It seems like insanity to suggest that the San Diego Chargers should jettison one established Pro Bowl quarterback in exchange for the opportunity to draft a young signal-caller coming from a spread-option offense in college, but that's just what some NFL pundits, including Kevin Acee of the UT San Diego, believe the team must do.
Acee, citing the team's reportedly high-level of interest in Marcus Mariota - a player they flew to Oregon to work out on Monday - and the combination of Rivers' uncertain contract status beyond next season and the team's potential/likely/probable relocation to Los Angeles, believes Chargers GM Tom Telesco and head coach Mike McCoy should ship Rivers to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the second-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and, ostensibly, Mariota.
"Yes, the Chargers in all likelihood would keep their first round pick should they deal Rivers to Tennessee," writes Acee. "They may, according to some around the league, have to throw in a selection in a later round. But people are really just speculating, since there is no precedent for trading a quarterback of Rivers' stature at this juncture in his career for a draft pick(s).
"It can, however, be done. It should be."
Even at 33 Rivers is still a high-quality starter and as HNGN reported yesterday, the apple of Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt's eye with the No. 2 pick.
It's hard to fathom that Rivers could get the Chargers the second selection in the first-round alone, so it's likely that a mid-to-late round pick will also be involved in the deal as Acee suggests and perhaps even a veteran player as well.
Rivers - despite his childish on-field antics - has been the consummate professional since joining the Chargers via the 2004 NFL Draft. He finished last season for the Chargers with 379 completions for 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He's the team's leader, through-and-through, and moving on from him would not be a plunge taken lightly.
Still, if the Chargers see a franchise quarterback in Mariota it's hard to fault them for seriously considering making the seemingly unfathomable transition.
There is no guarantee Rivers will remain with the team beyond next season and there's also no guaranteeing how much high-level NFL quarterback play he has left in him.
It's difficult to envision, but it's certainly not insane to suggest that the Chargers should pull the cord now, before they're stuck empty-handed after next year.
