2015 NFL Draft: Whisenhunt wants to make a splash
By Will Lomas
The 2015 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and again people are talking about the Tennessee Titans. Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole has seemingly had his ear to the ground about what the Tennessee Titans are going to try to do in 17 days, and a source just reinforced something every Tennessee Titans fan wanted to hear: first and foremost, the team wants to trade down.
“The number one choice for Ken Whisenhunt would be Philip Rivers”-Jason Cole
If you watch this video from Jason Cole, it is easy to see exactly what the Tennessee Titans want to do. Ken Whisenhunt wants a proven quarterback that he knows can work in his system. Frankly, who can blame him here. According to Cole, “Basically, the sources I have talked to say that the Tennessee Titans are looking at this from one of three scenarios. First scenario is, can they get an old, established quarterback and trade down out of that spot. Second scenario is do they take a young quarterback, specifically Marcus Mariota and build for the future. The third scenario is do they just take the best football player on the boards which would be Leonard Williams the defensive tackle from USC.”
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Cole goes on to say that the Tennessee Titans would prefer the first option if all things were equal, “If Tennessee Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt has his way, the one is obvious, they would go with an established quarterback. The number one choice for Ken Whisenhunt would be Philip Rivers…The same thing kinda works out with Jay Cutler and to a lesser extent Sam Bradford.”
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The Tennessee Titans have maybe the most intriguing chip in the 2015 NFL Draft, in the second overall pick. If Jameis Winston goes number one, then the Titans are the key to Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota and USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams. With nearly 10 teams reportedly wanting one of those two guys badly, the Tennessee Titans bad season has put them right in the middle of a bidding war.
While Marcus Mariota seems to be a great prospect, how could Ken Whisenhunt pass on one of the eight best quarterbacks in the league? Not only is Philip Rivers a better fit in Whisenhunt’s offense, he was he the play-caller for the Philip Rivers-led San Diego Chargers that looked like a top-five team in 2013.
This trade gives the Tennessee Titans a playoff caliber quarterback and a first round pick to go along with a revamped defense led by the best defensive coordinator in the NFL. With Ken Whisenhunt solely focused on the offense (now led by a All-Pro quarterback) and Dick LeBeau focused on the defense (now improved with players like Brian Orakpo and Da’Norris Searcy) this team should look completely different.
If Ken Whisenhunt wants to make a splash, while also making his team leaps and bounds better, this is the best way to do it by far. The only comparable offer I can think off, is if the Chicago Bears were able to send the Tennessee Titans their first round pick, second round pick, Alshon Jeffery, and a future second round pick for the second overall pick. Of course, the Tennessee Titans would also have to take Jay Cutler and his fat salary in that deal, but that is the only offer I can think that would come close to comparing with the value the San Diego Chargers trade gives the Tennessee Titans on draft day AND in the immediate future.