Marcus Mariota is quickly putting to doubt any idea that he might not translate well in the NFL. The Tennessee Titans have named the quarterback their Day 1 starter and so far he is proving their faith accurate by exceling in the first few days of training camp. Part of that success is coming from the improvements the Titans made in the offseason, including the wide receiver group. After an off-the-field issue, it appears Justin Hunter could still be a part of that.
Hunter was arrested in Virginia for his role in a bar fight, but now his defense is making it clear that the wide receiver played no real part in the injury suffered by one man. Hunter's attorney, Toby Vick, told the media via the Tennessean that Hunter did not do was he was accused of and he predicted a happy ending between the receiver and the Titans. The team is standing by Hunter despite discussions of his possible release. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt made it clear that he stood by Hunter.
"Justin is here and he's ready to go," Whisenhunt said, via ESPN.com. "We've communicated with the league, we feel comfortable with where the process is and he'll be on the field tomorrow full go. We certainly support Justin and look forward to seeing how he progresses in camp."
The Tennessean reports that Hunter is still on thin ice with the Titans based on the additions they made in the offseason, but it seemed unlikely he could get released. Instead that could fall to Kendall Wright if players like Dorial Green-Beckham or Hakeem Nicks improve. Green-Beckham has not looked solid yet in training camp while the rookie says he is simply trying to shake the dusk while Nicks says this style of offense is really made just for his skill set.
"It's more one-on-one, trips backside, vertical throw, shallow-cross game, that's more of my style if you look at my past history, where I excelled," Nicks said, via ESPN.com.
Nicks is searching for a bounce-back year which Mariota could help with. The two worked out during the offseason in order to gain some chemistry. Mariota is quickly looking like a star on the field early on leaving the Titans to praise the quarterback heading into the season. Any fantasy sports owners would be wise to consider putting the quarterback first in their draft.