Dave Reardon: Mariota can bring value as starter or mentor

The job market for NFL quarterbacks doesn’t have much in common with the labor dynamics of the real world.

But in both cases, good help is hard to find these days. Potential employees — especially those with experience — have more leverage than usual.

A lack of surefire starting quarterbacks in the upcoming draft gives Marcus Mariota and other free agents bargaining power. And the general consensus is that Mariota is high on many lists of teams looking for a QB capable of holding down the position, at least for a while.

No one with any sense of objectivity looks at Mariota as a draft bust. Nor, of course, is anyone envisioning one for him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame based on his first seven years.

During Mariota’s five years after being picked second overall in the draft by Tennessee, he started 61 games and led the Titans to a playoff win over the Chiefs, directing three second-half touchdown drives to make up for an 18-point halftime deficit.

But overall, Tennessee lost more than it won with him starting (29-32), Mariota was eventually benched, and when his contract expired he ended up as a backup with the Raiders the past two seasons.

So the jury is still out on his legacy as an NFL quarterback.

Now, though, is he the right guy at the right time just looking for the right place?

Although he didn’t play much with Las Vegas as Derek Carr’s No. 2, Mariota did get some chances to showcase his dual-threat abilities.

At age 28, he is still fast, and quarterbacks purposefully running the ball has evolved from more than a gimmick or rarity in the NFL to an important part of many teams’ offenses. Mariota noted on Friday that the league has trended toward explosive attacks with designed runs for the quarterback.

So, there appears to be aptitude for where offensive strategy is headed.

What about attitude? Is there willingness at this crossroads of his career path to serve as a franchise’s bridge to the future?

All of Mariota’s experiences, good and bad — including the last two as a nonstarter (and maybe even his junior year as a backup at Saint Louis School) — have prepared him for this point, he said.

“I learned specifically (with the Raiders) that there’s more value than just playing. Especially in this profession, there’s a lot of value in being able to relate to guys, be able to build relationships. I feel like the situation I was in I was able to be a bouncing board for a lot of guys. … To be able to share those (experiences) with other guys, I hope I was able to help,” he said. “Ultimately, in the end, if you can help the guy next to you that’s going to build that team camaraderie that’s going to allow you to win.”

When he was being dissected prior to the draft seven years ago, some analysts desperately searching for weaknesses wondered if Mariota was too nice to be an NFL quarterback.

Even if his low-key personality and calm demeanor ever really were a “flaw” (those who know him best say it has never interfered with his competitive fire), it’s a strength now in this job search. Not every quarterback is willing to mentor a younger guy aiming to replace him, and that might be precisely what Mariota will be asked to do by his new team — if not this year, eventually.

It was probably detrimental at the time that he had two head coaches in his first three seasons and four offensive coordinators in his first five. Now it’s something to include on the resume.

As Mariota answered questions from local reporters Friday, the words “value” and “opportunity” came up most often, in many different contexts.

Although he downplays it, he knows everything he says publicly is part of an extended job interview.

Unlike the draft, though, he gets a say in where he will go.

“You’re preparing for something that’s uncertain (with the draft),” he said. “I think what’s really cool about this process is you get a choice of where you want to go. I’m excited to see the lay of the land, to see the options.”

Mariota has dealt with injuries throughout his career and said Friday he has learned a lot about risk and reward through experience.

“Availability is most important in this league,” he said.

If you go by the standard set by other Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks, just surviving in the NFL for seven seasons is over-achieving. Only four of the 17 that won the Heisman before Mariota in 2014 and after it became a quarterback-dominated honor in 1989 have lasted longer.

The late 20s and early 30s are often the peak years for pro athletes. It’s when mental and emotional growth catches up to the physical eliteness that got them there.

In the NFL, you can only reap the potential rewards that come at that intersection if you survive long enough to get there, and Marcus Mariota has done that part.