Is Philly going to make waves to get Mariota?

Mere days stand between this article and the 2015 NFL Draft on Thursday. The rumor mill is heating up and here’s a breakdown of what football fans and reporters are gabbing about in the homestretch:

Chip Kelly’s just getting warmed up

After re-signing Mark Sanchez, trading for Sam Bradford and signing Tim Tebow off the street, it would seem Chip Kelly already has a full stable of questionable QBs, but rumors are abound that Kelly has been quietly gathering pieces to sell off and move up to draft Oregon QB Marcus Mariota.

If you’re going to use a pawn in a master plan to move up in the draft, what team is wacky enough to trade the Eagles for a QB (Sam Bradford) looking for a new contract while coming off his 2nd knee surgery in 2 years?

The Browns of course, as luck would have it, hold No. 12 and No. 19 in the first round…

Do the Browns want Sam Bradford?

According to Chip Kelly they do. He floated the rumor that the Browns offered him a single RD1 pick after he acquired Bradford via trade from St. Louis earlier this offseason.

It’s possible the Browns deal No. 12 + No. 19 + Johnny Manziel (why not, right?) to the Eagles’ No. 20 + Sam Bradford and potentially Michael Kendricks, Fletcher Cox maybe Evan Mathis as well. Chip Kelly has been floating these players as trade-bait all off-season long.

All of this is leading to the Eagles wowing the Titans with a monster offer to step in and grab Marcus Mariota at No. 2 overall.

Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie is fielding offers for the No. 4 pick

Oakland Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie told Scott Blair of CSNBayArea.com that, “My phone line is always open.” “You hear everybody out. If it makes sense and it’s going to help the Raiders, we’ll do a deal.”

It’s nice to experience refreshing honesty from inside a draft room. It’s looking like the Raiders might not grab WR Amari Cooper at No. 4 despite previous speculation.

Todd Gurley shot up draft boards last week

After originally being expected to go off the board near the end of Round 1 as a result of recovering from his torn ACL, Gurley was medically re-checked last week and looked so good he’s now expected to go between No. 6 and No. 10 Thursday night, putting teams like the Jets, Giants and Falcons in play.

CB Jalen Collins failed “multiple drug tests” in college

Over the course of his college career, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network, LSU Cornerback Jalen Collins failed “multiple drug tests”. He’s only logged 10 games of tape for scouts, so it’s now possible he tumbles out of Round 1 due to news of his college transgressions.

The Chargers and Titans aren’t negotiating a Philip Rivers trade

But maybe someone else is trying to trade for Rivers?

Will Philip Rivers get traded to the Titans for the No. 2 overall pick so the Chargers can draft Marcus Mariota? Probably not. According to reports, these teams aren’t even negotiating, but don’t rule out a potential Rivers trade just yet, as he’s been vocal of not wanting to move with the team to Los Angeles and is heading into the final year of his contract. He’s not even negotiating an extension at this stage.

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan would rather trade down than up

Sitting at No. 6 overall, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan told the press that rather than trading up for Marcus Mariota, as has been previously rumored, he’d prefer to trade back and stockpile picks to land a higher volume of talented players:

“Philosophically I’m not opposed to moving up in the draft to go get a player if you feel that is a player that you feel is going to be an extremely good player. But I would personally like to get more picks… To me it’s just more opportunities to acquire more talent.”

The Jets are rumored to be interested in Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat. With the aging, but still talented D’Brickashaw Ferguson on the Jets’ offensive line, the Jets could trade down to draft Peat in the teens of round 1. Peat would serve as a cheaper alternative to the aging Ferguson next off-season.

Jay Ajayi’s knee issues could cost him draft position

There are rumors abound that several teams have “red flagged” talented running back Jay Ajayi because of lingering knee issues from an injury in his early college career. He’s looking like a draft day 2 or 3 prospect at this point.

Edge Rusher Shane Ray’s toe is an issue

After originally being projected as an early RD1 pick, edge rusher Shane Ray’s draft stock continues to suffer from his toe injury. While Ray has been informed he won’t need surgery, it’s possible he misses time for rehab early in the upcoming NFL season and that’s giving teams pause about taking in him the first round. It’s a shame for a kid like Ray, who overcame a rough upbringing to make it as far as he has.

Melvin Gordon sheds a single tear, but could be gold on the Cowboys

Gordon is crying a single tear for the memory of when he was to be the first RB off the board. Though it’s very possible Melvin Gordon ends up on the Cowboys with the No. 27 pick, any Cowboys starting running back is a No. 1 RB in fantasy.

Stay tuned to FantasyPros for more rumors as Thursday’s draft approaches. If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that Tampa Bay is on the clock with the #1 overall pick and they’re probably drafting QB Jameis Winston, who stole some crab legs, has a civil suit pending for sexual assault and previously shot squirrels with a BB gun.

Isaac Leicht is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Isaac, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @Fantasy_Dude.