2015 NFL Rumors: Breaking Down Latest Buzz as Draft Approaches

The 2015 NFL draft is just weeks away from its April 30 start date. Plenty of rumors are flying around, but as the chaos in Chicago draws closer, the buzz holds more weight.

At this stage in the evaluation process, more of the reports leaking out have to be considered deeply as strong possibilities. Of course, there's the omnipresent threat of a smokescreen, which is why it makes sense to delve further into the latest whispers from around the league.

Check out a closer examination of what's going around the rumor mill at the moment regarding several teams choosing in the top six of the draft.

Raiders May Tweak Strategy After Signing Michael Crabtree

Acquiring free-agent receiver Michael Crabtree at least somewhat alleviates Oakland's need for a playmaker on the outside. As Bleacher Report insider Jason Cole indicates in the video above, the Raiders could still snag a top-tier wideout at No. 4 overall, but they could also wait until the second round.

Oakland is reportedly enamored with USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams and may be more willing to trade up for him with Crabtree in the fold. This makes sense, because the Raiders need to bolster the trenches on that side of the ball. Williams is considered by many to be the draft's best overall prospect.

ESPN's Bill Williamson and Adam Caplan don't believe Crabtree makes much of a difference:

With how highly touted Williams is, there's a chance he won't even be on the board when the Raiders are on the clock. Tennessee's woeful run defense could use someone like Williams, and Jacksonville could also opt to take him with its multitude of roster holes to plug.

Alabama's Amari Cooper and West Virginia star Kevin White figure to be the top candidates for Oakland if it opts to take a receiver fourth overall. Cooper is as polished a receiver as there is in this class, but White is a bit taller, stronger and faster in terms of straight-line speed.

It's all a matter of preference for Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, who's on the hot seat in 2015 and has to nail the pick no matter what.

Young quarterback Derek Carr certainly wouldn't mind another weapon entering the fold, particularly one like Cooper or White. Crabtree and James Jones aren't the most explosive players, while the rookies Oakland might choose between both have the tools to be immediate No. 1 pass-catchers.

Titans to Trade for Philip Rivers?

A welcome reunion could be on the horizon for Tennessee Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt. Cole reports that Whisenhunt would like the team to trade for San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

It would cost the No. 2 overall pick, but Tennessee would land a surefire franchise QB for the foreseeable future. Whisenhunt was the offensive coordinator in San Diego and helped Rivers bounce back from a couple of down years before taking over the Titans.

Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead doesn't believe it's a great move for San Diego to consider:

The NFL on ESPN reports what ESPN insider Adam Schefter has to say about the Chargers' hypothetical demands for dealing Rivers:

But the second pick in the draft is essentially the equivalent of two first-rounders, because San Diego could trade out of there and acquire an additional choice in the top 32 in all likelihood.

What the Chargers could also do is draft Oregon Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota if they trade Rivers for the second pick. San Diego head coach Mike McCoy called plays in Denver for the miracle run to the playoffs headed by spread-oriented QB Tim Tebow.

Mariota is a far better passer than Tebow, and his score of 33 on the Wonderlic test, as reported by Comcast SportsNet's John Middlekauff, will only further sell any suitor on the Ducks star's football intelligence.

Tennessee holds the key to the entire draft—the ultimate domino. It could result in quite a shakeup in quarterback depth charts for whichever franchises are involved in a potential draft-day trade.

Jets Targeting Marcus Mariota?

One team that could be interested in talking with Tennessee is the New York Jets.

According to Cole, Mariota is a top draft target of theirs, and they aren't seeing Geno Smith as the long-term answer under center. Although Smith improved toward the end of 2014, this is a new Jets regime that doesn't seem married to him at all.

When asked about the possibility of Mariota being drafted to his team earlier this month, Smith brushed it aside, per NJ.com's Darryl Slater:

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Whoever we draft is going to obviously be someone who's going to help out this team. I look forward to seeing all the guys that we do draft because I think that this team is only going to continue to grow. So as long as we continue to just focus on what we have in front of us and the task at hand, when those days come about, we'll see what happens. And then we'll go from there."

"

An unsavory lot of signal-callers currently occupies the New York roster, featuring Smith and veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, who's never had sustained success as a starter. Smith has evidently not shown enough to merit entering 2015 camp as the unquestioned No. 1 option.

Overcoming some of the simplistic schematics of a spread system is something Smith hasn't been able to do, but it's similar to the challenges Mariota will face. Do the Jets want to take a risk on two potential long-term solutions with that type of background?

The good news for either of them, if the Jets did elect to draft Mariota, is that the coaching staff features Chan Gailey as offensive coordinator. Gailey helped Fitzpatrick produce in Buffalo, so the veteran could teach the young QBs the system, which does have a fair amount of spread concepts in it.

But are the Jets in danger of being leapfrogged by someone like San Diego or even the Cleveland Browns, who have two first-round picks and still have an unsettled QB situation themselves? That adds another layer to New York's dilemma.

First-year GM Mike Maccagnan is in a tough spot in his maiden Jets draft voyage. At least his ability to land Darrelle Revis and other marquee free agents this offseason takes the burden off ever so slightly for now.