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The No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft is up for sale. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers locked in on Jameis Winston with the top pick, the Tennessee Titans are now on the clock. With several teams interested in Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, the Titans are in a perfect position to capitalize.
Rumors have been circulating for a while that the San Diego Chargers are extremely interested in Mariota. After several members of the front office hopped on a plane and flew to Oregon to hold a private workout with the Heisman Trophy winner, those rumors appear to be true. While it’s easy to see why the Chargers would love to replace Philip Rivers, an aging QB about to enter the final year of his contract, it’s unclear as to why the Titans would even consider this deal.
The parameters of the rumored deal would center around Rivers and the No. 17 overall pick in this year’s draft heading to the Titans in exchange for the No. 2 pick, which would become Mariota. According to the trade value chart NFL teams use, Rivers would have to be considered as valuable as the No. 6 pick in the draft for this to be an even deal. If the Titans keep the No. 2 pick, the expectation is the team will select USC DE Leonard Williams. Williams is the top prospect on my board and looks like a future star in the league. At No. 17, many of the top edge rushers will be gone. That leaves cornerback or right tackle as the positions the Titans are likely to target.
To be clear, I highly doubt the Titans would ever make this deal unless Rivers signs an extension before the trade is executed. Even then, it would be a mistake. With at least 10 teams interested in Mariota, why not try to obtain a Robert Griffin III-type return? The Titans aren’t anywhere close to contending for a playoff spot, so it only makes sense to invest in the future. A 33-year-old QB is not the future.
Although Zach Mettenberger was only a sixth-round pick last year, there were reasons outside of football that led to him dropping in the draft. The Titans believe he can be the future at the QB position, and there’s nothing I’ve seen so far that would lead me to believe otherwise. But let’s say he does struggle in 2015. Fast forward one year from now and the Titans are still seeking a QB. Guess who’s a free agent and wants to come back east to be closer to home? Philip Rivers.
Sure he’ll be a year older, but here’s what waiting one year accomplishes. Rather than having Rivers and the No. 17 pick in the draft, the Titans — a team that isn’t going to win in 2015 regardless of who the QB is — now have Williams, Rivers, a high draft pick in the 2016 draft and know for certain that Mettenberger is not the answer. This allows the franchise to build towards the future with a veteran QB making one last run at a championship.
So unless the Titans are overwhelmed with a plethora of first-round picks, stay at No. 2 and know that if Mettenberger isn’t the answer, Rivers is less than a year away.
Shawn Spencer is an NFL Draft writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Spencer_NFL, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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2015 NFL Draft: 10 Teams Targeting Marcus Mariota
