File the following under general managers will not rule anything out before the draft.
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco was asked Thursday on NFL Network whether or not he might be in the market for Philip Rivers' successor in the upcoming draft. His response?
"We're very happy with Philip Rivers, and I think he's got a number of good years left in him," Telesco said on NFL Network's Up To The Minute *on Thursday.* "We can win with Philip, and we're happy with him. But since I've arrived here, we've always done a lot of work on the quarterbacks. You just have to."
He added: "Even though we have our franchise quarterback, we always have to be looking toward the future. It's work we've done every year. We'll do work on all the quarterbacks. You never say never. You just never know in this business. You have to be prepared in this business, whether you're picking at No. 7 or if we trade back, it's just hard to tell right now. We will scout every position like we don't have someone there, and we'll make determinations draft day on what we end up doing. But right now we're very happy with Philip. He's the leader of this football team, and we feel like we can win with him."
With so many varied opinions on this year's quarterback class, it wouldn't be a bad year for a surprise developmental pick. The Cardinals also have hinted that it might be time to find someone to supplant Carson Palmer.
Of course, this would be a difficult proposition to saddle new head coach Anthony Lynn with. Not only is the team moving to Los Angeles and settling into temporary facilities, but they're installing a new culture and a new defense. Dealing with a future face-of-the-franchise quarterback might be too much of a load to bear.
Smokescreen season is enjoyable if only because misinformation is the currency of the NFL from late February to early May. Maybe a team needing a quarterback will have to call Telesco and make a deal.
