The San Diego Chargers may consider a Philip Rivers trade this offseason and the Tennessee Titans could be a potential partner during the NFL draft, as the team has reportedly been interested in Marcus Mariota and if that happens, the Titans could move the number two pick to San Diego for Rivers to solve their quarterback situation.
Earlier in the offseason it was reported that Rivers could be on the trading block for the Chargers, as he is coming into the final year of his contract. Rivers and the team poured some water on those rumors, but Pro Football Talk reports that it has been "persistent" around NFL circles that Rivers could be on the move. PFT reports that Rivers has said that he may not want to move to Los Angeles with the Chargers, meaning he may not be interested in signing long term.
Rivers is coming into the final year of his contract and while that doesn't mean he will be traded, it currently means his future is uncertain in San Diego. Earlier in the offseason there were reports that the Chargers were interested in Mariota and that has continued, as the team has already scheduled a workout with him. The team has the number 17 overall pick and while sometimes workouts are formalities, this appears to be more than just that.
David Clymer of the Tennesseean reports that the Titans likely will not use the second overall pick on a quarterback and that opens things up for a trade. Rivers is a potential target since he is an established quarterback and is coming into the final year of his deal and could be open to signing an extension. Rivers has a past connection with head coach Ken Whisenhunt from when he was the Chargers' offensive coordinator in 2013.
Rivers has had two strong seasons since a "down" year in 2012 and one of those seasons was with Whisenhunt. Rivers threw for a career best 4478 yards and completed a high of 69 percent of his passes with 32 touchdowns that season and he had only 11 interceptions. Rivers has been very consistent in his career and the one major thing missing is playoffs success. Last season Rivers had 31 touchdowns and completed over 66 percent of his passes.
The Titans have a major void at quarterback and while the Chargers have said they want Rivers in San Diego, they could be interested in a deal if it means getting Mariota in return. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport wrote that the Chargers would want "multiple first round" picks for Rivers in any deal. According to Over the Cap, the Titans have the salary cap space to deal with the $17 million cap hit for Rivers this season, as they have over $20 million in space.
The Titans may not be willing to go that far, but having the number two overall pick is different than having let's say the number 10 overall pick. The Buccaneers are expected to take Jameis Winston number one overall and that leaves the Titans at number two with numerous options. The team can take Mariota at number two, they can draft Leonard Williams, who is considered to be the best defensive player in the draft, or they can trade out of the pick for a package of selections.
