Tennessee has been the worst team in the NFL over the last two seasons, posting a 5-27 record during that time. There is hope that the Titans are about to turn the corner though. No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota had a solid rookie campaign and the Titans just got a lot stronger over the next few seasons after shipping the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams for two first-rounders, two second-rounders, and three third-rounders.
Tennessee Titans Playoff Odds at BookMaker.eu
Yes +550
No -800
2015 TENNESSEE TITANS SEASON REVIEW
The Titans fired coach Ken Whisenhunt halfway through the season just a year and a half into his tenure as coach of the team. Tennessee had bottomed out though and there was little reason to have continued to stay the course. Mike Mularkey replaced Whisenhunt as interim coach and in a rare twist these days actually became the head coach at season’s end.
Mariota started the season strong, throwing for eight touchdowns in his first three games of the season, but quickly leveled off. He silenced some of the doubters that raised concerns about his ability to pick up the NFL style of play though and has some options to work with.
Delanie Walker had a Pro Bowl season as Mariota’s top option. Walker caught 94 passes for over 1000 yards and was frequently Mariota’s safety valve over the middle. Mariota has another great option in Dorial Green-Beckham who flashed some of the potential that made him a five-star prospect coming out of high school.
KEY LOSSES
The big losses for Tennessee were along a defense that was one of the worst in the NFL last season. Michael Griffin was a salary cap casualty and the Titans also lost Mike Martin, Zach Brown, Steven Johnson, and Coty Sensabaugh in free agency. Tennessee’s losses aren’t as flashy as some other team’s hit hard in free agency, but erodes any kind of chemistry the defense had last year.
KEY ADDITIONS
Tennessee’s biggest splash this offseason came in the backfield alongside Mariota. The Titans traded for DeMarco Murray in what was essentially a contract dump by the Eagles and Tennessee added another option in the draft with Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. The combination of Murray and Henry in the backfield will help Mariota continue to grow at a steady pace rather than being thrown to the wolves like so many other young quarterbacks have been.
2016 TENNESSEE TITANS SEASON PREVIEW
Tennessee has a lot of young talent and the major question is whether or not it can all come together. Mariota looked like he could be a franchise quarterback, while Green-Beckham has a lot of potential and fifth-round draft pick Tajae Sharpe has received a lot of preseason praise. If Henry and Murray can find some holes and allow Mariota to read just single coverage, the Titans could get better in a hurry.
The strength of Tennessee’s defense is along the defensive line. Jurrell Casey is a star in the center of the line and made the Pro Bowl last season for his efforts. Casey is one of those rare interior linemen who can both stuff the run and get to the quarterback and ended up with seven sacks. If second-round draft pick Austin Johnson can develop alongside him, the defensive line could quickly become one of the better units in the NFL.
The Titans feel like they are a year or two away. Mariota and the offense should improve upon last year’s numbers, but there just isn’t a lot of talent on the roster yet. There are a lot of young players on the team and the most important thing this season should be to continue building chemistry for the future. Tennessee was able to start overhauling its roster thanks to the Jared Goff trade and with another year of picks in next year’s draft, the future is bright for fans in the Volunteer State.
NFL Odds: Tennessee Titans to miss the playoffs -800
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