If the Washington Redskins plan to draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota with the No. 5 overall pick of the NFL draft, it appears they'll have to do it without the Heisman Trophy winner making an official visit to the team.
Scheduling issues have foiled the club's intention to host Mariota, a team source told NFL Media's Albert Breer.
The difficulty in scheduling speaks to what Mariota's busy April calendar must look like. Between previously scheduled official visits to other teams and private workouts, Mariota's windows to add trips just three weeks before the draft are surely narrow. From the Redskins' perspective, it's unfortunate but not overly disappointing.
Players frequently are drafted by teams that don't show as much overt interest. And although a first-round quarterback wouldn't figure to be that kind of player, there are other ways for NFL teams to get comfortable enough with a prospect. When word got out that the Redskins wanted to bring Mariota in for a visit, Breer noted the club had seen enough film of the former Ducks star that a private workout wouldn't be necessary.
Now that Mariota's visit to the team appears to be off, it wouldn't be surprising if the Redskins reconsider a trip to Eugene, Ore., for a private workout, where coaches and scouts could perhaps cover some of the ground that would have been accomplished with the visit.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
