With the NFL Draft just a week away several teams are starting to get serious about attempting to trade for Marcus Mariota. With most NFL mock drafts predicting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will draft Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick, the race is on to get the former Oregon star and several teams could be potentially offering up veteran quarterbacks in exchange for a higher pick. Will the Tennessee Titans favor Zach Mettenberger's potential or will they make the move for a veteran instead?
In order to draft Mariota, most teams will have to jump up to the No. 2 pick where the Titans sit. For most of the offseason, the Titans have remained very confident in the potential of Mettenberger who was drafted last season, but ESPN's Todd McShay is reporting they will be the team to take Mariota regardless of their earlier comments. However, the Titans could easily be persuaded into a trade, something teams like the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears could be hoping for.
The rumors are picking up that the San Diego Chargers are trying to offer Philip Rivers in exchange for the no. 2 pick with the intention of drafting Mariota. According to general manager Tom Telesco via the Union-Tribune San Diego, the Chargers are have explored trade options for the veteran quarterback who is entering the final year of his contract, but a deal is not likely to take place.
"There really is no update," Telesco said. "It's the same thing I've said for the last four months, Philip's our quarterback and it's our plan and intent that he's our quarterback well into the future. In all my discussions with him, he's shown a great amount of respect for his teammates and a great amount of respect for this organization. He's been here every day working extremely hard working with his teammates being the leader that he is. ... I know he's really excited about this season, as are we, and we move from there."
The Chicago Bears could try and do the same thing with Cutler. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bears could offer Cutler and a high draft pick in exchange for the No. 2 pick. Cutler has not played as well as Rivers has recently which could be turning the Titans away from the potential deal. Cutler's contract is also a big turnoff which could eliminate Chicago from the race.
If the Titans are true to their word and plan on sticking with Mettenberger as their starting quarterback will they still eye a trade down in the draft to gain more picks? According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, the Titans could remain at No. 2 and draft a top receiver like Amari Cooper or Kevin White in order to build around the quarterback position instead of replacing it. The team has options with a lot of interest in their pick. Early workouts from Mettenberger could dictate what route the Titans take.