Mariota's Not An Eagle, But Birds Fans Remain Optimistic

By Mike DeNardo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It was a longshot, but the Eagles did not land Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the NFL Draft.

It was sports-talk fodder for months: would Chip Kelly find a way to trade up in the draft to snag his former college quarterback?

The answer -- no. This fan says despite the hype, he was not on the Mariota bandwagon:

"Believe it or not, no. Because I think if they would have had to draft down they would have lost too much. So I'm thinking no -- I'm kind of glad that they didn't get him. But if we could swing a deal where we don't lose too much, yeah, I'll take him."

This fan wonders whether Mariota is even worth the hype:

"Is he going to step up in the NFL or is he going to be a bust like Johnny Manziel?"

While fans who bought into the Mariota dream are disappointed, others are more realistic. This man who spoke with KYW Newsradio has a practical take:

"They would have had to give up too much to get him, so I'm kind of glad they didn't. The pick they got, they need a receiver so that's fine with me."

That receiver the Birds took with the 20th overall pick is Nelson Agholor out of USC.

Head coach Chip Kelly said the cost of trading up from #20 to #2 in the draft was too high. Kelly has this fan's full support:

"Even though it's Mariota, I still think in Chip I trust. In Chip I trust, that's what I say."

It looks like the Eagles starting quarterback next season will be Sam Bradford, and not Heisman Trophy winner Mariota, who was selected by the Tennessee Titans.