Ever since Philip Rivers made it known that he would play out his current contract with the San Diego Chargers, there's been plenty of talk in league circles that the team could trade him as he enters the final year of his deal.
One intriguing scenario, which NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport confirmed as a possibility, involves the Chargers trading Rivers, the No. 17 overall selection and other assets to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the No. 2 pick. The Chargers would then use the pick to take Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
NFL Media analyst Heath Evans, who has said before that he isn't a big fan of Mariota's ability to transition from Oregon's spread offense to the NFL, said he isn't buying this as a good move for San Diego.
"Here's who I would replace Rivers with: (Andrew) Luck, (Tom) Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and maybe Big Ben (Roethlisberger). Other than that, no," Evans said. "A rookie? Are you kidding me?"
Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah disagrees a bit with Evans, seeing Mariota as a great fit with a number of NFL teams, including the one in San Diego.
"Philadelphia is the obvious one with Chip Kelly and that system. It would be easy for him to play there," Jeremiah said. "The Chargers, if I were to list the fits, might be No. 2 on my list. He could stay on the West Coast and be nice and comfortable out there. The pressure wouldn't be quite as great, and there would be time for him to grow into the position. I think there is a good fit there. The offensive coordinator there in (head coach) Mike McCoy, he's got some experience."
Fellow analyst Charles Davis saw one other team as a good fit for Mariota.
"I look at St. Louis, with Frank Cignetti coming in as the offensive coordinator. A college background who knows how to utilize a quarterback in different systems," Davis said. "I think that St. Louis is also in a stage now where they are willing to adapt and try to move forward."
Despite the question of fit, Mariota was recently moved from No. 2 to No. 1 on NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock's quarterback rankings, ahead of former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
