With the NFL Draft just over 48 hours away, the race is on to acquire both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Both quarterbacks are projected to be taken in the top two picks and several teams have been hovering for trade deals heading into the first round. With Tampa Bay likely holding on to their top pick and the Tennessee Titans potentially shopping theirs, who has a realistic chance of trading up for a quarterback?
Despite all of the rumors, the San Diego Chargers are not likely one of the frontrunners to land Mariota with the No. 2 pick. After weeks of speculation that the Chargers were preparing to offer Philip Rivers to the Titans in exchange for their draft pick, that no longer appears to be the case. According to NFL Media's Alex Flanagan, the Chargers are no longer discussing trade deals involving Rivers as the veteran is expected to be the team's starter in 2015. Flanagan reports that while Rivers is not looking to sign a contract extension as he enters the final year of his deal, the Chargers do expect the quarterback to be in their long-term plans.
Can the same be said for Jay Cutler? For a good portion of the offseason, the Chicago Bears were reportedly seeking trade deals for Cutler. Bleacher Report reported the Bears were even trying to offer Cutler to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for their No. 2 pick in hopes of drafting Mariota. However, that no longer appears to be the case considering all of Cutler's salary is guaranteed. The Chicago Tribune writes that Cutler is expected to be the starter in 2015.
The New York Jets were linked to trade deals for Jameis Winston and head coach Todd Bowles also hinted that Mariota was an option. However, the New York Daily News writes that a trade up to the No. 2 pick seems unlikely for the Jets since the team is unwilling to wager their whole draft on one player. The Redskins are out of the race with the contract extension to Robert Griffin III while the Philadelphia Eagles lack the ammunition to get a deal done.
So who can realistically grab Mariota if Winston goes No. 1 overall? Todd McShay of ESPN believes the Titans will take Mariota and not trade the pick. The Cleveland Browns are hoping to move up, but realistically can only jump to No. 5 on the boards. If the Titans make a move for someone like Amari Cooper, there is a chance Mariota falls in the draft which could really open up trade talk.
