The NFL draft is less than a month away and Marcus Mariota could be a prime trade target for teams, as the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers are interested in the quarterback and names like Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers and Johnny Manziel could be on the move if the Tennessee Titans opt to trade their pick.
Mariota has been getting the most attention of anyone heading into the draft, as most experts see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking Jameis Winston number one overall. Mariota is considered to be the second best quarterback in the draft and that is making teams interested in trading up to take him. The Titans have the number two overall pick and while they have a need at quarterback, Pro Football Talk reports that the team is considering trading the pick.
The Chicago Bears were mentioned earlier in the offseason as a potential target for Mariota, but that talk died down after the team came out to say they were not looking to trade Jay Cutler. Cutler's future was up in the air after he was benched last season for Jimmy Clausen, but the team did not make move before part of his 2016 salary became guaranteed. But now things may have changed again.
According to Jason Cole at Bleacher Report, the Bears may once again consider trading Cutler, as Mariota has "gained more and more traction" for some in the organization heading into the draft. The report says that the team is hoping that Mariota will be on the board at number seven in the first round, but that is looking very unlikely. Cole adds that Cutler could be traded in the hopes of moving up to take Mariota and that could mean a deal with the Titans.
Earlier in the offseason Cutler was mentioned as a potential target for the Titans, as he has connections to Tennessee from his college days and the team needs a QB. In recent weeks, the San Diego Chargers have also come up as a possibility and Philip Rivers has been thrown out as a potential trade option. According to Pro Football Talk, there has been continued chatter about the Chargers moving up to take Mariota from 17 and if they did that, they likely would trade Rivers in the process.
Rivers is coming into the final year of his contract and it doesn't look like the Chargers and the QB are going to come to an extension before the season. If that happens, it doesn't mean that Rivers will be traded, but it leaves his future in San Diego a bit uncertain. Mike McCoy has helped turn the team around and without a legitimate future replacement for Rivers on the roster, the team could look for Mariota.
The Chargers have scheduled a workout with Mariota and according to David Climer of the Tennesseean, the Titans are unlikely to take a QB with the number two pick. Leonard Williams is considered the top target if the team uses the pick, but Climer writes that Rivers and the Chargers could be a fit. Rivers previously had his best career season when head coach Ken Whisenhunt was in San Diego as offensive coordinator.
