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Marcus Mariota would love to play for Browns, hasn't yet talked to Chip Kelly

Eric Edholm

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is used to running a speed attack on offense. He didn't, however, appear to be prepared for the barrage of questions from media on Thursday at the NFL scouting combine, asking several times to have the hard-to-hear questions repeated.

Mariota is soft-spoken and polite. The highly touted NFL prospect said little that was jarring. That fits in line with the image he forged in a standout career with the Ducks. He did his best to slow down speculation about his future when asked about where he might end up in the league.

His most interesting comments came when he was asked about the two NFL teams with which he's connected through coaching. Mariota has been working closely with quarterback guru Kevin O'Connell, a former third-round pick of the New England Patriots who never really made it in the league but was regarded for his athleticism and intelligence. So much so, in fact, that O'Connell was hired by the Cleveland Browns to coach their QBs under head coach Mike Pettine.

How does Mariota feel about possibly playing for the Browns?

"That would an awesome opportunity," he said. "I'd love to play for the Browns. For right now, you can't really control those things, so I try not to worry about them."

Now before you start erasing your mock drafts and crafting trades involving the Browns moving up, pump the brakes. Yes, they own the 12th and 19th overall picks, and have additional picks later in the draft. And yes, Johnny Manziel is in rehab and Brian Hoyer is a free agent. But it's far from a guarantee that the newly hired O'Connell was brought on solely for the hope that the team can land Mariota.

Asked if the Browns having O'Connell would give them special insight into drafting him, Mariota said, "I don't know. That's up to them."

Mariota did say that O'Connell, who along with George Whitfield has helped prep Mariota through the pre-draft process, was a "smart football guy that's going to make the best decisions for the team." Mariota also revealed he has spent time talking to and working with San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who implored Mariota "to be myself" and not try to be something he's not.

Another coach with even more insight into Mariota's body of work is Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, who recruited and coached him before jumping to the NFL. It was in Kelly's spread offense that Mariota started to bloom in college, which has led to speculation that the Eagles could try to find a way to move up (from No. 20 — a long, long way) to land Chip's former pet project.

Mariota said he hadn't yet spoken to Kelly at the combine, that he spoke only to quarterback coach Ryan Day (who played QB for Kelly at New Hampshire) from the Eagles. But if there's an offense into which Mariota could be ahead of the curve, it's Kelly's — the offense he was steeped in.

Would Mariota want to play for Kelly again?

"Yeah, why not? That would be a fun opportunity," he said. "But again, this process is out of our control and we'll see what happens."

There are questions about that system helping perhaps manufacture a lot of Mariota's impressive production in college, and there remain some doubters who say he can't make all the NFL route tree of throws. Mariota believes he can, and he's banking on it by throwing at the combine, which he confirmed he'll do on Saturday.

Mariota ended his college career with a loss in the national championship game to Ohio State, suffering an AC joint injury to his throwing shoulder in the game.

Clearly, Mariota's shoulder wasn't serious to keep him from trying to make all the throws at the combine.

Mariota knows that teams will have their doubts. He also knows that for whichever team drafts him, Mariota has a lot of work and adjustment in front of him.

"For any rookie quarterback, it’s going to be an adjustment stepping up to this level," he said. "I am going to do my best in whatever situation I’m in."

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!