Ruston Webster Retained by Titans: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Tennessee Titans general manager Ruston Webster will have the chance to use his favorable 2015 NFL draft position to try to turn the franchise around.  

President and CEO Tommy Smith confirmed that Webster would remain in the Titans front office, via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com:

In his tenure, the deck has been somewhat stacked against Webster. The prior regime had drafted quarterback Jake Locker No. 8 overall in 2011, the year before Webster arrived. The Titans finished 2-14 and secured the second overall selection in the draft.

Locker proved incapable of being the solution under center, limiting what Webster could do until he knew what he had in the young signal-caller. Webster did bring in receivers Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter, offensive guard Chance Warmack and running back Bishop Sankey in the hopes of sparking the Titans' offense, yet it never fully materialized on a consistent basis.

The unceremonious exit of fading running back Chris Johnson also added complexities to Webster's reign in the front office.

Earlier in December, ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky reported what Webster had to say about the important leaders in the organization being on the same page:

"

I want flexibility, in our coaches and our scouts and everybody because that's important. It's also important that they have a philosophy and a system. And my experience has been when a coach tells you, 'Just give me the player and I'll make it work,' it's probably not going to work...You need a coach who has a stark philosophy that can give you guidance so that you can bring players into the building. It might not help you right now where we are in our current situation [...] but it is important going forward.

"

Indeed, the progress Tennessee can make in its immediate future is dictated by how well Webster and head coach Ken Whisenhunt can work together.

Whisenhunt oversaw a woeful Titans team that suffered from musical chairs at the QB position, featuring Locker, career backup Charlie Whitehurst and sixth-round rookie Zach Mettenberger. Now that Webster is in a spot to grab a top-tier QB prospect, he would do well to do so.

Until the Titans lock up a viable option at the most important position, it doesn't matter who is calling the personnel shots. Webster must find an effective quarterback in order for Tennessee to realistically dream of a turnaround anytime soon—and to preserve his seemingly tenuous job security.