Adrian Fedkiw
Why not just flip a coin?
The Tennessee Titans are “50-50” about trading the top pick in this month’s NFL Draft, according to Peter King’s MMQB article on Monday.
The Titans, holders of the first pick in the draft, will have a chance to make a deal. The Titans have received significant interest in the pick. I believe it is now 50-50 whether Tennessee will trade it or keep it. Rookie GM Jon Robinson is going to have to decide whether to accept an offer—presumably by a team that wants one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft, Carson Wentz of North Dakota State or Cal’s Jared Goff—or to stay at number one and pick a player the Titans believe will be a cornerstone for years to come.
King also believes that the Philadelphia Eagles could be in play for the No. 1 overall selection. We mentioned that last week, but we didn’t think there was much substance to the rumor. As it turns out, there might be.
The top of the draft is in flux, and I will not be surprised if in the next three weeks the Titans move the pick for an additional high pick or picks—even though there’s not the Andrew Luck or Marcus Mariota out there for a team to move up and grab. But there are teams like San Francisco or Los Angeles or Philadelphia that might want a quarterback, and might be desperate enough to overpay for the top pick.
King, of course, isn’t the only one reporting that the Eagles might move up to the top spot in the draft. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein reported the Eagles have been linked to Wentz and Robert Klemko previously stated that they are rumored to be in the running with three other teams of trading up for the Titans’ No. 1 pick.
The Eagles are serious about drafting a quarterback, this doesn’t appear to be a smokescreen. Head coach Doug Pederson worked out California’s Jared Goff last Monday, Stanford’s Kevin Hogan Tuesday, North Dakota State’s Wentz on Wednesday and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch on Thursday. Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg is expected to meet with Philadelphia this week.
Goff and Wentz, considered by most to be the top two quarterbacks of the class, had dinner with Eagles’ brass last week.
With a franchise quarterback already in tow in Marcus Mariota and a plethora of holes to fill, why not move back if you’re Tennessee? It’s also a class without a clear-cut No. 1 player, so the Titans might feel that the gap between the top two or three players isn’t drastic from the rest of the top 10.
King also stated that tackle Laremy Tunsil, who many have the Titans selecting No. 1 in mock drafts, may not fit Tennessee’ scheme.
It’s been thought that Tunsil was more logical, but there are a few things making Tennessee do more homework on him. He is a natural left tackle, to be sure. But he isn’t a classic downhill left tackle, which the Titans want; they just traded for bullish back DeMarco Murray and want to run the ball significantly. And players with history in a college spread offense, like Tunsil, have to adjust, and that’s no sure thing.
So it might make sense for the Titans to move out of the top spot, but does it make sense for the Eagles to possibly move into it?