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July 23, 2015 Staff Writer

Betting Picks

Mariota Trails Winston on NFL Offensive ROY Award Odds

With Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota finally becoming the last first-round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft class to sign with his team it is the perfect time to break down betting odds for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner and former Oregon Ducks signal caller, was the second overall selection in the NFL Draft behind fellow quarterback Jameis Winston, who won the Heisman in 2013 with the Florida State Seminoles.

Winston is the 5/1 favorite to win 2015 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and seems to be in much better position to take home the award than Mariota at 8/1.

It may sound a bit crazy to say that considering Winston will be the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after they finished a dismal 2-14 to tie the Titans for the worst record in the league last season. However, the Buccaneers have a very strong receiving corps led by veteran wide receiver Vincent Jackson and rising second-year star Mike Evans, who was a contender for the honor a year ago and beaten out by New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Jackson and Evans gives Winston two large targets, and both players are better than any receiver Tennessee currently has on its roster.

Mariota’s late signing also makes him a risky bet to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, putting him behind schedule compared to other first-year players competing for the award.

The last QB to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year was Robert Griffin III with the Washington Redskins three years ago, the third of three consecutive players to win the honor playing arguably football’s most important position. Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers won it in 2012 as did Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams in 2011.

In 2013, Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy became the first from his position to win Offensive Rookie of the Year since Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings in 2007. This season, two running backs who have a solid shot to take it again are Melvin Gordon (6/1) of the San Diego Chargers and Todd Gurley (7/1) of the St. Louis Rams.

Gordon and Gurley are each going into situations where they should get a majority of the carries in the offensive backfield, although the latter is coming off a torn ACL last year with the Georgia Bulldogs and could miss the early part of the season due to ongoing recovery.

Beckham and Evans were two top candidates for Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014 as receivers, and this season Amari Cooper (7/1) of the Oakland Raiders, Kevin White (12/1) of the Chicago Bears and Nelson Agholor (12/1) of the Philadelphia Eagles could follow in their footsteps.

Cooper, White and Agholor could all end up leading their respective teams in catches and receiving yards while another wide receiver to watch is DeVante Parker (20/1) of the Miami Dolphins. Parker was selected 14th overall by the Dolphins compared to fourth for Cooper, seventh for White and 20th for Agholor, making him a nice potential sleeper pick if Miami can get back to the playoffs.