offseason had affected his mechanics.
“I’m always used to having a long release with baseball, because I never just worked football all year long. But I’m loving it, and as you can see, I’ve improved,” Winston told NFLN.
Winston also said his throwing shoulder, which had been re-tested at the Combine, was fine after Saturday’s workout.
Both Winston and Mariota aren’t expected to be waiting in the green room long when the draft starts on April 30 in Chicago. The Buccaneers, who select first, are in need of a quarterback. Should Winston or Mariota be taken right off the bat, it’s possible the maneuvering for the other quarterback will begin.
And no matter what happens, no one can pan Winston or Mariota for standing pat and waiting for late April to come — even though such decisions would have been perfectly logical, given their high standing on draft boards. Nevertheless, Winston and Mariota came to play on Saturday, and they appeared to come out of it a-OK.
