NFL Trade Machine: Mariota to the Saints, Brees to Titans?
By Joe Wedra
In this edition of NFL Trade Machine, we take a look at the potential of the Saints moving up in the 2015 NFL Draft to take Marcus Mariota. It might take trading away QB Drew Brees (or two picks), but the “rebuild” that appears to potentially be going on in New Orleans can’t be ignored.
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After picking up another first-round pick yesterday from the Seattle Seahawks in the Jimmy Graham trade, the Saints may be stockpiling to move up to select the former Oregon Ducks standout.
What It Would Take
It’s hard to project any “numbers” when looking at a potential NFL Draft trade, but one of the following two scenarios could be likely:
- Two 1st round picks (#13, #31)
- One 1st round pick and Drew Brees (less likely situation)
The Brees situation would turn some heads, but it’d make sense in theory. Tennessee could continue to groom Zach Mettenberger — who clearly needs more time to develop — while giving the fans a few years of excitement.
Ultimately, the first-rounders seem more likely. In fact, this move wouldn’t be too far fetched. The Titans can afford to move back if they are, indeed, comfortable with letting Mettenberger grow. It’s been reported that this has been the case — if so, why not gain another pick in Round One to surrender #2?
Implications For Both Sides
This ultimately comes down to where Tennessee is as far as comfort goes.
They may feel like they have their guy in Mettenberger. And if that’s the case, they need to build a team of budding youth around him. In this scenario, a move back is likely.
For the Saints, the stars might be aligning just a bit. Imagine Sean Peyton grooming Marcus Mariota! This team likely has to draft a quarterback in the mid-rounds regardless, so why not make a move towards building the post-Brees era as strong as possible?
Nothing is set in stone. There’s not much to work with. However, the potential for a major move is there.
You could argue it’s what makes sense for both sides.