The Tennessee Titans are continuing Mike Mularkey’s mostly uninspiring career and set to implement something called an exotic smashmouth offense this season. But the player at the controls of this oxymoronic attack looks to benefit from the organization’s offseason. Saddled with one of the NFL’s worst running games and an injury- and inconsistency-stricken receiving corps, Marcus Mariota showed well as a rookie, ranking as the overall QB22 despite missing nearly five entire games.
The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner could have both a modest and/or major upgrade in the backfield. That depends on how you view DeMarco Murray’s career arc and an enhanced stable of receivers. Rishard Matthews is far better than Harry Douglas at this point.
Mariota will also probably have a superior tackle tandem compared to what took the field in Nashville last season, with Tennessee looking set to select Laremy Tunsil at No. 1 overall and move 2014 No. 1 pick Taylor Lewan to right tackle to replace Byron Bell.
Not that the Titans resemble a playoff outfit or anything yet, but their offense appears ready to become more conducive to fantasy success.
Already equipped with a former 1,000-yard receiver in Kendall Wright and a Pro Bowl tight end in Delanie Walker, who benefited from the team’s injuries and inefficiency at wide receiver last season to post his only 1,000-yard campaign, Mariota should be set to build on a largely promising debut season.
Several quarterbacks emerged from the late rounds — or the wire, in 10-team leagues — to change the complexion of 2015’s fantasy landscape during a season when the consensus top two quarterbacks, Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers, ended up disappointing owners. Andy Dalton, Derek Carr, Blake Bortles and Kirk Cousins rode in to lead savvy fantasy teams to the playoffs.
Those breakouts and semi-breakouts could relegate Mariota into a similar position at the end of drafts this season. But considering what he showed as a rookie on a terrible Titans team during his abbreviated docket, Mariota has the upside to become a surprise QB1 for owners victimized by injuries to stars or a regression from players among the aforementioned quartet.
Mariota’s targets included a hobbled Wright—who miss seven starts last season—and an ineffective Douglas, who failed to earn his contract. Yet, the rookie QB still threw for 2,818 yards and 19 touchdown passes (to 10 interceptions) in barely 11 games. Compare that to someone like Teddy Bridgewater, who chucked 14 TDs and barely 3,200 yards in 16 starts with superior personnel, and Mariota’s QB22 season looks a little better.
Once Mularkey took over as coach in Week 9, Mariota began a stretch where he scored at least 17 points in five of six games. This included two 30-plus-point outings —the first of which featuring a four-TD pass game and the second including 112 rushing yards. Only the ensuing week’s injury derailed Mariota’s progress.
January 3, 2016: Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) signals to a fan before the NFL game between the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire)
The combination of Antonio Andrews (team-high 520 rushing yards) and Dexter McCluster didn’t give the former Oregon spread-offense wunderkind much support on the ground, either. Tennessee ranked 25th in rushing last season, but a restocked offensive front (the Titans also signed Ben Jones away from the Texans to play center to go along with Tunsil’s prospective arrival) should give Murray a great chance at re-establishing himself after napalming his fantasy trajectory last season.
Mularkey’s shaky track record (18-39 in three-plus seasons) and interesting wordplay regarding his offensive philosophy may not be the best look for the Titans, but his plan to use Mariota as a runner should pique interest from the fantasy community.
Mariota didn’t run nearly as much as he did during his Ducks days once joining the Titans, amassing 252 yards (7.4 per attempt). The 22-year-old quarterback was remarkably consistent in Eugene, Ore., gaining between 715 and 770 rushing yards in each of his three college seasons en route to 29 TDs. The main reason behind Mularkey’s creative phrasing for his Tennessee offense stems from his plan to put Mariota’s running talents to better use.
It’s obviously hard to gauge the kind of volume increase Mularkey plans for his second-year quarterback, but given Mariota’s abilities here, there’s no reason he couldn’t be a top-five quarterback rusher next season.
Cam Newton led all signal-callers with 636 rushing yards last year, with Tyrod Taylor and Russell Wilson being the only other passers to surpass 500 yards on the ground. With a full season, Mariota could approach that plateau.
Tennessee’s gains this offseason, a return to health for Mariota and Wright, and Mularkey’s vision of upping his dual-threat conductor’s number of carries makes Mariota a solid sleeper candidate for next season.
Mariota was already a promising talent, but the emergence of other passers who had the chance to play full seasons overshadowed his entrance.
He’s in a position to become one of 2016’s late-round gems as a professional sophomore and reward safe owners who prioritize quarterback insurance, or gamblers who load up on skill-position players before awaiting a significant Mariota step forward.
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