Tennessee Titans Can Make Marcus Mariota Immediate Star in NFL

Marcus Mariota has been much maligned over the past few months.

Often painted as a consolation prize to Jameis Winston, most of the trade speculation didn't focus on teams desperately trying to acquire a franchise quarterback. Instead, the speculation appeared to push more toward the idea that the Tennessee Titans were desperate to pass on the former Oregon prospect.

Reporters wrote that the Titans would rather move forward with Zach Mettenberger, a former sixth-round draft pick who hadn't finished either of the past two seasons healthy.

When potential trade partners—most were painted as reluctant anyway, outside of Chip Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles—weren't being talked about, the focus was on Mariota's negatives. Highlighting a prospect's negative traits is always part of the draft process, but more often than not, it wasn't his abilities that were being picked apart. Rather, analysts questioned what he was asked to do while at Oregon.

It was almost impossible to escape the "system quarterback" label that had been surgically stapled to Mariota's forehead.

Through it all, Mariota remained silent, another aspect of his stock that was regularly dismissed as a negative. While Mariota was silent, a certain tension and anticipation grew. Which team was going to acquire the polarizing prospect, as detailed by The Washington Post's Cindy Boren and NFL.com's Ian Rapoport (via the Chicago Sun-Times' David Just)? The Jets? The Eagles? The Bears? The Chargers?

We seemed to forget that the Titans could actually be serious in their proclamations about liking Mariota.

Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt publicly talked about his appreciation for Mariota since all the way back in January. Because of his team's record last season, Whisenhunt was able to coach in the Senior Bowl. Mariota turned down his invitation to the Senior Bowl, but Whisenhunt sent a message to him through reporters.

"It would have been great. I'm hopeful he'll still show," Whisenhunt said. "He's got a couple of days. As long as he gets here before the game, I think we're set."

While Whisenhunt was obviously saying that with a grin because Mariota had already officially declined his invite, the Titans would soon show serious signs of interest in the quarterback. In early March, Mariota visited the Titans to work out for them.

Just a few weeks later, Whisenhunt sat down with reporters at the NFL owners meetings to comment on Mariota once more, as USA Today's Jim Corbett relayed:

Whenever Whisenhunt discussed Mariota, the comments were widely tossed aside as calculated statements designed to draw the interest of other teams. That is primarily because Mariota doesn't immediately appear to be the kind of quarterback Whisenhunt prefers and because the franchise as a whole also appeared to be excited by Mettenberger.

Crucially, now that Mariota is on their roster, the Titans are saying all the right things.

Having already let it be known that Mariota would immediately be inserted into the starting lineup, Whisenhunt acknowledged that the Titans would alter their offensive approach slightly to better accommodate the quarterback. While Mariota's transition concerns to the NFL are largely overblown, it's always smart to play to your starter's strengths.

That's even more important when your starter is a rookie, as Whisenhunt noted, according to The Tennessean's Jon Glennon:

"

Sure we would. I think that is a part of it. I think that is what we try to do with a lot of things. I think with a young quarterback, obviously one of the things you have to do is you have to push him, you have to test him, challenge him. That is what these guys thrive on.

But you also have to try to do some things they have done well. Our no-huddle offense that we run, some of the things I have seen Marcus (Mariota) do in his offense translate to that. There are certainly some things whether we get either one of these two young men that you will do to make that transition easier.

"

Starting rookie quarterbacks can be dangerous if you're not smart about it. What you ask him to do is obviously crucial, but having the right supporting cast is also very important. The Titans don't have a great supporting cast, but they look set to be relatively strong in the right areas.

The biggest part of a quarterback's supporting cast is his offensive line.

His offensive line accounts for the pressure he plays under in the pocket while also playing a major role in establishing the run. Any quarterback with good protection and a strong running game will find it easier to complete passes down the field.

In Tennessee, the Titans have the impressive Taylor Lewan at left tackle. Lewan was the team's first-round pick from last year. He wasn't a full-time starter as a rookie but impressed when he replaced Michael Roos during the season.

Lewan will protect Mariota's blind side. He will be aided by left guard Andy Levitre, a very talented player whose career has fallen off somewhat because of injuries.

While Levitre and right guard Chance Warmack haven't lived up to expectations, they could still be an above-average guard pairing next season. Levitre's health will be crucial, while Warmack needs to only continue his development into his third season.

Those three pieces should lead the offensive line and help Mariota adjust as a starter, but Mariota should help his offensive line just as much.

Unlike Mettenberger, Mariota is very active in the pocket. Mettenberger has a slow mental and physical process that stresses his offensive line in every possible way. Mariota is very quick to read through his progressions while constantly adjusting his feet and positioning within the pocket.

Credit: Draftbreakdown.com

Credit: Draftbreakdown.com

Mariota's movement in the pocket allows him to regularly position himself so he is equidistant from each of his offensive linemen. He will also shift his weight and slide his feet on a regular basis to take away a defender's leverage against his engaged blocker.

These are the kinds of subtle actions within the pocket that Mettenberger never made. As such, Mettenberger was regularly forced to throw the ball before he wanted to or while under unnecessary pressure. 

Mettenberger also had a much slower release, something that Mariota doesn't possess. Mariota gets rid of the ball with exceptional speed. His footwork can be problematic at times, but he doesn't have major problems to overcome.

Currently on the depth chart, the Titans have Justin Hunter, Kendall Wright, Delanie Walker, Harry Douglas, Hakeem Nicks and Dexter McCluster as their best receiving options. With Mariota's skill set, he should lean heavily on Wright, Walker, Douglas and McCluster to be productive.

That is because Mariota isn't a thick, strong-armed player who is going to push the ball downfield as much as possible. Instead, he will better work the short and intermediate routes. Mariota will rely on his ability to read the defense and anticipate throws with high-velocity throws and effective ball placement to find his receivers.

The Titans also gave their new quarterback an extra weapon on Friday. The franchise used its second-round pick to draft wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, an athletic freak who many considered to be the best raw talent out of this year's wideout class.

Mariota still has enough arm strength to push the ball down the field, and his caution with the football definitely doesn't dissolve into fear that hurts his offense like that which infects Alex Smith's play.

Credit: Draftbreakdown.com

Credit: Draftbreakdown.com

Credit: Draftbreakdown.com

As the above plays show, Mariota's ability to find the open receiver from the pocket shouldn't be considered a significant question mark. He wasn't just another quarterback in Oregon. There is a major difference between what he did and what someone like Dennis Dixon did in that offense.

His ability to mitigate pressure, read coverages and time throws should transcend system. Mariota showed off all of those traits on a consistent basis at the college level. The only concern is if he can continue to do that against better athletes and smarter defenses.

Mariota must prove he can command a huddle and that he has the brain retention to master the Titans playbook. His physical actions on the field will primarily work from the shotgun, but he will also need to prove he can carry out all the requisite drops from under center while refining his footwork.

It would be a major surprise if any of those things is a major obstacle for his career considering what we know about him as a prospect.

The Titans don't view Mariota as a consolation prize, nor should they. He has all the potential to be a top-five or top-10 quarterback for the next decade. He isn't just a gimmick from a fancy offense or an athlete trying to figure out the nuances of the quarterback position as a whole.

Unless the rumored trade offerings for Mariota, such as this one reported by Rapoport (via ESPN.com's Phil Sheridan), were way, way off, many teams in the league viewed the Oregon QB as a potential star at the position.

In Tennessee, he will have a good shot to prove them right.