Talk is cheap … The NFL’s annual owners spring meeting has generally been considered to be the unofficial start to the ‘smoke and mirrors’ phase of the draft process as just about every owner, G.M. and head coach in the league gets some face time with members of the media. And while most of what is said at the owners meetings is pretty circumspect, as Yogi used to say ‘you can hear a lot just by listening’ or something like that and one can sometimes pick up a clue or two by reading through the tea leaves. For the record, here’s a sampling of some of the noteworthy draft-related comments at this week’s meetings in Phoenix. Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht, for example, was a little more conservative that Bucs’ head coach Lovie Smith was over the weekend when he was quoted as saying the Bucs ‘might surprise’ with the #1 pick this year. Licht indicated the Bucs are still doing their homework on the top QBs and plan to a full contingent at Jameis Winston’s pro day at Florida State next Tuesday. Unlike Smith, though, Licht gave no hint that the Bucs would consider trading down from the #1 pick; indeed, what he did hint at was that maybe Tampa Bay might trade up from their second pick, the 34th overall, especially if a quality offensive lineman was available … No surprise here, but Jacksonville GM Dave Caldwell did nothing to mask the fact that the Jaguars would like to move down from the #3 pick after sitting tight at the same spot last year in order to secure QB Blake Bortles. Said Caldwell at his presser: “For sure, this year more than any it would be better to have an extra second or third round pick. If we can get an extra starter in the second or third round, which is where you generally find your starters, this draft would be great.” Of course, the Jags would be in a great spot to move down if Tennessee passes on Oregon QB Marcus Mariota with the 2nd pick. Certainly, one team that has been widely mentioned as a possible landing spot for Mariota are the New York Jets, although there have been conflicting reports of late on how highly the team rates Mariota. Jets’ owner Woody Johnson rasied some eyebrows at the owners meetings when he said that current Jets’ starter Geno Smith is ‘way ahead’ of Mariota at this time, although Johnson did add that the Jets are still gathering information and are keeping all their options open. At the same time, new Jets’ head coach Todd Bowles was less forthcoming in his praise of Smith than Johnson saying that he was the teams’ starter ‘for now’. And Bowles left the door wide-open to taking a QB ‘if he were the best player on the board.’ In fact, the Jets who were well represented at Mariota’s pro day earlier this month, will return for a private workout with him next Tuesday at Oregon … One of the other teams mentioned in connection with Mariota is Cleveland. Browns’ G.M. And Ray Farmer wouldn’t rule out the Browns doing something regarding Mariota including the possibility of packaging the 12th and 19th picks in order to move up to get the former Ducks’ star. “Everything’s on the table” said Farmer who stressed that he’ll continue to explore every possible way to upgrade every position on the team, including quarterback. Farmer did say that he no longer considers Philadelphia QB Sam Bradford an option for in Cleveland in the wake of rumors that the Browns were hot after Bradford both before and after he was dealt from St. Louis to the Eagles. However, Farmer did leave the door slightly ajar – well maybe wide open – when he added that the only way that he’d consider Bradford to be an option for the Browns would be if ‘somebody’ (presumably named Chip) called and said ”Look, we’re trying to move him.” For the record, Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine had some very nice words about how Mariota has turned his supposed weakness of having been a system QB at Oregon into a positive by aggressively working on it this off-season, a lot of it under the tutelage of Browns’ QB coach Kevin O’Connell.
