Realistic Draft Trade Possibilities for the San Diego Chargers

Speculation of a blockbuster trade involving the San Diego Chargers and their franchise quarterback has gotten quite the buzz around the NFL but is general manager Tom Telesco prepared to make a deal, if at all during the draft?

A trade of that caliber would be a first for Telesco. Past dealings for the third-year GM have been microscopic compared to what some are predicting for the first round. His most noteworthy transactions have come on Day 2, never Day 1. But as Telesco has come to find out, the path of a GM rarely goes without a hitch for long. The decisions will only get more difficult from here.

Are there any realistic trade scenarios the Chargers might explore during the draft? And what might those entail? Here are a few examples.

1. Trade Rivers to Titans for No. 2 Pick

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The possibility of a trade involving Philip Rivers and the second overall pick held by the Titans has dominated the headlines for over a month since Kevin Acee's article in the San Diego Union-Tribune disclosed some hesitation on the part of Rivers to sign a contract extension with the Chargers amid relocation rumors.

The front office has attempted to snuff out the flame, but the media continues to feed it on a daily basis. LaDainian Tomlinson, an analyst for NFL Network and a former teammate of Rivers with San Diego, doesn't see the five-time Pro Bowler taking snaps with the Chargers next season.

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I really think this is a situation where Philip Rivers wants to move on. The reason why I think that and the reason why I feel like that is the Chargers have already approached Philip about doing another contract and he declined it. He doesn’t want anything to do with it; he didn’t even want to talk about another contract with the San Diego Chargers. That tells me that he’s thinking about moving on.

"

Meanwhile, Telesco has tried to sway the media in the opposite direction, telling reporters during a pre-draft press conference, "Philip is our quarterback. It’s our plan and intent [that] he is our quarterback well into the future." But in this business plans change unexpectedly, and the opportunity to draft a franchise quarterback doesn't come around often, at least not without a couple of losing seasons anyways.

Should the Chargers make this trade happen, they are expected to draft 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to rebuild for the future. 

2. Trade Weddle for a High Draft Pick

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Disgruntled All-Pro safety Eric Weddle "feels highly, highly disrespected" by the Chargers for not offering to extend his contract—as first reported by Acee in the San Diego Union-Tribune—and as such, he chose to miss the team's voluntary workouts last week.

His absence is a ploy to get the ball rolling on a new deal before the start of training camp—a tactic commonly used by players around the league—but as Telesco told reporters on Wednesday during his presser, "This is isn't the first time somebody wasn't here for a voluntary workout. ... I'm excited about this year with Eric and hope he's a part of this for a long time to come."

In his defense, Telesco isn't ruling out an extension for Weddle in the slightest. He simply would rather leave that item of business for after the draft, when scouting isn't taking up all his time.

April is one of the busiest months of the year for GMs, and its understandable Telesco might be preoccupied with putting together a draft board, player visits, etc. But from the perspective of Weddle, who does more than enough on the field to earn his keep, the Chargers should be knocking down his door for an extension, not the other way around. 

Fans may be severely turned off by the idea of trading the team's top defensive player, but if Weddle is unhappy and the Chargers can't undo the damage already done, then how is this any different from the situation with Rivers? Weddle just turned 30 in January, meaning he may have only a few productive years left in him. Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed, two of the best safeties in the last decade, retired at the age of 34 and their skills declined immensely in the last year or so before they called it quits.

Some team out there will be willing to fork over a high draft pick for Weddle, but just like the possibility of moving Rivers, it's a decision Telesco would rather not make but may be forced to under the circumstances.

3. Trade Picks No. 48 and 117 to Rams for Pick No. 41

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Trading up in the second round has become somewhat of a tradition for the Chargers under Telesco. In each of the last two years, San Diego has parted with a fourth-round pick to move up seven spots in Round 2. Linebackers Manti Te'o (2013) and Jeremiah Attaochu (2014) were the products of those transactions.

If Telesco has a desire to repeat that trend at the start of Day 2, the St. Louis Rams would be the preferred trade partner to do so, as they sit exactly seven spots above the Chargers in the second round and the swapping of picks complies with the NFL trade value chart.

St. Louis does not a have fifth-round pick this year, so acquiring an additional fourth-round selection may be of some interest to GM Les Snead. As for San Diego, the prospect of moving up on Day 2 allows for the strong possibility of landing a borderline first-rounder that might have been passed over on Day 1. Players that tend to slide out of the first round were either undervalued or purposely excluded because they come with unwanted baggage.

Players with said baggage might include Randy Gregory, who failed a drug test at the combine as first reported by NFL.com media reporter Kim Jones, and Shane Ray, who was cited for possession of marijuana on Monday morning, per Brandon Kiley of KGTR in Columbia, Missouri. Incidents such as these could severely impact their respective draft stocks leading up to Thursday, possibly even push them out of Round 1. 

Edge-rusher is a serious need for the Bolts, and with the help of St. Louis, they might be able to get close enough to draft a good one. The drug usage is a red flag, sure, but as Telesco explained during his press conference, a failed drug test by a player requires "a lot more study, a lot more work...some things we can't deal with and some things we feel like we can deal with. It's a judgement call."

4. Trade Back in Round 1 for Additional Day 2 Picks

Madison Kirkman/Associated Press

Todd Gurley has been highly touted as the best running back in the draft, and with that in mind many draft analysts have projected the Chargers at 17 as a possible landing spot for the Georgia standout. But as Telesco and head coach Mike McCoy shared with the local media upon their return from the NFL owners meetings, they're in no rush to add a fourth running back to the roster.

McCoy had no trouble putting full confidence in the current mix of Danny Woodhead, Branden Oliver and Donald Brown.

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Mike McCoy says of #Chargers running backs, "We can win with the three guys we have right now."

— UTKevinAcee (@UTKevinAcee) March 24, 2015"

And if San Diego feels that comfortably about passing on a running back, why not entertain the idea of trading back with a team willing to spend a Day 1 pick on a Gurley or Melvin Gordon? Additional Day 2 picks would greatly benefit the Chargers in their goal to add more depth in the offseason, and there are still a lot of good players to be had in the second and third rounds.