Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota desperately needed reinforcements on offense heading into the 2016 season.
Yesterday our Floyd Reese broke down the five most substantial needs on the Titans’ roster. Judging by his actions on Opening Day, first-year General Manager Jon Robinson is a Sports Night listener.
Before Wednesday’s 3 pm CT official start of the new league year, Robinson had already made headlines announcing that the Titans would be trading for Philadelphia Eagles two-time Pro Bowl running back DeMarco Murray.
In addition to finding a proven starter to put in the backfield, Robinson bolstered an offensive line that allowed the most quarterback sacks in the NFL last season by adding signing center Ben Jones away from the AFC South rival Houston Texans.
The Titans waited till the big-deal fervor died down Wednesday to sign former Miami Dolphins wide out 26-year old Rishard Matthews to a three-year deal later in the day and also brought in quarterback Matt Cassel on a one-year deal, pending a physical
The moves for Matthews, Jones, and Murray fortify three needy positions on offense with solid, young players that will likely start barring injury or other unforeseeable circumstances. Cassel, while not the most exciting prospect, has 12 years of experience in the NFL and could prove a valuable asset in a back-up role.
On the other side of the ball, Robinson snagged cornerback Brice McCain, another former Dolphin who was released as a salary cap casualty earlier in the month. McCain figures to be a rotational player as opposed to starting but his familiarity with defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau‘s system from their time together in Pittsburgh will make benefit both parties.
With these four free-agent additions, the Tennessee added two commodities it desperately needed: talent and depth. Still, the Titans have arguably the worst NFL roster with many more positions of need.
Robinson’s moves yesterday shows that a clear plan is in place, however, and that the new GM will not hesitate to shake things up in Nashville.
Stay tuned; I will update the team’s moves on a weekly basis.
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