NFL Rumors: Latest Draft and Trade Talk from Around the League

The 2015 NFL draft is less than two weeks away, and the gossip, hearsay and scuttlebutt is reaching levels of untold proportion.

In addition to rumors floating around about draft-eligible prospects, there are also two marquee NFL players—San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers and Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson—that could very well find themselves on the trading block. Plus, there's the usual speculation as it concerns many of the draft's top prospects.

In this column, we'll take a spin around the league and bring you up to speed on the latest draft and trade talk. Will the Cowboys look to select their quarterback of the future? Will a team move up for the right to draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota? Could the Patriots take a running back in the first round? And what's going to happen with Rivers and Peterson?

Read ahead to find out.

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is entering the final year of his contract with the team—and according to comments the 33-year-old passer made to U-T San Diego's Kevin Acee, Rivers won't consider re-signing with San Diego until after the 2015 season wraps up.

That piece of news has been the cause of much speculation, with scuttlebutt reaching high levels concerning a potential trade of Rivers to the Tennessee Titans for the No. 2 overall pick in this month's draft, as Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported. The Chargers would then use the pick to select Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, effectively hitting the reset button on the game's most important position.

We believe the Chargers would be insane to make such a trade. In the NFL, there are two types of teams: those that have a quarterback and those that don't.

The Chargers absolutely have a quarterback, as Rivers continues to get the job done year in and year out (he threw 31 touchdown passes against 18 interceptions last year). And while he's 33, that's not ancient as it concerns the quarterback position, and it stands to reason that Rivers authors another five seasons fairly easily.

We also believe this trade wouldn't make a ton of sense for a Titans team that isn't ready to win now. While there's no doubt that Rivers would improve the team—and that he's a better option than the overhyped Zach Mettenberger—the Titans need to add more pieces to truly compete for a playoff berth, even assuming Rivers joins the team.

So while this trade might end up happening, we'd guess the smart money says it won't. It just doesn't add up for either team. Expect Rivers to play the 2015 season in the same place he's been for the duration of his NFL career: San Diego.

With the 2015 NFL draft less than two weeks away, the saga of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson could finally be nearing its conclusion.

Whether or not you agree with the Peterson camp using his 15-game suspension for charges related to a child-abuse incident as a means to force his exit from Minnesota (we find it repulsive), the fact of the matter is that Peterson—who the league reinstated last week—is making the situation untenable for the Vikings.

Per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Peterson is expected to skip this week's voluntary workouts in the Twin Cities. While that shouldn't come as a shock, it's just another case of Peterson thumbing his nose at the Vikings and trying to force a trade.

Peterson is due to make $12.75 million this year, and the Vikings certainly don't have to trade him, but it's probably what's best for the franchise at this point. The team has a budding superstar in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, and there's no need to poison the locker room with a potentially contentious player when the vibes surrounding the team are all positive.

Where there's smoke, there's fire, and we see this situation as a towering inferno. The expectation should be that Peterson is dealt either before or during the draft—and we'd guess to either the Cardinals, Raiders or Cowboys, with Arizona being the most likely destination.

Just last year, the Cleveland Browns used the 22nd overall pick of the draft to select Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel—and with that transaction, it appeared the team was set at the position for years to come.

Well, things didn't exactly go according to plan, as Manziel couldn't beat out incumbent starter Brian Hoyer and looked abysmal when he did see the field. And that was before an offseason trip to rehab, which Manziel recently completed.

Manziel said all the right things upon his release from a rehabilitation center, but it's unclear if the Browns will feel confident enough to roll into 2015 with him as their quarterback. Quite frankly, they'd be nuts to do so, which explains the signing of free-agent passer Josh McCown from earlier in the offseason.

In addition to McCown, the Browns have been rumored to like Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota—and with two first-round picks in tow (No. 12 and No. 19), they possess the theoretical firepower to move up to select Mariota. It's a subject recently bandied about by the Northeast Ohio Media Group's Mary Kay Cabot. 

While we'd normally criticize a team for spending back-to-back first-round picks on a quarterback, this situation might prove to be the exception. Who knows if Manziel will ever evolve into a quality NFL starter, and Mariota possesses a ton of talent. Plus, owner Jimmy Haslam would undoubtedly love to make another big splash and garner headlines.

We don't believe a trade of this ilk will materialize, but the Browns should absolutely not be counted out of the Mariota derby.

A little over two months ago, the New England Patriots raised the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl champions—and did so with LeGarrette Blount as their starting running back and fellow back Shane Vereen catching passes out of the backfield.

