The good news about the NFL draft process is that it’s going to be coming to a head on Thursday evening. Once the first day of the draft gets going and picks are made, rumor season will be officially behind us.
Now, just one day before the draft itself, said rumors are starting to pick up. Some are nothing more than smokescreens put out there by teams to set themselves up for Round 1. Others that are put out there actually hold some weight.
We really wont know what is what until the draft itself comes calling.
With that said, rumors surrounding reigning Heisman Winner Marcus Mariota are heating up. According to ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, members of Mariota’s “camp” believe that both the San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles are looking to trade up in order to acquire his services (h/t Pro Football Talk).
Considering both have been linked to Mariota ad nauseam throughout the process, this can’t be considered too much of a surprise. However, the fact that it’s coming from the quarterback’s camp does make it newsworthy.
The Chargers reported interest in Mariota has in the past involved rumors that the team would ship Philip Rivers to the Tennessee Titans in a package for the No. 2 overall pick and the right to select the former Oregon standout. Though, recent reports have calmed those rumors down a little bit.
It also doesn’t take a genius to realize why the Eagles might be interested in Mariota. The entire Chip Kelly connection coupled with the team’s need for an actual franchise quarterback makes that scenario a possibility.
This report also comes on the same day that Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti indicated that he believes Kelly is still going hard after Mariota.
San Diego possesses the 17th pick in the first round, while the Eagles boast the 20th selection. Unless the signal caller drops in the first round, any trade up for Mariota would cost each team a bounty.