The Tennessee Titans are trying to make the transition to the NFL as smooth as possible for the No. 2 overall pick.
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With the selection of Marcus Mariota second overall in the 2015 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans got a quarterback with tremendous physical skills and the upside to be truly special. Now the key becomes putting Mariota in the right scheme with the right people around him.
Tennessee is already taking steps to make sure that happens. In an interview with NFL.com, Titans general manager Ruston Webster said that the team was adapting its offense to Mariota’s strengths.
"“Really to adapting our offense to his skill set — he has a special skill set. There’s really not much he can’t do from physical standpoint and he’s very bright. That combination is going to allow him to do his own adapting to the NFL game but our coaches have worked very hard on coming up with a system within our system for Marcus. I think it will work well.”"
The skill set that Mariota possesses is very intriguing. As Webster notes, Mariota has fantastic athleticism, but adds great decision-making and good accuracy on top of that. If everything goes right in his career, Mariota could have the physical ability of a Colin Kaepernick or early career Robert Griffin III while being a better passer than both.
Obviously the Titans would want to help Mariota as much as possible after investing so much of their future in him. Still, it’s interesting that Webster says that the team will adapt to his skill set, rather than trying to make him a pure pro-style quarterback as is so often the case.
Mariota played in the pocket quite often at Oregon, but perhaps the Titans want to incorporate more spread, tempo and quick throws into their offense. He will have to do a few new things no matter how much Tennessee changes his offense to suit him, including taking snaps from under center.
The big question will be how effectively the Titans will be able to adapt and if they can add the right pieces around Mariota. Tennessee needs help at so many positions, including offensive line outside of Taylor Lewan, and doesn’t have many playmakers on offense, not exactly a recipe for success for a new quarterback.
Adding wide receiver Dorial-Green Beckham in the second round will help if he can stay out of trouble off the field. Green-Beckham has other-worldly physical skills and can act as a sort of security blanket for Mariota do to his large catching radius.
It also isn’t clear if Ken Wisenhunt is the right coach to develop someone like Mariota. Wisenhunt has had success with quarterbacks like Kurt Warner and Phillip Rivers, but Mariota is a much different challenge. Other than the two years he had Warner at the helm, Wisenhunt’s career as a head coach has been marred by quarterback issues.
Still, Mariota has done nothing but succeed so far and has the skills to be a franchise quarterback. It’s refreshing to see a team adapt to a skill set rather than force him to be something he’s not, but that’s easier said than done.
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