The San Diego Chargers may consider a trade with Philip Rivers this offseason and Marcus Mariota could be a potential target for the team in the draft and this comes as teams like the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans could be interested in Rivers, as Jameis Winston is expected to be the first QB off the board and the Titans hold the key at number two for Mariota.
The Chargers are coming into the offseason with numerous questions and there have been some reports that the team could consider trading Rivers. According to Pro Football Talk, there was chatter earlier in the offseason that Rivers could be traded, as he is coming into the final year of his contract and it is not looking like he will sign an extension. PFT reports that there is "serious" talk about the Chargers moving up for Mariota and if that happens, they likely will have to trade Rivers.
The team may move to Los Angeles and Rivers has already said he may not want to do that and while him coming into the final year of his deal doesn't mean he will be traded, it does mean his future is a bit up in the air. According to ESPN.com, the Chargers are looking at Mariota as a real option, which is why they have scheduled a meeting and workout with him for mid-April.
Mariota is coming out of Oregon after winning the Heisman Trophy and he also led Oregon to the national title game. Mariota is getting a ton of interest in the draft since Winston is expected to go to the Buccaneers and that means the Titans could explore some trades. According into David Climer of the Tennesseean, the Titans are not likely taking a quarterback with the number two pick and that could open things up for a trade.
Climer writes that Rivers has a connection to head coach Ken Whisenhunt from when he was the offensive coordinator in San Diego and that could be something to watch. Rivers put up his best career numbers in 2013 and with the Titans in need of a quarterback as well, they could look at trading with the Chargers.
The Cleveland Browns, NY Jets and Washington Redskins have also had interest in Mariota and they could be options for the Titans at number two. Mariota is the top target right now for teams in need of a QB and if the Titans sit with the pick and don't take him, Leonard Williams will likely be the selection. The Titans have Zach Mettenberger coming back, but he may not be the long term answer for the team.
