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How does Marcus Mariota’s supporting cast stack-up against rest of NFL?

By Michael Moraitis

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 2: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Tennessee Titans places his hand over heart during the playing of the national anthem before the game against the New York Jets at Nissan Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 2: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Tennessee Titans places his hand over heart during the playing of the national anthem before the game against the New York Jets at Nissan Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon ranked the supporting casts of every NFL team and slotted Marcus Mariota’s group in the bottom half of the NFL.

The Tennessee Titans already had some talented pieces on their offense, but an offseason that saw the team add some new faces to the roster will certainly give quarterback Marcus Mariota everything he needs to be successful in 2019.

Mariota is in his contract year and looks to have one of the better supporting casts he has seen during his four-year career.

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report ranked every supporting cast around the quarterbacks of all 32 NFL teams and the Titans came in at No. 19. Gagnon believes the players as a whole around Mariota on offense “could be really good or really bad.”

Here’s the breakdown.

"Bruising running back Derrick Henry is coming off a breakout third season in which he scored 12 touchdowns and averaged 4.9 yards per carry, and he’s got a quality complementary back in Dion Lewis.At wide receiver, 2017 No. 5 overall pick Corey Davis has All-Pro ability and is coming off a promising sophomore season in which he fell just short of 900 yards. But he’s yet to truly emerge. Newcomers A.J. Brown (a rookie second-rounder) and Adam Humphries (a rising veteran slot presence) should help, but they also seem like similar fits. Moreover, they have Tajae Sharpe and Taywan Taylor, who aren’t bad for depth but shouldn’t be starting.They have two strong tight ends in Delanie Walker and Jonnu Smith, but both are still fighting to get back from injuries that ended their 2018 campaigns prematurely."

Marcus Mariota has a ton of talent around him

To start things off, the Titans’ ground game will be a terror for opposing defenses. Derrick Henry will carry the load mostly and did so like a beast towards the end of last season, particularly when he rushed for 408 yards on 55 carries in two of the last four games he played.

Dion Lewis remains an elite pass-catching back, making it that much harder for opposing defensive coordinators to stop the Titans’ offense. With Henry and Lewis, the Titans have arguably the best 1-2 punch at running back in the league.

The Titans’ passing attack will be absolutely stacked if all goes according to plan. The addition of Adam Humphries gives the Titans a slot receiver who will make an immediate impact over the middle of the field.

TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 30: Adam Humphries #10 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on during warmups before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 30: Adam Humphries #10 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on during warmups before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

As for Corey Davis, the team’s No. 1 stud, he has barely begun to scratch the surface of just how good he can be after an impressive second season. A 1,000-yard campaign is almost certainly in his future.

Behind Davis and Humphries, the Titans have solid depth at the receiver position. Second-round rookie A.J. Brown is obviously a bit of a wild card, but he’s still at best the third option at the position. Both Tajae Sharpe and Taywan Taylor have shown flashes and just add to the pile of talented receivers Tennessee possesses.

Next. Watch Titans DC Dean Pees catch a punt and spike it home. dark

Even if you take those three away, the Titans still have a game-changing tight end in Delanie Walker, and then there’s Jonnu Smith, who could end up being a matchup nightmare as the team’s second tight end.

The Titans have done everything they can to give Mariota a supporting cast that gives him the best chance to flourish and the guys around him are better than most give them credit for.

Bottom line: don’t sleep on the Titans’ offense this season.

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