Here's the supposed deal Kelly offered for Mariota

[IronEagle]

Outrageous if true. Can you imagine what we would be saying now if this had gone through?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tennessee-titans-got-insane-trade-012700920.html

[Melchior]

That came out on Thursday and it's been disputed. That doesn't make sense. There's no reasonable way the Titans would a) be able to pay those players and b) that they would fit their team.

No one trades that many players in a single trade. It just doesn't happen. The picks, I could believe.

[FuriousXGeorge]

Outrageous if true. Can you imagine what we would be saying now if this had gone through?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tennes...012700920.html

I don't think Kelly is lying. He said he wasn't going to mortgage the future and he didn't. It was all media hysteria.

[IronEagle]

That came out on Thursday and it's been disputed. That doesn't make sense. There's no reasonable way the Titans would a) be able to pay those players and b) that they would fit their team.

No one trades that many players in a single trade. It just doesn't happen. The picks, I could believe.

Who is this guy Rapoport and does he have any connections with any teams? I don't watch NFL network so I know nothing about him.

[IronEagle]

I don't think Kelly is lying. He said he wasn't going to mortgage the future and he didn't. It was all media hysteria.

None of us will ever know the truth but my honest take is I think it lies between what Kelly said and this report.

Mortgaging the future is a relative term. Sometimes a mortgage is a good thing... like if you use a mortgage to buy a house that goes up a lot in value.

I suspect Kelly was willing to mortgage the future a little.

[FuriousXGeorge]

None of us will ever know the truth but my honest take is I think it lies between what Kelly said and this report.

Mortgaging the future is a relative term. Sometimes a mortgage is a good thing... like if you use a mortgage to buy a house that goes up a lot in value.

I suspect Kelly was willing to mortgage the future a little.

Me too, but not ever to the degree it would realistically take to get from 20 to 2.

[IronEagle]

Me too, but not ever to the degree it would realistically take to get from 20 to 2.

I think its interesting Kelly used a lot of home buying metaphors when it came to talking about Mariota. Mortgage, driving by an expensive house for sale, etc.

[JDuggernaut]

If that offer were really made, Chip is incredibly stupid for making it, and the Titans' FO is even dumber for not taking it.

[CCPete]

One way or the other, Chip lied. Now, we went from a coach who never said anything worth listening to....to a coach that fans can't believe a word he says.

You have to be a mental midget to believe that Chip didn't offer something for tthe guy he said would win multiple SBs. Who knows ...he may still be trying to trade for him. Meanwhile, Bradford hasn't bothered to find a home in Philly.

[Dim Bulb]

Oh good grief

One way or the other, Chip lied. Now, we went from a coach who never said anything worth listening to....to a coach that fans can't believe a word he says.

You have to be a mental midget to believe that Chip didn't offer something for tthe guy he said would win multiple SBs. Who knows ...he may still be trying to trade for him. Meanwhile, Bradford hasn't bothered to find a home in Philly.

It is draft time. A coach didn't tell the truth about a deal. Rome crumbles. The cats lay with the dogs. You need oxygen to stop hyperventilating.

[CCPete]

A house of cards. How long will stay up before it all falls down?

[Dim Bulb]

You may not be an idiot

A house of cards. How long will stay up before it all falls down?

But you certainly argue like one. ALL NFL teams are houses of cards. ALL of them are one personnel move or one injury away from a hideous year. Tony Romo goes down, where are the Cowboys? AP didn't play, how were the Vikings? Front office makes stupid moves, they fall by the wayside for a few years. Everything is about calculated risk. The fact that there is indeed a risk of bad results does not make it a failure. They just played the probabilities and lost. Jeez. You're like Anthony Part Deux.

[bobbyuk]

Peter King came out on Friday and said he heard from 2 NFL sources that Kelly never made such an offer. And even if he did lie, as someone else said, it's draft time. You don't tell your competitors anything.

As far as someone said TN wouldn't be able to pay all of these players, why wouldn't they? They are far, far under the salary cap and their new deals wouldn't kick in until 2016.

Sorry CCPete, but you're wrong again--you said he wouldn't win very many games in Philly and he has already won 20; you said his offense was a college offense and all done is finish in the top 5 his frist two years in the league. You said he'd have a hard time coaching older players and all that's happened is that Jackson, McCoy, Maclin, Foles, and Sanchez had the best years of their career while playing in Kelly's offense. The only thing that has held this team back has been it's defense and he has overseen a makeover of the unit in this offseason.

[AnnapolisEagle]

Outrageous if true. Can you imagine what we would be saying now if this had gone through?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tennes...012700920.html

If that offer was made, the Titans are giant idiots for not taking it. Hell, the Eagles would have ended up *BAD* next year, so that's a big haul...if that offer was made.

But, it most likely wasn't.

--snip--

http://mmqb.si.com/2015/05/01/marcus-mariota-tennessee-titans-nfl-draft/

The Eagles, as Kelly said Thursday night in Philadelphia, never offered players as part of a package to obtain Mariota. In fact, The MMQB learned Thursday night that Kelly never offered the widely rumored packages of either three first-round picks or two first-round picks and Sam Bradford, in an attempt to obtain the second pick of the draft. I can tell you this much is true: The Titans basically scared off suitors because they continually told teams they wanted to take Mariota, and it would take a stupid offer to obtain the pick. In the end, Tennessee GM Ruston Webster and coach Ken Whisenhunt stuck to their guns.

--snip--

McLane said he confirmed King's report on sources.

Kelly was certainly interested in Mariota. And I bet if he thought his entire draft this year (plus Bradford) would get him, he'd have done it. I bet if he could get Mariota and keep future picks and his current defense, he'd have done it. He'd have figured out WR, OL and the defensive backfield with what he had and what he could pick off the scrap heap after camp cuts.

But I think the truth is that Kelly traded for Bradford expecting he would be the starter. If a Mariota trade worked out, he'd have been happy, but I don't think he was ever truly thinking it would happen.

The *only* way he trades for Bradford as a waypoint to getting Mariota is if he knows a couple things for certain (and remember, he'd have make this trade in March with the certainty that these would be the circumstances come draft day):

1. Either the Titans or Bucs will do more than just listen to offers...they have to be really open (or actively trying) to move out of their spot. And trading with the Titans is contingent on the Bucs favoring Winston, of course.
2a. Foles is a LESS ATTRACTIVE option to dangle to the two possible trade partners than Bradford would be.
-OR-
2b. He's certain he can flip Bradford for some third asset the Titans or Bucs would want as part of a package.
-AND-
3. He's willing do to add more pieces to Bradford and meet what was certain to be an absurdly high price.

Chip is ballsy and he obviously gives zero fucks what conventional wisdom has to say. But he's not dumb.

-AE

[IronEagle]

Chip is ballsy and he obviously gives zero fucks what conventional wisdom has to say. But he's not dumb.

-AE

Not sure I'd want to deal with a guy named "Ruston Webster" .