Tennessee Titans: Saturday News Links

The Tennessee Titans took the first step in turning this fledgling franchise around on Thursday when they hired former Bucs Director of Player Personnel, Jon Robinson to fill the General Manager void left by Ruston Webster who was relieved of his duties on January 4th.

The Titans desperately needed to get someone on staff who can evaluate talent, and after 12 years working for Bill Belichick in New England, you have to think he fits the bill.

The last step will be for the Titans to make a head coach selection which is expected soon. The four-person selection committee headed by Amy Adams Strunk has been joined by Robinson, but the committee will make the decision.

All indications point to interim head coach Mike Mularkey as having the inside track on the position.

Jon Robinson could nudge the Titans toward increase analytic use – Paul Kuharsky ESPN

Tampa Bay director of football operations Shelton Quarles, who worked with Robinson the past two years, said Robinson has a leaning to metrics.

“Since both him and Jason have come in, we’ve started to develop our analytics department so I know [Robinson] relies on some of that stuff,” Quarles said. “But the eyeball test — they can play or they can’t play and sometimes it doesn’t add up from an analytics standpoint.

This is something the Titans have needed, but now have someone who can uses metrics to help evaluate talent. I had felt that Robinson may have pushed for Jacksonville Jaguar assistant Doug Marrone as the new head coach in Nashville. He is very keen on the use of metrics.

Mel Kiper: Titans have plenty of good options at No. 1 – John Glennon The Tennessean 

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said he thinks theTitans will have plenty of good options available to them at the No. 1 overall position.

On Thursday morning, Kiper released his first mock draft, in which he projected the Titans taking Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa. But he listed a player on the other side of the line as another possibility for the Titans if they hold onto the first pick.

I really like Joey Bosa, but think the Titans have a chance to sell the number one pick in the 2016 Draft to the highest bidder and still be able to get some nice picks.

Tennessee Titans 2016 Position Review: Running Back – Jordan L. Churchill Music City Miracles

The Titans run game spent most of 2015 in shambles. The lack of support for Mariota and how unbalanced it made the offense was painfully noticeable for a majority of the season.

It’s no secret that I would love to see Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte in a Titans uniform, but this article deals with who they currently have and that’s not a lot.

Antonio Andrews had a good year that included a bad last game. David Cobb deserves more looks and Bishop Sankey needs to go. Dexter McCluster is a keeper, but is not a three-down back.

Titans coaching job is Mike Mularkey’s ‘to lose’ – Marc Sessler Around the NFL

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport told NFL Network’s GameDay Firstthat it’s Mike Mularkey’s job “to lose.” The interim coach who replaced Ken Whisenhunt in November is “expected to be their permanent head coach again,” and it “could be today” when theTitans make that official.

Next: Titans new GM Brings hope to Music City

Selling Mularkey to this fan base will only trigger more of that “frustration,” especially when the presence of quarterback Marcus Mariota generated plenty of interest in the job. It’s one of the offseason’s bigger surprises to see the Titans stay inside the building for a hire they’ve been planning since before Thanksgiving.