Brady Quinn: Titans Better Off With Marcus Mariota Than Philip Rivers

The Tennessee Titans have made it clear they’re targeting a quarterback in the 2015 NFL draft. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the QB will come from the college ranks.

While Oregon quarterback and 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota is expected to go to Tennessee at No. 2 overall, rumors also have swirled that the Titans will trade their pick to the San Diego Chargers in exchange for QB Philip Rivers.

Rivers would be a good fit in Tennessee under head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the five-time Pro Bowl signal-caller’s offensive coordinator in 2013, and the Titans have plenty of salary-cap space to take on Rivers’ contract.

Yet if you ask NFL veteran Brady Quinn, a Rivers-to-Tennessee deal is better in theory than in practice, and the Titans might be better off going with more upside in Mariota.

“Marcus Mariota is very, very good,” Quinn writes on FootballByFootball.com. “Now, he will need time to develop to an NFL system, but he has all the tools to be capable and make this transition. From that view, there’s no need to trade out of the pick.”