The San Diego Chargers could be an option to trade up for Marcus Mariota in the draft and if the team goes all in, they could look at trading Philip Rivers to the NY Jets or Tennessee Titans to take Mariota depending on how the top part of the draft plays out beyond Jameis Winston at the number one selection.
Mariota is getting the most buzz heading into the draft, as Winston is the presumptive number one pick to the Buccaneers. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, NY Jets, San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears all could be potential landing spots for Mariota. Some expect Mariota to go at number two overall, but if he drops, there is a good chance a team will trade up to get him.
The Chargers have been getting attention about Mariota over the past few weeks and that started with talk about Philip Rivers and his contract. Rivers is coming into the final year of his deal and Rivers said that he is okay with playing out the last year of his deal. That has fueled speculation that the team could look at trading Rivers to get Mariota. According to SB Nation, the Chargers could look at trading Mariota to the Titans for the number two pick, while the Jets also could be a potential option.
The Jets are in need of a legitimate starting quarterback and Rich Cimini reports that they could be interested in Rivers if he is available. Mariota likely will not get to number six, as the Redskins have shown interest and could entertain trades, meaning the Jets likely would have to decide which way they want to go. According to Kevin Acee of UT San Diego, the Chargers are "serious about moving up" to get Mariota and that could intensify in the coming weeks. According to Albert Breer at NFL.com, the Chargers have scheduled a workout with Mariota for the middle of April. Mariota has also had a workout with the Jets and has scheduled one with the Redskins. The Browns also could look at working out Mariota ahead of the draft.
Mariota will not be attending the NFL draft this year, as he wants to be with his family in Hawaii. That likely will have no effect on which teams are interested and on draft day if Mariota gets past the Tennessee Titans at number two, expect a number of teams to call in about trades. The Titans could be an option to pick Mariota, but some draft experts predict that the team will go after Leonard Williams over the quarterback.
The Chargers are unlikely to move Rivers, but they still could look at moving up for Mariota. According to NFL.com writes Ian Rapoport, the team would want "multiple first-round picks" if they were going to trade Rivers and that likely signals that the team will not make a move. The Browns have two picks this year, but they have interest in Sam Bradford and Mariota.
Rivers may sign an extension this offseason, but right now a deal with the Chargers is not looking likely. Vic Carucci on Twitter writes that the Bills are not going after Rivers, as they have been looked at as a destination for a prime starter this offseason after already acquiring Matt Cassel.