Run-first Titans hope to rise in AFC South

Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie year, including two four-touchdown performances. Mariota’s success came despite the team not having a wide receiver top 600 yards. With that in mind, the Titans set out to remodel their offence this season and take some of the pressure off of Mariota’s shoulders.

The main focus of the team’s offseason changes was their ground game. Last season, the team leaned on former undrafted free agent Antonio Andrews to lead the rushing attack. Andrews, 24, rushed for 520 yards but averaged just 3.6 yards per carry. Mariota was the team’s second-leading rusher with 252 yards.

The team started their upgrading early in the offseason, trading for running back DeMarco Murray from the Philadelphia Eagles. In the midst of a rebuild themselves, the Eagles gave up Murray – their prized free agent acquisition a year ago – to move up 13 spots in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Murray rushed for just 702 yards last season, but led the NFL in rushing just two seasons ago with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Titans, however, did not stop there, adding reigning Heisman winner Derrick Henry in the second round of the draft. Henry rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns at Alabama last season, his first year as the team’s feature back. Murray and Henry immediately slotted into the top two spots on the team’s depth chart, while Andrew’s roster spot is now in question.

Murray is set to be the team’s starter, though the coaching staff has promised to find work for Henry, who had an impressive preseason.

The Titans also opted to improve their blocking for their new run-heavy attack, signing centre Ben Jones from the Houston Texans and drafting right tackle Jack Conklin eighth overall. The Titans owned the first overall pick in the draft and were expected to take left tackle Laremy Tunsil before shipping the pick to the Los Angeles Rams for a haul of draft picks. Tunsil was still on the board when the Titans traded up the Rams’ 15^th slot to eighth, but the Titans made the surprise move to take Conklin.

In the passing game, Mariota is looking at an overhauled group of wide receivers. The team traded Dorial Green-Beckham, who led the receivers with 549 yards last season, to Philadelphia Eagles and will have two new starters in Week 1. Free-agent pickup Rishard Matthews will start one side of the formation, while fifth-round pick Tajae Sharpe is also pegged for starting role. Kendall Wright, the team’s once promising first-round pick, missed almost all of training camp with a hamstring injury. Wright topped 1,000 yards in 2013 but has been unable to stay healthy in the two seasons since.

With Wright injured, the Titans signed 35-year-old Andre Johnson to add veteran depth at the position. The 14-year veteran has gone over the 1,000-yard mark seven times in his career, but posted just 503 yards last season.

Tight end Delanie Walker was one of few bright spots for the Titans offence last season, gaining more than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his 10-year career. Walker ranked ninth in the league in receptions and first among tight ends despite missing a game. As the only returning starter at a skill position, Walker should see plenty of work once again in 2016.

Overall, the offence appears to be coming together for the Titans. The defence, however, remains a work in progress for the rebuilding franchise.

The Titans, who gave up an average of 26 points per game last season, used three of their top five draft picks on defensive players, but none of the three are slated for starting roles. The first-team defence struggled in the preseason appears poised to once again rank among the bottom units in the league.

With their franchise quarterback drafted and a running game built to succeed, the future appears bright for the Titans. However, that future appears to be at least two years away in Tennessee. With two first round picks in next year’s draft, this season will represent another step of the rebuild in Nashville.

Key Notes

Bunch of Mularkey: Mike Mularkey went 2-7 as the interim head coach of the Titans after taking over Ken Whisenhunt last season. He 54-year-old owns a career 18-39 record as a head coach in the NFL and was viewed as the most uninspiring hire of the offseason. Mularkey should be considered on the hot seat entering the season.

Looking Sharpe: Fifth-round picks don’t often start in the NFL, but Tajae Sharp has earned a role with the first-stringers after a strong preseason and training camp. Sharpe caught nine passes for 163 yards across three preseason games; those stats include a 60-yard catch against the Oakland Raiders.