The Marcus Mariota sweepstakes will presumably have several teams involved. The Tennessee Titans have the easiest path to the Oregon QB as they hold the No. 2 overall pick. But the St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles have all been rumored to have serious interest as well. Until recently, it was believed that one of those teams would surely land the Heisman Trophy winner. But that isn't the case anymore.
The San Diego Chargers have emerged as a dark horse candidate for Mariota. Philip Rivers is entering the final year of his deal and has refused to talk about an extension to this point. He is reportedly unhappy with the team's intentions to move to L.A. in the coming years and may very well walk in free agency in 2016. As a result, the Chargers are weighing whether or not they want to risk losing Rivers for nothing.
If they decide that now is the right time to move on, Grantland's Bill Barnwell has laid out a trade scenario that seems to benefit all parties involved. The Titans could send the second overall pick in this year's draft along with a 2016 conditional third-rounder in exchange for Rivers, San Diego's 2015 first-rounder this year, and a conditional 2016 second-rounder.
"I wrote at length about the possibility of a Rivers trade two weeks ago, and if Mariota is still on the board at no. 2, a Rivers-for-Mariota swap looks more and more likely with each passing day," Barnwell wrote. "If the Chargers are sure they want to move on from their longtime quarterback, this is going to be their best chance to get something substantial in return.
"The question then revolves around the various picks that would be included in such a swap. The Chargers would almost surely have to include the 17th pick, but what else would have to go into the pot? The fairest way to measure it is to adjust the compensation for success. Let the Titans swap a three for a two. If the Titans make the playoffs this season, the third-rounder becomes a first-rounder; likewise, if the Chargers make the playoffs with Mariota at the helm, the second-rounder transitions into the first round."
