Zach Mettenberger Still Has Job With Tennessee Titans
By Les Bailey
Now that the Tennessee Titans have made Marcus Mariota their franchise quarterback, speculation begins regarding the status of Zach Mettenberger. After all, until Thursday evening when the Titans selected the Oregon star in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, they had most everyone concerned, convinced that the former LSU quarterback was their guy.
It appears Zach feels the same way about the situation and his opportunity in Music City.
There were even words that came out of headquarters on Wednesday stating if Mett was in the 2015 draft, he would be the third quarterback on the board.
Obviously that was part of the smoke screen the Titans were using to draw a team like the Eagles into a trade that would bring more picks to Music City.
First and foremost, fans shouldn’t worry. The Titans still need quality backup in case their new quarterback, God Forbid, get injured. We needed at least tow quarterbacks in training camp for some healthy competition and now we have that problem solved.
The word on the street is that Mettenberger’s agent, Joe Linta was asking for a trade as soon as the Titans made their selection.
Kevin Patra Around The NFL Writer at NFL.com addressed the situation in a Friday morning post. According to Patra, Zach Mettenberger is not going anywhere in the near future, and the team wants the fifth-round pick out of LSU to improve as a backup.
"“We talked to Zach, and that’s not Zach in any way,” Webster said Thursday, via The Tennessean. “I think he’ll embrace the situation here and he won’t be traded.”Coach Ken Whisenhunt said he spoke directly with Mettenberger and believes the former sixth-round pick will compete to get better as the backup.“We just talked before I came in (to the news conference), so he’s up for the challenge,” Webster added. “I think one of the things that was important for Zach to understand is that he built up a lot of good equity with what he did. There’s a lot of potential there, and we’re excited about Zach.”"
With no wins in six starts in Nashville, it’s pretty obvious that if the Titans keep and groom Mettenberger for the future, he will become a more valuable asset if they decide to trade him downstream.
It appears Zach feels the same way about the situation and his opportunity in Music City.
"The Mariota selection reportedly caused Mettenberger’s agent, Joe Linta, to say he wants his client traded, per ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. However,Titans general manager Ruston Webster said the team has talked to Mettenberger and don’t believe the player feels similarly."
Now let’s get ready for Friday evening and rounds two and three.
Next: Tennessee Titans Poossibilities In Round Two