Now Vereen—as well as back Stevan Ridley—has signed elsewhere, and Blount has been suspended for the first game of the 2015 season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. With these factors in play, it should surprise no one if the Patriots seek to add backfield help in the draft.

Recent scuttlebutt points to interest in Georgia running back Todd Gurley, who starred in Athens before tearing his ACL last season. In three seasons with the Bulldogs, Gurley averaged 6.4 yards per carry and scored 36 touchdowns. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk), there's optimism that Gurley will be ready for training camp.

Per Mike Giardi of CSNNE.com, the Patriots will host Gurley for a visit this week, and the prospect should make the rest of the AFC shudder. Gurley is an extremely talented and physical back who profiles as an excellent fit in the team's offense. We don't believe Gurley will be on the board when the Patriots hit the clock at pick No. 32, but if he is, the team would be wise to snatch him up.

Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly is the NFL's version of the most interesting man in the world, orchestrating a series of offseason transactions that would make even the most rogue and cavalier personnel man blush.

From trading star running back LeSean McCoy to acquiring St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford—and the icing on the cake, the impending arrival of free-agent quarterback Tim Tebow, per Fox Sports' Jay Glazer—Kelly hasn't just thought outside the box. He's set the damn box on fire and cackled uncontrollably while watching it burn.

With the draft under two weeks away, speculation is once again starting to mount that Kelly is going to make a run at the quarterback he coached on the collegiate level at Oregon, Marcus Mariota, as Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported.

In an interview with Steve Mariucci of NFL Network (via Ian McCue of 247Sports), Mariota said of potentially playing for Kelly again, "It'd be an awesome opportunity to be a part of that organization, to be a part of that team. It would be a lot of fun."

While the Eagles would have to give up a ton of assets to trade up for Mariota, Kelly has proved that he has the stones to make a big-time move, so the team can't be counted out of the Mariota derby. We believe the price would be too steep, but at this point, would you really want to count out Kelly from engineering a trade that he potentially very much wants to make?

After over a decade of embarrassing futility, the Oakland Raiders finally appear to be on the up-and-up, and if general manager Reggie McKenzie has a successful draft, the Silver and Black could contend for a playoff berth as early as 2016.

One player McKenzie appears to be targeting with the fourth overall selection is Clemson pass-rusher Vic Beasley, who nabbed 25 sacks over the last two seasons on the collegiate level. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Raiders worked out Beasley last week.

On the surface, working out Beasley makes sense. Teams can never have enough pass-rushers, and Beasley is a good one. Plus, if the Raiders aren't actually interested in Beasley, they could be trying to throw other teams off the scent of a player they're really interested in.

However, we believe the Raiders must spend their first-round selection on either Alabama receiver Amari Cooper or West Virginia receiver Kevin White (we personally prefer the steadier Cooper). Oakland has a legitimate franchise building block in quarterback Derek Carr, and McKenzie desperately needs to surround him with weapons.

Beasley wouldn't be a bad pick, but he's not the player the Raiders really need at this juncture in time.

The Dallas Cowboys have their starting quarterback in Tony Romo, but Romo's primary backup is currently Brandon Weeden. And no, that's not good.

With Weeden being a less-than-desirable option and Romo set to turn 35 on Tuesday, it makes a ton of sense for the Cowboys to consider adding their quarterback of the future in the upcoming draft.

Enter UCLA passer Brett Hundley, who participated in a private workout for the Cowboys last week, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Hundley could be the third quarterback off the board (behind Florida State's Jameis Winston and Oregon's Marcus Mariota), and while he often played inconsistent football as a Bruin, his physical skill set is undeniable.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would be wise to address the quarterback position at some point in the near future, as Romo won't be under center forever. Perhaps the best course of action wouldn't be exhausting the 27th overall pick on a (backup and developmental) passer, especially given Dallas' Super Bowl aspirations, but we'd have no issue with the team nabbing Hundley—or Baylor's Bryce Petty—in Round 2.

Last season, the Miami Dolphins barely missed out on the postseason—and that can at least be partly attributed to the foibles of an offensive line that finished the year with negative grades in both pass and run blocking, per Pro Football Focus.

With this looming as an extremely important year for the franchise, it makes sense for executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum to do what he can to improve the offensive line, both for improved protection for quarterback Ryan Tannehill and to open up space in the run game.

Per Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel, the Dolphins will host LSU offensive lineman La'El Collins for a visit this week, which makes a ton of sense. While Collins played left tackle for the past two seasons at LSU, he has the skills to kick inside to guard, lending him added versatility and making him a very attractive option.

Last year, the Dolphins spent their first-round selection on tackle Ja'Wuan James, and adding Collins to the mix this year would give Miami a young and ascending offensive line.