NFL Rumors: Raiders Officially Out Of Brady Sweepstakes, Sign Mariota

KEY POINTS

Raiders sign Marcus Mariota
Raiders may no longer pursue Tom Brady
Mariota could get a short-term contract

Though they were not among the remaining teams believed to be in the hunt for Tom Brady, the Las Vegas Raiders may have officially taken their name off the list. The Raiders opted to go with Marcus Mariota, one of the free-agent quarterbacks available in the market.

According to ESPN, the Raiders have agreed to a deal with the 26-year-old player. Mariota is coming off a rough season with the Tennessee Titans. He threw 1,203 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions with the Titans which finished last NFL season. This opened the doors for Ryan Tannehill to show what he can do and the move paid off. Tannehill turned things around and the 31-year-old was rewarded with a contract extension.

Now, Mariota gets a chance to start fresh with the Raiders. The only question now is whether he will start or end up being a quarterback. The answer to that will depend on how he fits into the system of coach Jon Gruden. With the Raiders possibly going with a youth movement, Mariota's experience could pay off. However, he still needs to perform if he wants to make an impact in Las Vegas.

Details of the contract have not be divulged though it could be a short-term lease. The fact remains that former Heisman Trophy winner is coming off a not-so-impressive season and the Raiders want him to prove his worth.

Ironically, the New England Patriots were reportedly interested in Mariota. As mentioned in a previous post, the Pats were one of several teams interested in the second pick of the 2015 NFL Draft but likely as a backup quarterback. Other teams who were considering Mariota included the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.

With NFL signings picking him, most are eager to find out where Brady will go. There are only teams in the running right now - the Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are serious in their pursuit of the future NFL Hall of Famer, ready to offer him a two-year contract. The Pats offered him a one-year deal but team owner Robert Kraft could consider tweaking that. He made it clear that he wants Brady back if the 42-year-old was not yet going to retire from pro football.