Titans fans should be watching Vic Beasley and Marcus Mariota closely
By Will Lomas
How could it get better?
I actually asked the aforementioned Nick Korte if the 5th round comp pick for Mariota could get better, and he said that it all depended on playing time:
It's possible that the pick could upgrade to a 4th if Mariota plays most of the snaps instead of Carr in Las Vegas.
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) July 31, 2020
But Beasley's contract would still have to not qualify in order for it to happen.
Titans still in line for a 3rd for Jack Conklin's departure.
This is a lot of ifs, but this is something that Jon Robinson has to consider at this point. If they can dissolve this contract or find some way to get it off the books, then the Titans would have another comp pick that could go as high as the 4th round.
And if you think that there is no chance that the Raiders start Marcus Mariota, take a look at any clip of Mike Mayock or Jon Gruden talk about Mariota pre-draft or after they signed him. In fact, just look at the Raiders’ social media and you will see him:
Offensive weapons ready for action. ▶️ pic.twitter.com/lwfStZsaqT
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 4, 2020
That is rookie 1st round pick Henry Ruggs III, free agent receiver Nelson Agholor, 3rd round rookie Lynn Bowden Jr., and “backup” quarterback Marcus Mariota.
How many times have you seen a team pump up their backup QB with promo pictures like this? It certainly didn’t happen when Ryan Tannehill was behind Marcus Mariota in Tennessee.
I think there is a good chance that Mariota gets more snaps than Carr in Las Vegas and that would mean that the Titans could actually get a 4th round comp pick for basically no loss.
One last note, you might think that a 4th or 5th round pick isn’t that big of a deal but look at who Jon Robinson has spent 4th and 5th round picks on since joining the Titans.
2020
4th: Ryan Tannehill (trade)
5th Larrell Murchison
2019
4th: Amani Hooker (played 300+ snaps)
5th: D’Andre Walker (graded as a 2nd round pick by Dane Brugler who could start for the Titans, but who missed his rookie year with a hernia)
2018
4th: Used to trade up for Rashaan Evans
5th: Dane Cruikshank (2 special teams TDs against the AFC South in the last two years)
2017
4th: Used in trade for Taywan Taylor (well, they aren’t all amazing)
5th: Jayon Brown (great linebacker)
2016
4th: Involved in DeMarco Murray trade, then traded away in the Rams blockbuster
5th: Tajae Sharpe (great WR3/WR4 type who really came into his own last season)
That is a pretty great hit rate and those picks yielded great results like star players in Ryan Tannehill or Jayon Brown, trade chips for Demarco Murray or Rashaan Evans, special teams studs, and rotational pieces.
That, plus $10 million in cap is worth really trying to find any way out of the Vic Beasley contract.