The Marcus Mariota era in Tennessee officially begins on Friday night as the Titans prepare to face the Atlanta Falcons in their first preseason game of the year. Mariota was drafted No.2 overall and expected to be the future of the franchise. The Titans wasted no time inserting the former Oregon star in as the starting quarterback and now the challenge becomes to work with the offensive pieces around him as the wide receiver and running back depth chart is not yet set.
Mariota has been earning rave reviews in training camp so far and the Titans are hopeful that success carries over into the regular season. They will get their first taste of that on Friday. While Mariota will trot out with the first-team offense, there is still a debate as to who plays around him. After a roller coaster offseason that ended in an arrest, The Tennessean reports that Justin Hunter will assume his role at the top of the depth chart. Wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson is confident the starter has a good year.
"A lot of times, new receivers come into the league with the physical tools, but the mentality hasn't caught up," Jefferson said, via ESPN.com. "We're seeing his mental catch up to his physical skills now. He's making some plays. It's like now he expects to make them, when before he was unsure. He goes to the line now like, 'Give me this rock.' And that's what you want to see."
Joining Hunter is likely Dorial Green-Beckham who has also been a standout during training camp. The rookie receiver is eager to get on the football field after a rough ending to his college career. Green-Beckham started the offseason injured, but has since been making a big impact on the field to help Mariota.
"I feel like overall, I've been improving and making some plays," Green-Beckham said, via the Tennessean. "But I have to keep my focus all the way through practice and make those contested catches. That's the big thing about me. I just have to make those contested catches - just look the ball in all the way down until I hit the ground."
The running back position also comes with question marks heading into the regular season. Bishop Sankey returns as the likely starter despite his average rookie year. Jalston Fowler is still trying to grasp the playbook as the Titans aim to have him play both running back and fullback for the team. David Cobb joins as a rookie with fumbling issues. Sankey appear to have the starting job set and now the battle is for his backup role.
