The San Diego Chargers did not go through with a Philip Rivers trade during the NFL draft to go get Marcus Mariota, but they may have found a new starter on offense, as the team picked Melvin Gordon in the first round after trading up and the running back now could take over for Ryan Mathews after he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The future for Rivers in San Diego remains up in the air, but the team told the quarterback that he would not be traded during the NFL draft after reports came out that the Chargers could move up for Marcus Mariota. According to the Union-Tribune San Diego, the team looked into a deal with the Tennessee Titans, but the sides were never close.
The Chargers now could look at a contract extension with Rivers and this comes after the quarterback said he would not want to go to Los Angeles if the team moves. That talk along with the fact that Rivers did not have an extension and was coming into the final year of his deal added into the rumors that he could be traded. The Chargers worked out Mariota ahead of the draft and while they did not go for the quarterback, they traded up in the first round anyway.
The team moved up a few spots with the 49ers and gave up picks to take Gordon at number 15 overall. The team felt it was the right move, as he likely would not have been on the board when they picked a few selections later. The chargers have depth at running back, but as it stands with Branden Oliver, Donald Brown and Danny Woodhead, Gordon could be the best of the bunch. The Chargers came into the draft looking for a running back after Mathews left and they found a good one in Gordon, who was one of the most productive players in college football in 2014.
Gordon was the 2014 Doak Walker Award winner and he was the second running back taken in the draft after Todd Gurley went to the Rams at number 10. Gordon comes in after rushing for over 2000 yards last season and he gives the Chargers an option to start at running back. Woodhead is more of a receiver and Gordon can give the team a strong element up front after scoring 45 touchdowns in a distinguished college career.
The talk about Rivers and the trade to the Titans for Mariota had been in the news for a while, but the quarterback dismissed the rumors earlier in the offseason. The Chargers looked into it, but the Titans wanted too much for a deal. Rivers had a connection to the team, as head coach Ken Whisenhunt was the offensive coordinator in San Diego during the 2013 season, which happened to be one of the best for Rivers in his career.
Rivers now is "open" to listening to contract talks and there is a chance the two sides could come together on a short term deal to help Rivers protect himself from an LA move. Either way, it looks like Rivers will be with San Diego this season and potentially for the near future.