<
>

Trading top pick easier said than done

TAMPA, Fla. – Since Chip Kelly recruited Marcus Mariota to Oregon, it’s only natural to connect the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles to the quarterback.

Rumors already are flying that Kelly is prepared to trade up in the draft to get Mariota. He might have to move all the way to No. 1 and the Bucs hold that pick. But I wouldn’t go predicting a trade between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay just yet.

It’s easy to talk about a potential trade, but it would be extremely difficult to pull off. Let’s take a look at the draft trade value chart.

The No. 1 overall pick is worth 3,000 points. Philadelphia currently holds the No. 20 pick, which is worth 850 points. You can add up the value of all of Philadelphia’s picks in this draft and it still wouldn’t come close to 3,000.

The Eagles would have to make multiple moves to even get into an area where they could tempt the Bucs. Philadelphia probably would have to get at least one more first-round pick in this year’s draft and include next year’s first-round choice. Veteran players also could be part of the deal, but they usually don’t carry a lot of weight in these situations.

The Bucs would be wise to listen to any and all offers because they could get a huge bounty for the top pick. But, no matter how much Kelly wants Mariota, he might not have the resources to make it happen.